Teufelstritt, Sculpture at Frauenkirche entrance, Munich, Germany

Teufelstritt is a black footprint mark embedded in the stone floor of the Frauenkirche entrance hall in Munich. The human-sized impression is located directly on the ground and attracts visitors who pause to examine it during their visit.

The legend of the devil's footprint arose between 1620 and the 19th century, when the Bennobogen, a Baroque rood screen, and Peter Candid's high altar blocked the only window visible from the entrance. During the Neo-Gothic restoration, both were removed and the altarpiece moved to side chapels. The mark itself is probably a carpenter's joke.

The legend has two versions: in one the devil stamped in rage after mistaking the windowless view from the entrance for a church without windows; in the other, master builder Jörg Ganghofer cheated him of the promised first soul by claiming he had forgotten the windows. The mark is called the black step, and the devil is still said to be heard as wind around the church.

Teufelstritt is located in the entrance area of Frauenkirche and is accessible during regular church hours. You can spot it easily as you enter through the main doorway without needing any special arrangements.

The imprint shows a human foot with a spur mark at the heel, a detail many visitors miss. The legend likely began as a joke by the carpenters, and the mark was long explained by the high altar that hid the windows from view.