Munich Frauenkirche

The Frauenkirche is a church in the Bavarian city of Munich that serves as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising and seat of its Archbishop. It is a landmark and is considered a symbol of the Bavarian capital city. Although called "Münchner Dom" on its website and URL, the church is always referred to as "Frauenkirche" by locals.The church towers are widely visible because of local height limits. According to the narrow outcome of a local plebiscite, city administration prohibits buildings with a height exceeding 99 m in the city center. Since November 2004, this prohibition has been provisionally extended outward and as a result, no buildings may be built in the city over the aforementioned height. The south tower which is normally open to those wishing to climb the stairs, will, on completion of its current renovation, offer a unique view of Munich and the nearby Alps.HistoryRight next to the town's first ring of walls, a Romanesque church was added in the 12th century, replacing a former, late romanesque building and serving as a second city parish following Alter Peter church (its tower nicknamed 'Ole Pete'), which is the oldest. The current late Gothic construction replaced this older church and was commissioned by Duke Sigismund and the people of Munich in the 15th century.The cathedral was erected in only 20 years' time by Jörg von Halsbach. For financial reasons and due to the lack of a nearby stone pit, brick was chosen as building material. Construction began in 1468. Since the cash resources were exhausted in 1479, Pope Sixtus IV granted an indulgence.