St. Michael's – Protestant church

The Protestant city parish church of St. Michael's at the heart of the Old Town of Weiden is marked by a varied history. By 1448, what was originally a plain single-nave church was elaborately redesigned to become a Gothic church in the middle of the town cemetery. The two town fires of 1536 and 1540 caused great damage to the building, so that a new vault had to be built on it in 1561. After the tower collapsed in 1759, it was rebuilt again two years later. Today, the Protestant city parish church of St. Michael's stands as a magnificent Baroque church in all its glory, and must not be left out on a sightseeing tour through the historical Old Town.

It’s worth taking a look inside the church. The abat-voix over the impressive pulpit, which was created in 1787, shows the church’s patron saint, Archangel Michael. The church pews are decorated with dainty Rococo carvings. The striking altarpiece represents Christ’s birth and is a masterpiece created by the Sulzbach court painter Johann Karl in 1792.

It is not just the outer appearance of the church that changed more than once over the centuries – as a result of the Reformation, its denominational alignment changed from time to time as well. In the interim, the house of worship was used by two parishes at the same time, which means that Protestants and Catholics shared the use of parochial facilities.

The shared use of St. Michael's church began in 1653, when a Catholic mass was celebrated in what was actually a Protestant church after Catholic officials broke down the main gate. This status was not officially introduced until 1663, however. The shared use of the church in Weiden lasted for over 200 years, ending in 1900 when the Catholic congregation moved to St. Joseph's.

St. Michael's is one of three shared churches in the city of Weiden which you can visit on the “Simultankirchen-Radweg” in central and northern Upper Palatinate. The houses of worship are inviting as spiritual places of rest where you can linger and go within.

St. Michael's
Schulgasse 1, 92637 Weiden in der Oberpfalz

Rectory St. Michael's
Pfarrplatz 6, 92637 Weiden in der Oberpfalz
Tel.: 0961-4701577