Jesuit Church, Mannheim

Jesuit Church, Mannheim tickets: which one to buy

The Jesuit church stands in the grid of streets beside Mannheim's enormous baroque palace, a few minutes' walk from the palace courtyard and the university that now occupies it, and entry is free. It is the largest baroque church in south-western Germany, and yet it receives relatively few visitors, since Mannheim is often passed through rather than explored. A visit fits easily with the palace, whose restored state rooms are open as a museum with a separate ticket, and with the Reiss-Engelhorn museums a short walk away.

The city's regular grid of numbered blocks makes it easy to navigate on foot, and the church is about fifteen minutes from the main railway station. Concerts, especially organ music, are held in the church and suit its acoustics. The church is an active parish, so visiting pauses during services. Nothing needs booking. Guided tours of the church are occasionally offered by the parish and announced in the porch.

Visiting Jesuit Church, Mannheim: what to see

The Elector Palatine Charles Philip moved his court to Mannheim in 1720 and invited the Jesuits to build a church beside his new palace. It was built between 1733 and 1760, largely to designs by Alessandro Galli da Bibiena, a member of the famous Italian family of theatre designers, and it shows: the facade of red sandstone with its two towers and central dome is conceived as a stage set facing the city. The interior is a grand space under a high dome, decorated with stucco, marble and gold.

The church was badly damaged by bombing in the Second World War, when the dome collapsed and the frescoes by Egid Quirin Asam were destroyed; it was rebuilt in the following decades, and parts of the painted decoration were reconstructed. The high altar, with its tall columns and sculptures, and the silver Madonna are among the most striking features of the restored interior. The side chapels hold marble altars donated by courtiers of the elector, several carrying their coats of arms.

Jesuit Church, Mannheim opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open daily. Mornings are quiet, and the interior is at its brightest in the middle of the day. Mannheim is a working city rather than a tourist centre, so it is rarely crowded, though weekends are busier in the shopping streets nearby. The palace museum is closed on Mondays. Summer is warm, and the Rhine and Neckar riverbanks nearby are popular for walks.

The city's Christmas market around the water tower is one of the larger ones in the region. Concerts in the church take place throughout the year and are listed on the parish website. Allow about twenty minutes for the church, and combine the visit with a walk through the palace courtyard and gardens, which stretch towards the Rhine. Trams stop at the palace a few minutes from the church and connect with the station.