Category Archives: Royal Churches

Johanniterkirche in Mirow in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Johanniterkirche; Credit Wikipedia by Von Matthias Süßen

History

Originally a Roman Catholic church of The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights Hospitaller, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, Johanniterkirche (Saint John’s Church) is an Evangelical Lutheran church in Mirow, on the Mirow Castle Island in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. From 1704,  Johanniterkirche was the court church and burial place of the Dukes and Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Only the three-bay choir from the 14th century has been preserved from the original church. The wider nave was built around the time when the Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz took possession of the church.

On September 4, 1742, lightning struck the church’s wooden tower, and the church burned down. The tower and the church’s furnishings were destroyed. During the reign of Adolf Friedrich III, Duke of Mecklenburg (reigned 1708 – 1752), the church was restored in the Baroque style. A large baroque tower was built, and the interior of the church was restored with baroque furnishings. The church was reconsecrated in 1744. The altarpiece was created in 1750 by court painter Charles Maucourt. (link in German). In 1868, the altarpiece was replaced by a copy of Christ on the Cross painted by Marie of Hesse-Kassel, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1796 – 1880), wife of Grand Duke Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, after a painting by the German Renaissance painter Albrecht Dürer.

Interior before 1945; Credit –  Wikipedia

On April 30, 1945, during World War II, the Johanniterkirche was destroyed by German Wehrmacht bombing. Only the outer walls and the princely crypt survived the bombing.  Architect Paul Zühlke oversaw the restoration. His plans included the reconstruction of the building and plans for the altar, the pulpit, the baptismal font, and the central windows with the symbols of faith (a cross), hope (an anchor), and charity (a heart).  On September 3, 1950, the Johanniterkirche was reconsecrated.

Interior of the Johanniterkirche in 2024; Credit – Wikipedia by Von Matthias Süßen

Burials

The crypt of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; Credit – Wikipedia by Von Matthias

After the death of Johanna of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1680 – 1704), second wife of Adolf Friedrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, an older crypt was rededicated and expanded as the princely crypt and burial site of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The crypt was expanded several times, and the reigning dukes, their wives, and their closest members of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz were interred in the crypt.

In 1921, 52 coffins in four crypt rooms were documented. After the 1945 bombing of the church, many coffins were damaged and had been looted. In the publicly accessible part of the crypt, there are now 22 coffins, including those of five of the eight rulers of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 2015, the German federal government, the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state government, and the Mirow local government pledged a combined amount of around 900,000 euros for the renovation of the princely crypt, which was completed in 2018.

Adolf Friedrich VI, the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, died by suicide on February 23, 1918, and was buried on Love Island, a small island off Castle Island, the site of the Grand Ducal Palace and the Johanniterkirche.

Members of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz who were buried at the Johanniterkirche

  • Karl of Mecklenburg (1626 – 1670), son of Adolf Friedrich I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
  • Johann Georg of Mecklenburg (1629 – 1675), son of Adolf Friedrich I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
  • Johanna of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1680 – 1704), second wife of Adolf Friedrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Adolf Friedrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1658 – 1708)
  • Sophie Christiane Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1706 – 1708), daughter of Adolf Friedrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Magdalene Christine Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1711 -1713), daughter of Adolf Friedrich III, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Maria Sophie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1710 -1728), daughter of Adolf Friedrich III, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Caroline of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (born and died 1736), daughter of Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and granddaughter of Adolf Friedrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Elisabeth Christine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1739 – 1741), daughter of Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and granddaughter of Adolf Friedrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Sophie Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1740 – 1742), daughter of Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and granddaughter of Adolf Friedrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Gotthelf of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (born and died 1745), son of Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Christiane Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (1681 – 1751), third wife of Adolf Friedrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Adolf Friedrich III, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1686 – 1752)
  • Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1708 – 1752), son of Adolf Friedrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen (1713 – 1761), wife of Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Dorothea Sophie of Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1692 – 1765), wife of Adolf Friedrich III, Duke of Mecklenburg
  • Caroline Auguste of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1771 – 1773), daughter of Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1794 – 1815), Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1815 – 1816)
  • Georg Karl Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1772 – 1773), son of Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1794 – 1815), Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1815 – 1816)
  • Friedrich Georg Mecklenburg-Strelitz (born and died 1774), son of Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (from 1794 to 1815), Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (from 1815 to 1816)
  • Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1752 -1782), first wife of Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Grand Duke after her death), sister of Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, Carl II’s second wife; Friederike died from complications delivering Augusta Albertine, below, who lived only one day. Her sister Charlotte also died in childbirth.
  • Augusta Albertine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (born and died 1782), daughter of Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Friedrich Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1781 – 1783), son of Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1748 – 1785), son of Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, grandson of Adolf Friedrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1755 – 1785), second wife of Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Grand Duke after her death), sister of Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt, Carl II’s first wife; both sisters died in childbirth
  • Christiane of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1735 – 1794), daughter of Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and granddaughter of Adolf Friedrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Adolf Friedrich IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1738 – 1794)
  • Ernst Gottlob Albert of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1742 – 1814), son of Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and grandson of Adolf Friedrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1741 – 1816)
  • Maria Luise Albertine of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg, Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt (1729 – 1818), wife of Prince George William of Hesse-Darmstadt, mother of Friederike and Charlotte, the first and second wives of Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (later Grand Duke). After her daughters died in childbirth, Maria Luise took over the care and education of her grandchildren.
  • Georg Karl of Hesse-Darmstadt (1754 – 1830), brother of Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt and Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Karl of Mecklenburg (1785 – 1837), son of Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1818 – 1842), daughter of Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (born and died 1845), son of Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Nikolaus of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (born and died 1854), son of Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and grandson of George, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1779 – 1860)
  • Marie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (born and died 1861), daughter of Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and granddaughter of George, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Caroline of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Crown Princess of Denmark (1821 – 1876), daughter of Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 2nd wife of the future Frederik VII, King of Denmark (divorced)
  • Marie of Hesse-Kassel, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1796 – 1880), wife of Grand Duke Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1819 – 1904)
  • Karl Borwin of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1888 – 1908), killed in a duel, son of Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1848 – 1914)
  • Augusta of Cambridge, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1822 – 1916), wife of Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and granddaughter of King George III of the United Kingdom
  • Elisabeth of Anhalt, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1857 – 1933), wife of Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1921 – 1996), Head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1963 until his death

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Aus der Geschichte von 1226 bis 1950 – Johanniterkirche zu Mirow. (2025). Johanniterkirche-Mirow.de. https://www.johanniterkirche-mirow.de/kirche/geschichte/
  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2014, July 18). denkmalgeschütztes Kirchengebäude auf der Schlossinsel in Mirow in Mecklenburg. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johanniterkirche_Mirow
  • Johanniterkirche in Mirow in Mirow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – Find a Grave Cemetery. (2021). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2301129/johanniterkirche-in-mirow
  • Johanniterkirche zu Mirow. (2025). Johanniterkirche-Mirow.de. https://www.johanniterkirche-mirow.de/
  • Kirchgemeinde – Johanniterkirche zu Mirow. (2025). Johanniterkirche-Mirow.de. https://www.johanniterkirche-mirow.de/kirchenseiten/kirchgemeinde/
  • Mecklenburgische Seenplatte. (2025). Johanniterkirche Zu Mirow. https://www.mecklenburgische-seenplatte.de/reiseziele/johanniterkirche-mirow

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Czech Republic (Liechtenstein Burial Site)

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Czech Republic: Credit – Wikipedia by Von Ojin

Liechtenstein is a micro-state in Alpine Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland and Austria. The House of Liechtenstein, which takes its name from Liechtenstein Castle in Lower Austria, near Vienna, built circa 1140, has ruled in the area since the 12th century. Over the centuries, the family gained land in Moravia, Lower Austria, Silesia, and Styria. Vranov, where the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was located, was part of Moravia, which the House of Liechtenstein once owned.

