Dominikanerkirche

The history of the Dominikanerkirche begins in 1313, when the Dominicans took over the former Templar complex on the Predigerberg. The church as we know it today was built much later, between 1513 and 1515, rising on the foundations of its predecessor in just two years. Prominent Augsburg patrician families played a decisive role by financing large parts of the construction and furnishings—and by securing their burial places in the crypts. Emperor Maximilian I also left his mark here: between 1518 and 1520 he commissioned four memorial stones for himself and his family in the Dominikanerkirche St. Magdalena. The building received its Baroque appearance from 1716 to 1724, shaped by stucco work from the Feichtmayr brothers and frescoes by Alois Mack, which still define the impressive double-nave basilica.

Secularisation in the early 19th century brought an end to the Dominican monastery. The order was dissolved in 1803, and by 1807 the buildings had passed to the Kingdom of Bavaria. Many of the church’s precious artworks were sold and can now be found in institutions such as the Louvre or the Victoria & Albert Museum. The church was subsequently used for non-sacred purposes—as barracks, storage for saltpetre and sulphur, and as a depot for straw, wood, and wine. Since 1837 the building has been owned by the city of Augsburg.

From 1966 onward, the Dominikanerkirche housed the Roman Museum, which closed in 2012 due to structural issues. A selection of highlights is now on view in the Römerlager in the Zeughaus. The monument has been undergoing renovation ever since and will soon reopen as a multifunctional venue and exhibition space, enriching cultural life in Augsburg’s city centre.