Freiburger Totentanz, Medieval painting sequence in Old Cemetery, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
The Freiburger Totentanz is a painted sequence of twelve scenes surrounding a central Last Judgment image positioned above the entrance to St. Michaels Chapel. The restored paintings display figures from multiple social ranks engaged in encounters with death through carefully detailed compositions.
The original artwork was painted by Galienus Entringer on the Town Hall between 1557 and 1559, then replaced in 1560 following a council decision. This reflected shifts in how religious imagery was understood and presented during that era.
The painted scenes show people from different walks of life encountering death, reflecting how medieval society understood mortality and what comes after life.
The restored paintings are situated in the forecourt of St. Michaels Chapel and are freely accessible following their complete restoration work. Planning your visit during the chapel's regular opening hours helps ensure you can view the works clearly.
The paintings sustained severe damage during a bombing raid in 1944 but were painstakingly reconstructed by artist Wolfram Köberl in 1963. This reconstruction preserved an important cultural legacy that might otherwise have disappeared entirely.
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