The Roman Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is a pilgrimage site. According to legend, in 1240, the Virgin Mary appeared here to a Moravian nobleman named Wilhelm, who had an eye disorder. Wilhelm became lost in a forest and prayed to the Virgin Mary for help.  The Blessed Virgin appeared between two oak trees, showed Wilhelm the way out of the forest, and healed his eyes. A statue of the Virgin Mary, as she appeared to Wilhelm, was placed among the oaks after the miracle. Wilhelm had a wooden church built on the site, and the statue of the Virgin Mary placed in the church.

However, over the years, the wooden church became too small for the number of pilgrims who visited. Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein, younger brother of Karl I, (the first sovereign) Prince of Liechtenstein (reigned 1608 – 1627), and his wife, Katharina of Boskowitz and Černahora, founded a Pauline monastery and had a new Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary built on the wooden church’s original site, in Vranov, then in Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

From 1617 to 1633, the new church, in the Baroque style with a single nave, was built according to the plans of the Italian-Swiss architect Giovanni Maria Filippi. Ondřej Erna, a local master builder, mason, and stonemason in the service of Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein, supervised the construction. The church still serves as a Roman Catholic parish church in Vranov, Liechtenstein.

Entrance to the burial crypts – the location can be seen in the photo above; Credit – Wikipedia

From the very beginning, the crypt of the church served as a burial site for the House of Liechtenstein. When more room was needed for burials, another crypt was built, and the burial site then had the Old Crypt and the New Crypt. Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein, who died in 1938, was the last Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein to be buried in the crypts at the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

The interior of the crypt in 1819; Credit – Wikipedia

The burial property was seized after World War II by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia. Since then, both Czechoslovakia and the current Czech Republic have refused to return the property to the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. Because of the inaccessibility of the tombs, a new burial site was needed. Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein, had a new crypt built on the grounds of Vaduz Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of St. Florin, in the capital city of Liechtenstein. Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein, who died in 1989, was the first Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein to be buried there.

The crypt after the 2012 -2015 restoration; Credit – Wikipedia by LPC – Liechtenstein Princely Collections, Wien

Despite the difficulty accessing the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein, had the crypts extensively renovated from 2012 to 2015, and in 1992, Princess Maria Benedikta of Liechtenstein (1913 – 1992), daughter of Prince Alfred Roman of Liechtenstein, was buried there at her request.

Burials at the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

Inside the Princely Crypt; Credit – Wikipedia

Tomb of Karl I, the first sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Liechtenstein Royal Burial Sites. (2012). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/liechtenstein-burial-sites/
  • Memorials in the Virgin Mary Church – Find a Grave. (2025). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2333898/memorial-search?cemeteryName=Virgin+Mary+Church&page=1#sr-45251744
  • Přispěvatelé projektů Wikimedia. (2015). Hrobka v Kostele ve Vranově u Brna. Wikipedia.org; nadace Wikimedia. https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrobka_Lichten%C5%A1tejn%C5%AF_(Vranov)
  • ‌Přispěvatelé projektů Wikimedia. (2009). Kostel ve Vranově. Wikipedia.org; Nadace Wikimedia. https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kostel_Narozen%C3%AD_Panny_Marie_(Vranov)

Doberan Minster in Bad Doberan, Mecklenburg, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Doberan Minster; Credit – Wikipedia by Bjoern Eisbaer

Originally a Roman Catholic church, Doberan Minster is an Evangelical Lutheran church in Bad Doberan, in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. A minster (Münster in German) is a church connected or originally connected with a monastic establishment or any large or important church or cathedral. Beginning in the 12th century, Doberan Minster served as one of the traditional burial sites of the Lords of Mecklenburg and the Dukes of Mecklenburg. Several members of the Grand Ducal Family of Mecklenburg-Schwerin are also buried there, including Friedrich Franz I, the first Grand Duke.

The town of Bad Doberan was originally in the Lordship of Mecklenburg and then in the Duchy of Mecklenburg, which was divided and partitioned a number of times over the centuries. In 1701, the last division created the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. After the division, Bad Doberan was in the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna recognized both Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz as grand duchies. Bad Doberan was then a part of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

History

The interior of Doberan Minster; Credit – Wikipedia by By T meltzer

After Pribislav, an Obotrite prince and the first Prince of Mecklenburg, converted to Christianity around 1164, he approved the founding of a monastery in Bad Doberan under the supervision of the Cistercian monk, Berno, Apostle of the Obotrites, later the first Bishop of Schwerin. Pribislav died from wounds received at a tournament in Lüneburg (now in the German state of Lower Saxony) on December 30, 1178, and was buried in St. Michaelis Church in Lüneburg. In 1219, his remains were transferred by his son Heinrich Borwin I, Lord of Mecklenburg, to the Bad Doberan Monastery’s small Romanesque church. Today, Pribislav’s remains lie in a sarcophagus in the Chapel of Pribislav at Doberan Minster.

After Pribislav died in 1178, the monks at the monastery were killed in 1179 during violent succession disputes. The monastery was refounded in Bad Doberan in 1186. In the 13th century, a new cathedral would replace the monastery’s small Romanesque church.

Construction of the Doberan Minster in the Brick Gothic style began around 1280, with preserved parts of the original Romanesque church incorporated into the new structure. Around 1296, the shell and roof of the entire cathedral were completed. In 1301, Johann von Elbing, the monastery’s Abbot, consecrated the first bronze bell. Nine years later, the initial furnishings of the choir were completed. It is thought that the east choir was provisionally covered, separated by a partition wall, and used for church services from 1310. Building continued for fifty-eight years, and finally, on June 3, 1368, Doberan Minster was consecrated by Frederick von Bülow, Bishop of Schwerin.

In 1552, during the Protestant Reformation, the dissolution of the monastery at the Roman Catholic Doberan Minster occurred. The monastery ceased to exist, and Doberan Minster became a Lutheran church. However, unlike so many other churches, there was no destruction of furnishings. Today, despite losses over the centuries, Doberan Minster contains the most complete original furnishings (85%) of all Cistercian monastery churches.

Doberan Minster was badly damaged in 1637 during the Thirty Years’ War when it was used as an ammunition depot. From 1806 to 1813, during the French occupation of Mecklenburg under Napoleon, the church was again used as an ammunition depot, and there was more damage. Between 1883 and 1896, the church was restored in what was considered an inappropriate 19th-century Gothic Revival style. Unlike many German churches, Doberan Minster was not damaged during World War II. During restorations from 1962 to 1984, the interior and exterior were renovated, including removing the 19th-century Gothic Revival style restoration. In 2002, further extensive long-term restoration measures began.

