The Leonhardskirche is a historic church in Frankfurt, located near the Main riverbank. It is the only church in the inner city that escaped the bombings during the Second World War virtually unscathed.
History
The Leonhardskirche was built in the early thirteenth century in honor of St. Leonard. The small building was originally designed in a late Romanesque style.
During the following two centuries, the church was expanded and modified into the Gothic structure that we see today. The signature octagonal towers and two entrance gates (now in the interior of the church) however are Romanesque originals.
Interior
The church has a compact structure with five vaulted naves and a large choir. Tall stained-glass windows adorn the beautiful choir, which was created in the fifteenth century.
The interior of the Leonhardskirche is decorated with several retables, sculptures and paintings. There are many notable pieces, including the Gothic Marienaltar (Mary Altar), which was created by Antwerp masters at the end of the fifteenth century. Two more altars, the high altar in the choir and the Kreuzaltar (Altar of the Cross) were created in the sixteenth century.
Another highlight in the Leonhardskirche is the Chapel of the Savior, with its remarkable suspended wooden vault. The eighteenth-century pews – originally from the Karmelitenkirche – are delicately carved in Rococo style. Several murals, dating back to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, decorate sections of the church walls.
Visiting Leonhardskirche
The Leonhard Church is still actively in use as a Catholic church, but visitors are welcome to tour the church at times when no service is being held.