Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Frankfurt (Oder) Medieval Choir Windows

Medieval Choir Windows

This unique medieval artwork featuring the story of the Antichrist remained lost for decades.

Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

Added By
Alice
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The church’s historical stained glass window.   picture alliance/getty
Stained glass windows.   picture alliance/getty
St Marienkirche.   Alice From Online / Atlas Obscura User
  ElSilencio / Atlas Obscura User
St Marienkirche.   Alice From Online / Atlas Obscura User
St Marienkirche.   Alice From Online / Atlas Obscura User
St Marienkirche.   Alice From Online / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The St. Marienkirche church in Frankfurt dates from 1253 and was extended over the next 300 years. But its age isn’t the only reason this church is noteworthy—it’s home to a spectacular display of stained-glass windows with a tumultuous history.

The 36-foot-tall stained glass windows were created between 1360 and 1370. The final window tells, in 36 scenes, the legend of the Antichrist. This extensive presentation on a stained glass window is unusual in art history and features pink horned devils, winged demons in poison green, and Satan himself.

The Antichrist goes to Jerusalem as a wandering preacher, captivating people with his miracles. However, he does not shy away from violence, and those seduced by him are sworn to mischief. The tale is both a way of explaining phenomena such as crop failures and plagues that were happening at the time and also a metaphor on choosing how to live one's life.

The artwork's overall presentation is a well thought-out composition, intended for the illiterate people of the time. The stained-glass windows also feature Adam and Eve, the construction of Noah's Ark, and the life of Christ. Unusually, the windows feature several Jews and, despite the persecution of Jews at the time, only three of the 19 bear the T of the Antichrist. Historians attribute this unusual depiction to Ludwig the Elder of Wittelsbach, who granted the Jews protection and freedom of trade.

The windows were removed during World War II for protection, and were considered lost since the end of the war, as the Soviet forces had taken them. In 1991, the Soviet newspaper Literaturnaya Gazeta published the first reference to their whereabouts, and in 1994 a petition was made to the Russian prime minister for their return. The first panes were returned in 2005, leading to further discoveries of the other panes. The fully restored windows can now be seen in the Marienkirche since February 2009.

Related Tags

Stained Glass Windows Churches Architectural Oddities Christianity Medieval Architecture Sacred Spaces

Community Contributors

Added By

Alice From Online

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe, ElSilencio

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • ElSilencio

Published

July 1, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.moz.de/landkreise/oder-spree/frankfurt-oder/artikel9/dg/0/1/1446027/
  • https://www.welt.de/kultur/article721677/Wer-ihm-glaubt-findet-nur-den-Teufel.html
  • https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marienkirche_Frankfurt_(Oder)
Medieval Choir Windows
1 Oberkirchplatz
Frankfurt (Oder), 15230
Germany
52.343093, 14.554232
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

'Comic Fountain'

Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

miles away

Wikipedia Monument

Słubice, Poland

miles away

The Disappeared City Center of Kostrzyn

Kostrzyn nad Odrą, Poland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Frankfurt (Oder)

Frankfurt (Oder)

Germany

Places 2

Nearby Places

'Comic Fountain'

Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

miles away

Wikipedia Monument

Słubice, Poland

miles away

The Disappeared City Center of Kostrzyn

Kostrzyn nad Odrą, Poland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Frankfurt (Oder)

Frankfurt (Oder)

Germany

Places 2

Related Places

  • Østerlars.

    Gudhjem, Denmark

    Østerlars Church

    The largest of Denmark's seven mysterious round churches stands on an island in the Baltic Sea.

  • All Saints’ Church of Tudeley

    Tudeley, England

    All Saints' Church of Tudeley

    This medieval church is the only one in the world that features all Marc Chagall stained-glass windows.

  • Vals, France

    Église Notre-Dame de Vals (Church of Our Lady of Vals)

    A medieval church built into an ancient cave.

  • The doorway of the old church of San Isidro.

    Oviedo, Spain

    Portada de la Antigua Iglesia de San Isidoro (Arch of the Old Church of San Isidoro)

    The surviving remnants of a destroyed medieval church now stand in a public park.

  • Delicate foliage.

    Southwell, England

    The Leaves of Southwell

    Exquisite carvings of leaves, Green Men, and the occasional dragon adorn a medieval chapter house.

  • The church.

    Karpacz, Poland

    Vang Stave Church

    This fairytale medieval church in Poland originally spent centuries in Norway.

  • St. Sophia, side view.

    Polotsk, Belarus

    St. Sophia's Cathedral

    Though it was heavily modified, fragments of the original medieval cathedral still survive.

  • St. Magnus Cathedral.

    Kirkjubøur, Faroe Islands

    St. Magnus Cathedral

    This mysterious, medieval cathedral remains unbuilt but fiercely protected.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.