Burials at Doberan Minster

The Pribislav Chapel was the burial place and chapel of the House of Mecklenburg since 1302. It was named after Pribislav, the first Prince of Mecklenburg, the founder of Doberan Abbey, who died in 1178 in Lüneburg. His remains were transferred to Doberan in 1219.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). Ehemalige Klosterkirche in Bad Doberan. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doberaner_M%C3%BCnster
  • Doberaner Münster in Bad Doberan, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – Find a Grave Cemetery. (2025). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2192661/doberaner-m%C3%BCnster
  • Welcome. (2025). Muenster-Doberan.de. https://www.muenster-doberan.de/index.php/en/welcome
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Doberan Minster. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

The Royal Chapel of Granada in Granada, Spain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Royal Chapel of Granada; Credit – Wikipedia by Heparina1985

The Royal Chapel of Granada in Granada, now the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain, was commissioned by husband and wife, Ferdinand II, King of Aragon (reigned 1479 – 1516) and Isabella I, Queen of Castile and León (reigned 1474 – 1504). On September 13, 1504, Ferdinand and Isabella declared they wanted to be buried in Granada and issued a Royal Decree stating that a Royal Chapel should be built.

The Royal Decree stated:

“Because it is a reasonable issue for any Catholic Christian and especially for Kings and Princes – who have to set a good example for the rest of the people – that, apart from behaving as good as possible during their lives, they have to provide how to say prayers and sacrifices for their souls after their deaths, particularly in the chapels where they are buried so that our Lord has mercy on them and forgives their sins. Therefore, wishing this, we agree to choose the Church and the Chapel where our bodies shall be buried, when it pleases Our Lord to call us. Masses, sacrifices, anniversaries, and other divine offices and prayers will be said in the chosen Chapel. First of all, we ordain that in the Cathedral Church of Our Lady Mary of O in the city of Granada a worthy Chapel shall be built. In this chapel shall be placed the Holy Sacrament of the Cathedral, before which shall burn perpetually, day and night, a wax candle weighing six pounds and two oil lamps.”

Ferdinand II, King of Aragon and Isabella I, Queen of Castile and León; Credit – Wikipedia

Spanish monarchs and their families before Ferdinand II, King of Aragon and Isabella I, Queen of Castile and León, were buried in various cities across the Iberian Peninsula. Starting with King Carlos I of Spain (also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V), the grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella, Spanish monarchs and their families have been buried in the royal crypt at the Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial about 28 miles/45 kilometers from Madrid, Spain.

The building of the Royal Chapel of Granada was part of Ferdinand and Isabella’s plan to establish a permanent royal seat in Granada after the 1492 conquest of the city, which ended Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula. The Royal Chapel of Granada is the burial site of Ferdinand II, King of Aragon and Isabella I, Queen of Castile and León, and several other family members.

Royal Chapel of Granada in 1850, drawing by Francesc Xavier Parcerisa; Credit – Wikipedia

The Royal Chapel of Granada was constructed between 1505 and 1517. Originally integrated into the complex of the neighboring Granada Cathedral, the chapel was built in the Isabelline Gothic style, the dominant architectural style during the reign of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. However, the Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel of Granada are separate buildings today.

Architect and sculptor Enrique Egas (link in Spanish) led the construction project, assisted by master builder and mason Juan Gil de Hontañón. Architects and builders Juan de Badajoz the Elder and Lorenzo Vázquez de Segovia were also involved in the construction project.

Interior of the Royal Chapel of Granada; Credit – Wikipedia by Diego Tirira from Quito, Ecuador

The Royal Chapel of Granada has four side chapels, creating the form of a Latin cross and a nave with a Gothic ribbed vault. The choir has a centered arch down to its base and a crypt. In the center of the transept are the tombs of Isabella and Ferdinand by Italian sculptor Domenico Fancelli and the tombs of their daughter Juana I, Queen of Castile and León and Queen of Aragon and her husband Philip of Habsburg, Duke of Burgundy, by Spanish sculptor Bartolomé Ordóñez. The tombs are set high, almost at the height of the altar, and this symbolizes the closeness of Ferdinand and Isabella and Juana and Philip to God. The tombs are cenotaphs, empty tombs. The coffins rest in the crypt.

Burials

Coffins in the crypt at the Royal Chapel of Granada; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Miguel da Paz, Hereditary Prince of Portugal and Prince of Asturias and Girona (1498 – 1500), was the only child of Ferdinand and Isabella’s eldest child, Isabella of Aragon, Princess of Asturias and King Manuel I of Portugal. His mother died delivering him, and he died shortly before his second birthday. He is buried in the crypt of the Royal Chapel of Granada. If Miguel de Paz had lived, most likely he would have ruled over a united Spain and Portugal. When Queen Isabella of Castile died in 1504, she requested that the body of her daughter Isabella be moved to rest by her side in Granada, but this was never done.

Cenotaph of Ferdinand II, King of Aragon and Isabella I, Queen of Castile; Credit – Wikipedia by Javi Guerra Hernando

Isabella I, Queen of Castile (1451 – 1504), wife of Ferdinand II, King of Aragon. In her will, Isabella stated that she “wanted and commanded” that if Ferdinand “chooses to be buried in any church or monastery of any other part or place of my kingdoms, that my body be moved there and buried together.” On November 26, 1504, Isabella died at the age of 53 at the Royal Palace in Medina del Campo, Valladolid, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain. Per her wishes, Isabella was buried at the Monastery of San Francisco in the Alhambra royal complex in Granada. Her remains were later transferred to the Royal Chapel of Granada, which was built after her death, and where Ferdinand II was buried.

Ferdinand II, King of Aragon (1452 – 1516), husband of Isabella I, Queen of Castile, died on January 23, 1516, at the age of 63 and was buried next to his first wife Isabella at the Royal Chapel of Granada, as Isabella requested.

Cenotaph of Philip of Habsburg, Duke of Burgundy and Juana I, Queen of Castile and León, Queen of Aragon; Credit – Wikipedia by Javi Guerra Hernando

Philip of Habsburg, Duke of Burgundy, husband of Juana I, co-monarch with Juana as King Felipe I of Castile and León, died on September 25, 1506, aged 28, at Casa del Cordón in Burgos, Castile, apparently of typhoid fever, although an assassination by poisoning was rumored at the time. Juana refused to allow Philip’s body to be buried or to be parted from her for quite a while. Eventually, Philip was buried at the Royal Chapel of Granada.

Juana I, Queen of Castile and León, Queen of Aragon, daughter and successor of Ferdinand II, King of Aragon and Isabella I, Queen of Castile, died on April 12, 1555, aged 75, at the Royal Convent of Santa Clara in Tordesillas, Castile, now in Spain. She was buried with her parents and husband at the Royal Chapel of Granada.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Bien de Interés Cultural de Granada, España. (2007). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capilla_Real_de_Granada
  • Flantzer, Susan. Spanish Royal Burials: House of Trastámara – Family of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. (2019). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/spanish-royal-burial-sites/spanish-royal-burials-house-of-trastamara-family-of-ferdinand-ii-of-aragon-and-isabella-i-of-castile/
  • Royal Chapel of Granada. (2020). Capillarealgranada.com. https://capillarealgranada.com/en/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Royal Chapel of Granada. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Stadtkirche Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Stadtkirche Darmstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

The House of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of several branches of the House of Hesse. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I. Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig I was forced to cede his Westphalian territories, but in return was given the Rheinhessen region, and the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Darmstadt was the capital of the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Today, the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine is in the German state of Hesse.

