Stiftskirche St. Arnual, Gothic church in Sankt Arnual district, Saarbrücken, Germany

Stiftskirche St. Arnual is a Gothic church in the Sankt Arnual district with a five-bay nave decorated with cross-ribbed vaults and completed during the 14th century. The two-story central structure shapes how light and space move through the interior, revealing the builders' careful attention to proportion.

The monastery is first documented in 1135, though a 1046 charter attributed to Emperor Henry III is likely a forgery. In 1147 King Louis VII of France stopped here with his crusaders. A medieval seal names a founder called Odoaker, a common early medieval name; several 10th-century counts of that name nearby may have been benefactors. Excavations in the 1990s confirmed a Merovingian burial in the crossing.

The name Sankt Arnual comes from Bishop Arnual of Metz, who founded a mission centre here around 600 and is probably buried on the site; the village of Merkingen was renamed after him once he was venerated as a saint. The former collegiate church is now a Protestant church, and the Protestant Stift St. Arnual still exists as an independent church corporation.

The church is easily accessible from the surrounding streets and visitors can explore the area around Sankt Arnualer Markt. It helps to allow time to examine the vault details and tombs carefully without rushing.

The medieval seal of the monastery names a founder called Odoaker, a name common in the early Middle Ages; several counts of that name from the surrounding area are recorded in the 10th century and may have been the actual benefactors. This suggests the community could reach back to Arnual's own time.