University Church, Freiburg, Catholic university church in Freiburg, Germany.
The University Church is a Baroque wall-pillar church on Bertoldstrasse, its south facade banded with red sandstone and plaster panels. Two niches hold statues of the Jesuit saints Aloysius Gonzaga and Stanislaus Kostka. Inside, a rectangular nave with chapel-like niches leads to a rounded choir; the walls carry plain white stucco without colour or gilding. In the choir hangs Franz Gutmann's armless crucified Christ, carved from an oak trunk and 5.65 m tall, mounted on a 16 m steel beam.
The Jesuit brother Heinrich Mayer built the church for the Jesuit college between 1683 and 1701, and it was completed in the early 18th century. The order was abolished in 1773, and in 1793 the church passed to the University of Freiburg. On 27 November 1944 the vaults collapsed in the Operation Tigerfish air raid and the baroque altar and interior burned; Horst Linde and Hans Rolli rebuilt it in 1956/57 with reinforced concrete vaults.
The church serves as a spiritual center for the university community, drawing students and faculty for daily prayers and celebrations. Its excellent acoustics make it a preferred venue for musical performances throughout the year.
The church is located on Bertoldstraße in Freiburg's city center and is open to visitors during daytime hours. Entry is free of charge, though it is respectful to be mindful of any services or religious gatherings taking place.
The church's crypt holds the remains of 56 members of the Jesuit order, among them university professors. The church also serves as the place of worship for the Catholic University Community Edith Stein.
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