The interior of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

The Stadtkirche Darmstadt (Darmstadt City Church) is the main Protestant church in Darmstadt, Germany. However, the church we see today was reconstructed from 1946 to 1952 after World War II bombings in 1943 and 1944 caused major damage. Originally a Roman Catholic church, in 1526, the Stadtkirche Darmstadt became an Evangelical Lutheran church during the German Reformation. Today, the Stadtkirche Darmstadt is a member of the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau (German: Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau), a United Protestant church body in the German states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate.

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History

During the 8th or 9th century, a Frankish burial chapel was built on the site of Stadtkirche Darmstadt. Eventually, a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary was built on the site as a branch of the parish church in Bessungen. In 1369, Archbishop Gerlach of Nassau (link in German) raised the chapel to a parish church, and an addition was completed around 1380. Around 1420, the Counts of Katzenelnbogen, who ruled the County of Katzenelnbogen, rebuilt the church. The County of Katzenelnbogen existed from 1095 until 1479, when it was inherited by the Landgraves of Hesse.

Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, the founder of the Darmstadt line of the House of Hesse, built the crypt in Darmstadt City Church in 1576 after his firstborn son, five-month-old Philipp Wilhelm, died. Georg I intended the crypt to be the burial site for the House of Hesse-Darmstadt. The crypt initially consisted of an elongated room with an unadorned barrel vault beneath the northern choir wall. A few years later, a second vault was added, extending across the entire width of the choir. In 1615, Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, had both crypts decorated with colored and gilded stucco.

Epitaph for Georg I and his wife Magdalena: Credit – Wikipedia

On February 26, 1587, 35-year-old Magdalena of Lippe, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt, wife of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, died giving birth to her tenth child, who also died. Magdalena was buried in the choir of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt. Her husband Georg built an epitaph behind the high altar, which would serve as a memorial to Magdalena and himself. When Georg I died in 1596, he was buried with his wife in the choir of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt.

One of the crypts at the Stadtkirche Darmstadt; Credit – www.findagrave.com

From 1615 to 1617, the crypt was enlarged on the orders of Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. The church tower was rebuilt from 1627 to 1631 during the reign of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. Elisabeth Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt, the second wife of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, had a great interest in the church and, under her orders, the main nave was rebuilt and the side aisles were widened from 1686 to 1687.

After 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, Darmstadt’s population increased significantly. To accommodate the growing population, a new Catholic church, Saint Ludwig’s Catholic Church (link in German), was built, and the Protestant congregation of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt was also to receive a new church.

The original plan to demolish the centuries-old Stadtkirche Darmstadt and construct a new church was met by protests from the citizens of Darmstadt. Instead, architect and town planner Georg Moller, the architect of Saint Ludwig’s Catholic Church and the Old Mausoleum at Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt, planned a massive renovation of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt, but these plans were also rejected.

After the second plans were rejected, Georg Moller and city architect Johannes Jordan proposed a minor renovation. They planned a completely new nave with side aisles of equal height, keeping the orientation to the east. A Gothic style was chosen that would harmonize better with the existing Gothic choir. This project was completed by 1844, thanks to a donation from the merchant Johann Heinrich Fuhr (link in German). In 1929, Stadtkirche Darmstadt was renovated under the supervision of Karl Gruber (link in German), German architect, town planner, monument conservator, and architectural historian. The nave received a transverse roof, the church tower’s lantern was enlarged, and the outer walls were lowered by two meters.

World War II

Darmstadt after the bombing during the night of September 11/12 in 1944; Credit – Wikipedia

Darmstadt was bombed several times during World War II. The most destructive bombing occurred during the night of September 11/12, 1944, when the Royal Air Force bombed the city. The bombing caused a massive fire. Ninety-nine percent of the old town and city center was destroyed, and seventy-eight percent of Darmstadt’s buildings were destroyed, including the Stadtkirche Darmstadt. Karl Gruber, who renovated the church in 1929, supervised its reconstruction from 1946 to 1952.

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Burials at Stadtkirche Darmstadt

Coffins in a crypt at the Stadtkirche Darmstadt; Credit – www.findagrave.com

After the completion of the New Mausoleum at Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt in 1910, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine had the coffins of the Grand Dukes and their families moved. They were transferred from the crypt of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt to the Old Mausoleum (link in German) at Rosenhöhe Park, which was built in 1826 following the death of Princess Elisabeth, the five-year-old daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig II and Grand Duchess Wilhelmine. The coffins of the Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt and their families remained in the city church.

Current burials at the Stadtkirche Darmstadt:

  • Philipp Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died 1576), son of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Philipp VI, Count of Waldeck (1551 – 1579)
  • Marie Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt (1580 – 1582), daughter of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Magdalene of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died 1586), daughter of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Magdalena of Lippe, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1552 – 1587), first wife of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, died due to childbirth complications while delivering Johann below
  • Johann of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died 1587), son of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1547 – 1596)
  • Sabine von Anhalt (born and died 1599)
  • Heinrich of Hesse-Darmstadt (1590 – 1601), son of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Emrich of Leiningen-Hartenberg (born and died 1607)
  • Marie of Braunschweig-Lüneburg (1576 – 1610)
  • Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt (1613 – 1614), daughter of Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Magdalene of Brandenburg, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1582 – 1616), wife of Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Eleonore of Württemberg, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1552 – 1618), second wife of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1577 – 1626)
  • Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (1607 – 1627), daughter of Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Anna Maria of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died 1627), daughter of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Heinrich of Hesse-Darmstadt (1612 – 1629), son of Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  •  (1592 – 1641), Chancellor of the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Johann of Hessen-Darmstadt (1642 – 1643), son of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Agnes of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died 1645), daughter of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Magdalene Sybilla of Hesse-Darmstadt (1631 – 1651), daughter of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Johann of Hesse-Darmstadt, Landgrave of Hesse-Braubach (1609 – 1651), son of Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Sophie Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died in 1653), daughter of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Georg of Hesse-Darmstadt (1654 – 1655), son of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1605 – 1661)
  • Dorothea Auguste of Holstein-Sonderburg (1636 – 1662), first wife of Georg of Hesse-Darmstadt, son of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Marie Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1634 – 1665), first wife and first cousin of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Sophie Juliane of Hessen-Darmstadt (born and died 1668), daughter of ?
  • Sophie Eleonore of Saxony, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1609 – 1671), wife of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Auguste Philippine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1643 – 1672), daughter of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Johann of Hesse-Darmstadt (1672 – 1673), son of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Auguste Magdalene of Hesse-Darmstadt (1657 – 1674), daughter of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Friedrich of Hesse-Darmstadt (1659 – 1676), son of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Georg of Hesse of Darmstadt (1632 – 1676), son of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1630 – 1678)
  • Ludwig VII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1658 – 1678), after the death of his father (above), reigned for 18 weeks before he died of dysentery
  • Dorothea Charlotte of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1661 – 1705), first wife of Ernst Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Carl Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt (1693 – 1707), son of Ernst Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Elisabeth Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1640 – 1709), second wife of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Eleonore Dorothea of Hesse-Darmstadt (1669 – 1714), daughter of ?
  • Franz Ernst of Hesse-Darmstadt (1695 – 1716), son of Ernst Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt (1720 – 1721), daughter of ?
  • Charlotte of Hanau-Lichtenberg, Hereditary Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt (1700 – 1726), wife of the future Ludwig VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Ernst Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1667 – 1739)
  • Luise Auguste Magdalene of Hesse-Darmstadt (1725 – 1742), daughter of  ?
  • Johann Friedrich Karl of Hesse-Darmstadt (1726 – 1746), son of ?
  • Georg Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died 1750), son of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and grandson of Ludwig VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Luise Charlotte, Countess of Epstein (1727 – 1753), daughter of Ernst Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and his second morganatic wife, Luise Sophie von Spiegel zum Desenberg, Countess of Eppstein
  • Ludwig VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1691 – 1768)
  • Karoline of Nassau-Saarbrücken, Countess Palatine of Zweibrücken (1704 – 1774), wife of Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
  • Friederike Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, Princess of Hesse-Kassel (1698 – 1777), daughter of Ernst Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Sophie Charlotte Francisca of Leiningen-Heidesheim (born and died 1781)
  • Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt (1722 – 1782), son of Ludwig VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Amalie Marie Auguste of Bavaria (1790 – 1794), daughter of Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria and Auguste Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Carl Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt (1757 – 1795), son of ?
  • Auguste Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Zweibrücken (1765 – 1796), daughter of Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and granddaughter of Ludwig VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Stillborn twin daughters of Ludwig X of Hesse-Darmstadt, later Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (1789)
  • Gustav of Hesse-Darmstadt (1791- 1806), son of Ludwig X of Hesse-Darmstadt, later Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

