Basilica of the Nativity of Our Lady, Regensburg, Ottonian Gothic church in Regensburg, Germany.
The Basilica of the Nativity of Our Lady, known in German as Alte Kapelle, is the oldest church in Regensburg. Its core is an Ottonian basilica from around 1002, with a tall late-Gothic choir built between 1441 and 1452 by Hans Engel. The interior was remodelled in Rococo style in the second half of the 18th century.
A first church is documented in 875, when King Louis the German called himself its builder and founder of the collegiate foundation; stones from Roman ruins of Castra Regina were reused and are still visible on the west outer wall. The foundation lapsed after 887 and the church decayed, recorded as antiqua capella in 967. In 1002 Henry II refounded the college and rebuilt the church by 1004; the Gothic high choir replaced the apse between 1441 and 1452 under builder Hans Engel.
The church is the main church of the Collegiate Foundation of Our Lady, founded in 1002 by Henry II and still existing today as Bavaria's oldest college of canons. Until secularisation the provost was almost always a Bamberg cathedral canon, while a dean led the chapter in Regensburg. The interior was comprehensively remodelled in the Rococo style in the second half of the 18th century, following the Wessobrunn school.
The building is accessible during the day and remains in active religious use, so visitors should be respectful during their time there. Wearing comfortable shoes is advisable as exploring the interior takes time and the floors can be uneven in places.
The south tower once belonged to the church's westwork, which was demolished after the town fires of 1152 and 1176; the tower was raised three times in the 12th and 13th centuries. A charnel house, or Karner, stood southeast of the church, and its lower storey survives beneath today's sacristy, rediscovered during renovations in 1993.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,848 contributors worldwide.