Originally buried at the Stadtkirche Darmstadt, moved to the Old Mausoleum at Rosenhöhe:

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Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2006). Fürstentum des Heiligen Römischen Reiches deutscher Nation. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landgrafschaft_Hessen-Darmstadt
  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2006). Kirchengebäude in Darmstadt. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadtkirche_Darmstadt
  • Bombing of Darmstadt in World War II. (2019). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Darmstadt_in_World_War_II
  • Evangelische Stadtkirchengemeinde Darmstadt – Home. (2025). Stadtkirche-Darmstadt.de. https://www.stadtkirche-darmstadt.de/
  • Fürstengruft Darmstadt. (2020). Schloesser-Hessen.de. https://www.schloesser-hessen.de/de/fuerstengruft-darmstadt
  • Hesse and by Rhine Royal Burial Sites. (2017). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/grand-duchy-of-hesse-and-by-rhine/hesse-and-by-rhine-royal-burial-sites/
  • Stadtkirche Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Hessen – Find a Grave Cemetery. (2025). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2300373/stadtkirche-darmstadt
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2019). Darmstadt. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darmstadt
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2023). Georg Moller. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Stadtkirche Darmstadt. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Saint Knud’s Cathedral in Odense, Denmark

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Saint Knud’s Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia by Samuel Damon – Own work

Saint Knud’s Cathedral, also known as Odense Cathedral, in Odense, Denmark, is named for King Knud IV of Denmark, who reigned from 1080 until 1086, when rebels killed him. The Roman Catholic Church canonized Knud as a saint in 1101. Originally a Roman Catholic church, Saint Knud’s Cathedral has been a Lutheran church since the Danish Reformation.

Saint Knud

Murder of King Knud IV in Saint Alban’s Church by Christian Albrecht von Benzon (1843); Credit – Wikipedia

Note: There are variations of the name: Knut (Norwegian and Swedish), Knud (Danish), Knútur (Icelandic), Canute (Anglicized)

King Knud IV feared the Danish nobles’ support for his half-brother Olaf, the future King Olaf I of Denmark. Olaf had concerns about Knud IV’s ambitions and saw his two-year-old son Carl, Count of Flanders (1084 – 1127), as a future rival for power. Ironically, Carl was also killed in a church, Saint Donatian Church in Bruges, County of Flanders, now in Belgium, by a conspiracy of the rich whom he had offended. Carl was beatified, a step toward sainthood, in 1883, and is known as Blessed Carl the Good.

Knud IV blamed Olaf for stirring up trouble, and Olaf was imprisoned by their brother Eric, the future King Eric I of Denmark. Olaf was banished to Flanders, under the supervision of Robert I, Count of Flanders, Knud IV’s father-in-law.

However, Knud IV’s actions resulted in open rebellion. He had to flee from the royal estate in Børglum and continued to flee to Aggersborg, Viborg, and Schleswig, finally ending up in Odense. On July 10, 1086, Knud IV, his brother Benedikt Svendsen, and seventeen of their followers took refuge in the wooden, Viking Age Saint Alban’s Priory Church (link in Danish) at Saint Alban’s Priory in Odense. The rebels stormed into the church and killed Knud IV, his brother Benedikt, and their seventeen followers before the altar. The Benedictine monks of St. Alban’s Priory buried Knud IV and his brother Benedikt in front of the main altar of the St. Alban’s Priory Church.

Soon, there were reports of miracles occurring at Knud IV’s burial site. His canonization as a saint was already being sought during King Olaf I of Denmark’s reign (1086 – 1095). In 1101, persuaded by King Eric I of Denmark (reigned 1095 – 1103), brother of King Knud IV and successor of their brother King Olaf I of Denmark, Pope Paschal II canonized King Knud IV as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

The First Saint Knud’s Cathedral

Soon after King Knud IV’s murder, construction began on the first Saint Knud’s Cathedral, just southwest of St. Alban’s Priory Church in Odense, Denmark. In 1095, construction had progressed enough for Knud IV’s remains to be transferred from St. Alban’s Priory Church to the crypt at Saint Knud’s Cathedral. The new cathedral was completed in 1122 and consecrated in Saint Knud’s name.

The Second Saint Knud’s Cathedral

The nave of Saint Knud’s Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia by Malene Thyssen – Own work,

In 1247, a fire devastated Odense, and the cathedral was badly damaged. In 1280, construction began in Odense, Denmark, on the second and current Saint Knud’s Cathedral in the Brick Gothic style. By 1300, construction had progressed enough to allow the reburial of Knud IV, King of Denmark, and his brother Benedikt in the cathedral’s crypt. It took more than 200 years to complete the second cathedral, which was dedicated on April 30, 1499. In 1586, the single tower over the west entrance was completed in the Brick Gothic style.

Altarpiece by the sculptor Claus Berg; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1807, when St. Peter’s Abbey in Ghent, Belgium was demolished, its magnificent late Gothic altarpiece, carved between 1515 and 1525 by German sculptor Claus Berg, was moved to Saint Knud’s Cathedral.

The remains of Saint Knud IV, King of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia by Hideko Bondesen

The remains of King Knud IV and his brother Benedikt were walled up by the monks in an alcove in the cathedral to protect the remains from destruction during the Danish Reformation. During the 19th century, their long-forgotten coffins were discovered, and the remains of Knud and his brother Benedikt are now on display in the cathedral.

Burials at Saint Knud’s Cathedral

King Christian II, his wife Isabella of Austria, and their son Prince Hans were moved from their original burial site, St. Peter’s Abbey in Ghent, Belgium, and reinterred in Saint Knud’s Cathedral in 1883.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). (Saint) Knud IV, King of Denmark. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/saint-cnut-iv-king-of-denmark/
  • Odense Domkirke – Odense Domkirke. (2024). Odense Domkirke. https://odense-domkirke.dk/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). St. Canute’s Cathedral. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Saint Bendt’s Church in Ringsted, Denmark

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Saint Bendt’s Church; Credit – Wikipedia by Mariusz Paździora

History

Now an Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark, Saint Bendt’s Church in Ringsted, Denmark, was originally a Roman Catholic church, part of a Benedictine monastery. The first church, built around 1080, was located in the northern wing of the Ringsted Monastery. It was initially called the Church of Our Lady and Saint Cnut the Martyr, named for Cnut IV, King of Denmark, who was murdered in 1086, as he prayed at the altar of St. Alban’s Priory Church (link in Danish) at St. Alban’s Priory in Odense, Denmark.

Saint Cnut Lavard, Duke of Schleswig; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1115, Niels, King of Denmark created his nephew Cnut Lavard, the legitimate son of Niels’ brother Eric I, King of Denmark, the Earl of Schleswig. Cnut Lavard used the title Earl of Schleswig for a short time before he began to style himself Duke of Schleswig. He was the first of many Dukes of Schleswig.

Magnus Nielsen stands over the body of his cousin Cnud Lavard after the murder; illustration by Louis Moe, 1898; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 7, 1131, Cnut Lavard was killed by his cousin, King Niels’ son Magnus (the Strong) Nielsen, who saw Cnut Lavard as a rival to the Danish throne. The murder of Cnut Lavard started several years of civil war between King Niels and his son Magnus against Cnut Lavard’s illegitimate half-brother Eric Emune, the future Eric II, King of Denmark.

Cnut Lavard’s initial resting place was at Ringsted Monastery church, one of the earliest Benedictine houses in Denmark. In 1157, Canute Lavard’s remains were moved into a new chapel in the monastery church with the approval of his son, Valdemar I the Great, King of Denmark. Many miracles were said to have occurred there, and the monastery church immediately became a popular pilgrimage site. Because he was a murder victim, Cnut Lavard became a saint in the minds of the Danish people. He was canonized as a saint by Pope Alexander III in 1169, at the request of his son, King Valdemar I of Denmark. St. Cnut Lavard is the patron saint of Denmark, and his feast day is celebrated on January 7.

The nave of Saint Bendt’s Church; Credit – Wikipedia

With the funds raised from the pilgrims and King Valdemar I’s royal patronage, a second church was built in the Romanesque style from 1161 to 1170. The church is cross-shaped with a central tower, typical of Romanesque architecture. It is the oldest brick church in Scandinavia, and was named for the Italian Saint Benedict of Nursia (480 – 547), the founder of the Benedictine order. Benedict’s main achievement was the Rule of Saint Benedict, a set of rules for his monks to follow. St. Bendt’s Church served as the center of worship for King Valdemar I’s father, Saint Cnut Lavard.

Saint Cnut Lavard’s grave; Credit – www.findagrave.com

The still unfinished church was consecrated on June 25, 1170. Invitations were extended to the Kingdom of Denmark’s highest secular and clerical elite. At the consecration, Eskil, Archbishop of Lund, laid to rest Cnut Lavard’s remains in a magnificent gold casket in a chapel behind the high altar and crowned King Valdemar I’s seven-year-old son, King Cnut VI, as co-king and heir to the throne.

Over the years, there were Gothic-style modifications, including vaults replacing the original flat ceiling and the pointed arches in the tower. A fire in 1806 destroyed the monastery and damaged Saint Bendt’s Church. Because of this, the western wall was pulled down and replaced with an Empire-style facade. The original red brickwork of the church’s outer walls was covered with cement and limewashed.

Scene from the interior of Ringsted Church by Danish artist Constantin Hansen, 1829. In the foreground are the artist Constantin Hansen and his friend Jørgen Roed, also a Danish artist: Credit – Wikipedia

Danish architect Hermann Baagøe Storck led large-scale restoration work from 1899 to 1910, intending to restore Saint Bendt’s Church to its former Romanesque style. New Romanesque windows were installed in the nave, and a pyramid-shaped spire was added to the tower. The cement, which was put on the red brickwork of the church’s outer walls after the 1806 fire, was removed, revealing the original red brickwork.

Burials

List of burials in St. Bendt’s Church; Credit – Wikipedia

Since Saint Cnut Lavard was buried at St. Bendt’s Church, the Danish kings descended from his son Valdemar I, King of Denmark, were also buried there. From 1182 to 1341, all Danish kings and queens were buried at St. Bendt’s Church. Only Roskilde Cathedral, the main burial site of Danish royalty, has more Danish royal burials.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2009). Kirchengebäude in Ringsted Kommune, Dänemark. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St.-Bendts-Kirche_(Ringsted)#K%C3%B6nigsgr%C3%A4ber
  • Behrens, J. (2025). Sct. Bendts Kirke , Ringsted – Sankt Bendts Church Ringsted. Sanktbendtskirke.dk. https://sanktbendtskirke.dk/
  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2006). Bygning i Ringsted. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankt_Bendts_Kirke
  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2003). Dansk Prins og Hertug af Slesvig (1096-1131). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knud_Lavard
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). (Saint) Cnut IV, King of Denmark. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/saint-cnut-iv-king-of-denmark/
  • Guide – St. Bendt’s Church Ringsted. St. Bendt’s Kirke. Retrieved 2025, from https://sanktbendtskirke.dk/publikation-sctbendtskirke-uk.pdf
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). St. Bendt’s Church, Ringsted. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Canute Lavard. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Chapel of Grace in Altötting, Bavaria, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

History

Chapel of Grace in Altötting, Bavaria, Germany; Credit – Wikipedia

The Chapel of Grace (Gnadenkapelle in German), also known as the Holy Chapel (Heilige Kapelle in German), is in Altötting, Bavaria, Germany. The original chapel dates from the 8th to 10th centuries and was expanded in the Gothic style in the 15th century. For 500 years, Roman Catholics have been making pilgrimages to Altötting in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, including Pope Pius VI in 1782, Pope Saint John Paul II in 1980, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. It is a Bavarian national shrine and one of the most important and most visited pilgrimage destinations in Germany and Europe.

The wooden image of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Chapel of Grace; Credit – By S. Finner: Siddhartha Finner, Dipl.Ing.-Architektur

Since the 14th century, the Chapel of Grace has housed an image made from linden wood of a standing Blessed Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus. The statue has been dressed in fabric from the wedding dresses of Bavarian princesses since 1518. The scepter and crown were donated by Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria. In 2006, when Pope Benedict XVI made a pilgrimage to Altötting, he laid his bishop’s ring, which he had worn until he was elected Pope, before the wooden image of Mary. The ring is now attached to the scepter on the statue. The Chapel of Grace became a popular pilgrim destination because of the miraculous recovery in 1489 of a drowned young boy after his mother laid his body before the wooden image and prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary for a miracle.

What is a separate burial?

A separate burial is a form of partial burial in which internal organs are buried separately from the rest of the body. Separate burials of the heart and viscera (the intestines) were common among the higher ranks of European society. Removing the organs was part of normal embalming practices. When a person died too far from home to make a full body burial at home feasible, it was often more convenient for the heart or entrails to be carried home as representations of the deceased.

Eventually, in some royal families, separate burials became the usual practice. In addition to the separate burials of the House of Wittelsbach, the ruling family of Bavaria, the House of Habsburg, the ruling family of Austria, is also known for separate burials. It became traditional for the body to be interred in the Imperial Crypt in the Capuchin Church in Vienna, the heart to be placed in an urn in the Herzgruft, the Heart Crypt in the Loreto Chapel of the Augustinerkirche in Vienna, and the entrails to be placed in an urn in the Ducal Crypt of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna.

Heart Burials at the Chapel of Grace

Heart urn of Karl VII, Holy Roman Emperor, Elector of Bavaria in the Chapel of Grace; Credit – Wikipedia – Von Ricardalovesmonuments – File: Gnadenkapelle (Altötting)

The Bavarian rulers of the Wittelsbach dynasty practiced separate burials as early as the late 1500s. When Georg (the Rich), Duke of Bavaria-Landshut died in 1503, his viscera were interred at the Church of Our Lady in Ingolstadt, and his body was interred in the Wittelsbach crypt in Landshut, Bavaria. Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, who died in Ingolstadt in 1651, began the Bavarian tradition of separate burial. His remains were divided into three parts and buried in three different places in Bavaria: his viscera were buried at the Church of Our Lady in Ingolstadt, his body was buried at St. Michael’s Church in Munich, and his heart was buried at the Chapel of Grace in Altötting, which established the Wittelsbach tradition of burying the hearts of family members there.

Below is a list of the heart urns placed in niches. These heart urns are visible and are made from silver, with some gilded and decorated with precious stones.

Below is a list of heart urns that are not visible because they are embedded in the wall or buried beneath the paved floor.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2004). Böhmisches Adelsgeschlecht. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sternberg_(b%C3%B6hmisches_Adelsgeschlecht)
  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2012). Form der Teilbestattung, bei der die Bestattung der inneren Organe getrennt vom übrigen Körper erfolgt. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getrennte_Bestattung
  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2007). Wallfahrtskapelle in Altötting. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnadenkapelle_(Alt%C3%B6tting)
  • Gnadenort Altötting | Bistum Passau. (2025). Gnadenort Altötting; bistum-passau. https://www.gnadenort-altoetting.de/
  • Herzbestattungen. (2025). Gnadenort Altötting; bistum-passau. https://www.gnadenort-altoetting.de/geschichte-institutionen/geschichte-von-altoetting/herzbestattungen
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Altötting. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Heart-burial. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Shrine of Our Lady of Altötting. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Grand Ducal Burial Chapel in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Grand Ducal Burial Chapel in Karlsruhe; Credit – Wikipedia – Von Ikar.us,

History

Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden, previously Margrave of Baden-Durlach and Margrave of Baden; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1738, ten-year-old Karl Friedrich succeeded as Margrave of Baden-Durlach upon his grandfather’s death. Baden-Durlach was one of the branches of the Margraviate of Baden, which had been divided several times over the previous 500 years. When August Georg, the last Margrave of Baden-Baden, died in 1771 without heirs, Karl Friedrich inherited the territory. This brought all the Baden territories together, and Karl Friedrich became Margrave of Baden. When the Holy Roman Empire ended in 1806, Karl Friedrich declared himself sovereign, as Grand Duke, of the newly created Grand Duchy of Baden.

From 1538, Saint Michael’s Church in Pforzheim was the burial site of the Ernestine line of the House of Baden. Until 1860, almost all members of that branch of the House of Baden were buried at St. Michael’s Church. The Evangelische Stadtkirche Karlsruhe (Evangelical City Church Karlsruhe in English) was built between 1807 and 1816, during the reign of Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden, on the Market Square in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden, intended the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe to be the burial site for members of the Grand Ducal family. However, he died in 1811, before the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was complete, and was interred at Saint Michael’s Church in Pforzheim. Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden, was the first family member interred at the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe. After 1888, most family members were interred at the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel in Karlsruhe. The Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was severely damaged during World War II. In 1946, all those buried there were moved to the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel in Karlsruhe, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

Why was the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel built?

Prince Ludwig Wilhelm of Baden; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 23, 1888, twenty-two-year-old Prince Ludwig Wilhelm of Baden, the younger son of Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden and his wife, born Luise of Prussia, the only daughter of Wilhelm I, German Emperor, died. Newspapers printed the official announcement: “A few days ago, the prince, who was previously in the best of health, suffered a lung infection, which unfortunately brought an end to this young, precious life.”

However, German writer, journalist, and publisher Wolf Graf von Baudissin (link in German) reported his memories of the prince’s death in 1909. He was a member of the infantry regiment in Freiburg, where Prince Ludwig Wilhelm was studying at the university. Baudissin wrote:

“When we paraded around the square, the young Prince Ludwig von Baden very often appeared as an observer […]. He was a tall, slender, noticeably handsome and rarely amiable person […]. One day, he died of a lung infection. Quite suddenly, entirely unexpectedly.

Two days prior, I had seen him on the street […] His death has made us all wholeheartedly sad, we were truly shocked. […] We ensigns regularly ate in the mess with the officers at midday. Of course, the death of Prince Ludwig was the sole topic of conversation in the days following, and though everyone was careful around us, […] suddenly we knew it nonetheless: The prince had not died a natural death, but had fallen in a duel.

I am bound on my honor not to name his opponent. But even despite that, today everyone knows who met the cheerful and fun-loving prince, weapon in hand, demanding a reckoning for his sister’s stolen honor.”

The Grand Ducal Burial Chapel surrounded by the forest; Credit – Von Johannes Werner – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=126730664

Prince Ludwig Wilhelm’s grieving parents wanted his grave located away from the noise of the city, “in the deep seclusion of the forest world” where they could visit without attracting public attention.

The Grand Ducal Burial Chapel, dedicated on June 29, 1896, was built within the Karlsruhe Palace complex, in the middle of the Hardtwald, a forest in Karlsruhe. On the map above, “Schloss” is the location of the Karlsruhe Palace. In the northeast, “Großherzogliche Grabkapelle” is the location of the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel.

Exterior of the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel

A view of the exterior of the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel; Credit – By Joschkade – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30356235

Shortly after Prince Ludwig Wilhelm died, a competition for the design of a burial chapel was announced. Freiburg building inspector and architect Franz Baer (link in German) won the competition. However, he eventually had to resign due to illness. He was succeeded by architect Friedrich Hemberger (link in German) and his son Hermann Hemberger, who increasingly assumed more responsibility in the construction management.

The Grand Ducal Burial Chapel, built from 1889 to 1896, was modeled after the Mausoleum at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, which was built for Queen Luise of Prussia, born Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the paternal grandmother of Prince Ludwig’s mother, born Princess Luise of Prussia.

The exterior is decorated with forest-themed motifs by Karlsruhe sculptor Wilhelm Sauer (link in German) to symbolically represent its forest location and integrate it into the forest. The height of the church tower was intended to make the chapel visible from Karlsruhe Palace. Two fountains are located on the sides of the burial chapel.

Interior of the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel

The upper church is light-filled with stacked rows of columns. The upper part of the columns is carved from shimmering black labradorite. The columns support sandstone consoles and a wooden barrel vault with ornate transverse arches. Four angel heads made of light-yellow limestone adorn the crossing. Decorative forms such as foliage friezes and capitals can be found throughout the interior. Stone lizards hide in the leaves of the apse frieze. Among the artists involved in the interior design were artists from Karlsruhe: sculptor Hermann Volz (link in German), who designed the grave monuments, his student Wilhelm Sauer (link in German), who designed the busts for the crossing pillars, and Hermann Binz (link in German), who designed the griffin heads in the crypt.

Cenotaphs of Grand Duke Friedrich I & his wife Grand Duchess Luise; Credit – Thomas Steg, Karlsruhe, Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17869659

The upper church contains large cenotaphs, empty tombs, designed by sculptor Hermann Volz, of Grand Duke Friedrich I, his wife Grand Duchess Luise, and their son Prince Ludwig Wilhelm. Their actual tombs are in the crypt on the lower level, along with the tombs of other members of the Grand Ducal Family.

Cenotaph of Prince Ludwig Wilhelm of Baden; Credit – Thomas Steg, Karlsruhe, Selbst fotografiert – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17869783

Burials in the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel

Tomb of Prince Wilhelm of Baden (1829 – 1897); Credit – Thomas Steg, Karlsruhe (Benutzer:TSteg, eigenes Foto) – Selbst fotografiert

From the upper church, wide steps lead down into the crypt. Behind a two-part, wrought-iron gate is the crypt, a bright and welcoming room containing the coffins of Baden family members.

Below are the family members who died before 1888 and were originally buried in the crypt of the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe (Evangelical City Church in Karlsruhe). After the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was severely damaged during World War II, all those buried there were moved to the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel in Karlsruhe in 1946, and they have remained interred there.

Below are the other family members who died after 1888 and are buried in the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). Kirchengebäude in Karlsruhe. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gro%C3%9Fherzogliche_Grabkapelle_Karlsruhe
  • Baden Royal Burial Sites. (2017). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/grand-duchy-of-baden/baden-royal-burial-sites/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Evangelical City Church Karlsruhe. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/evangelical-city-church
  • Großherzogliche Grabkapelle – Stadtwiki Karlsruhe. (2020). Stadtwiki.net. https://ka.stadtwiki.net/Gro%C3%9Fherzogliche_Grabkapelle
  • Großherzogliche Grabkapelle Karlsruhe: Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. (2024). Grabkapelle-Karlsruhe.de. https://www.grabkapelle-karlsruhe.de/

Stadtkirche Karlsruhe in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Evangelical City Church (Stadtkirche Karlsruhe) in Karlsruhe, Germany; Credit – Andreas Praefcke – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18523533

History

Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden; Credit – Wikipedia

The Evangelische Stadtkirche Karlsruhe (Evangelical City Church Karlsruhe in English) was built between 1807 and 1816, during the reign of Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden, on the Market Square in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. (The church will be referred to as Stadtkirche Karlsruhe.) The Stadtkirche Karlsruhe is the main church of the Evangelical Church in Baden, a member of the Evangelical Church in Germany, also known as the Protestant Church in Germany, a federation of twenty Lutheran, Reformed, and United Protestant regional Churches in Germany.

In 1738, ten-year-old Karl Friedrich succeeded as Margrave of Baden-Durlach upon his grandfather’s death. Baden-Durlach was one of the branches of the Margraviate of Baden, which had been divided several times over the previous 500 years. When August Georg, the last Margrave of Baden-Baden, died in 1771 without heirs, Karl Friedrich inherited the territory. This brought all the Baden territories together, and Karl Friedrich became Margrave of Baden. When the Holy Roman Empire ended in 1806, Karl Friedrich declared himself sovereign, as Grand Duke, of the newly created Grand Duchy of Baden.

Architect and city planner, Friedrich Weinbrenner (1766 – 1826), who was born in Karlsruhe, designed the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe as a neoclassical basilica. Weinbrenner is principally responsible for creating Karlsruhe’s neoclassical-style buildings. Most of Weinbrenner’s buildings were reconstructed in the 1950s following their destruction in World War II, including the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe.

Design and Construction

Friedrich Weinbrenner, architect of the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe; Credit – Wikipedia

The Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was built according to the plans of architect Friedrich Weinbrenner, with much input from Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of Baden, who intended the church to be the cathedral church of the Grand Duchy of Baden. Weinbrenner designed the church, a three-aisle basilica, based on a Greek temple, and Grand Duke Karl Friedrich insisted on a bell tower. The vestibule, with six Corinthian columns, is directly opposite the Karlsruhe city hall. The foundation stone was laid on June 8, 1807, and the church was consecrated on June 2, 1816.

Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s original interior; Credit – Friedrich Weinbrenner und die Evangelische Stadtkirche in Karlsruhe

Architect Friedrich Weinbrenner designed the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s original interior. The Resurrection of Christ, a painting by Ferdinand Jagemann, was above the altar. The interior could not be completed as Weinbrenner originally intended due to a lack of funds.

World War II Destruction

Karlsruhe City Hall and the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe after the 1944 bombing; Credit – Archive Schlitz of the Educational Association Region Karlsruhe

During World War II, on December 4, 1944, the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was severely damaged by bombing. It was rebuilt under the supervision of German architect, urban planner, and university lecturer Horst Linde (link in German). Linde won the architectural competition for the reconstruction of the city center in Karlsruhe, which included reconstructing the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe. The exterior was based on Friedrich Weinbrenner’s original plans, but the new interior was in a modern style. The newly built church was consecrated on November 30, 1958.

The New Interior of the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe

Credit – By Gerd Eichmann – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=120206830

After the destruction during World War II, the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s interior was redesigned in a modern style. In keeping with the architectural style of the 1950s, the materials used were stone, concrete, wood, steel, and leather.

The altar; Credit – By Gerd Eichmann – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=120206831

The new interior is lighter and wider, with a breakthrough in the front wall where the altar now stands.

Credit – By Beckstet – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24502222

There are no paintings or statues, and instead of the original Corinthian columns, there are light columns. The ceiling is vaulted instead of the original coffered ceiling.

Burials

From 1538, Saint Michael’s Church in Pforzheim was the burial site of the Ernestine line of the House of Baden. Until 1860, almost all members of that branch of the House of Baden were buried at St. Michael’s Church.

Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden, intended the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe to be the burial site for members of the Grand Ducal family. However, he died in 1811, before the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was complete, and was interred at Saint Michael’s Church in Pforzheim. Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden, was the first family member interred at the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe. After 1888, most family members were interred at the Grand Ducal Chapel in Karlsruhe. (article coming)

After the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was severely damaged during World War II, all those buried there were moved to the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel in Karlsruhe in 1946, and they have remained interred there.

During the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s reconstruction after World War II, the remains of its architect, Friedrich Weinbrenner, were transferred from the Old Cemetery in Karlsruhe (link in German) to the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s crypt. In 1991, the crypt was converted into an exhibition space.

Originally buried at the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe:

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). Kirchengebäude in Karlsruhe. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelische_Stadtkirche_Karlsruhe
  • Evangelische Stadtkirche – Stadtwiki Karlsruhe. (2017). Stadtwiki.net. https://ka.stadtwiki.net/Evangelische_Stadtkirche
  • Mehl, Scott. Baden Royal Burial Sites. (2017). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/grand-duchy-of-baden/baden-royal-burial-sites/
  • Stadtkirche. (2025). Kirche Im Herzen Der Stadt: Alt- Und Mittelstadtgemeinde Karlsruhe. https://www.stadtkirche-karlsruhe.de/unsere-kirchen/stadtkirche/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Friedrich Weinbrenner. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2019). Karlsruhe. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karlsruhe