St. Martin, church building in Bad Kohlgrub, Upper Bavaria, Germany
St. Martin in Bad Kohlgrub is a parish church located in the center of the village, featuring a stone rectangular structure with rounded choir windows and a striking square tower topped with an ornate lantern. The interior stretches approximately 27 meters in length and 11.5 meters in width, with tall windows allowing natural light to fill the space and create a warm, inviting atmosphere.
The first church was built under Rottenbuch provost Ulrich V. Sturmlein, a native of Saulgrub who ruled from 1336 to 1350; its massive tower base with biforia survives. In 1517 Kohlgrub was separated from the Ammergau parish and attached to Rottenbuch. Provost Patricius Oswald had the church enlarged in 1727–1729 to its present form, and the tower received its current top in 1750–1755. Kohlgrub became its own parish in 1809.
The church's name refers to Saint Martin, who shared his cloak with a poor person, a story depicted in a restored painting inside the building. The church has served for centuries as a gathering place for community celebrations, religious observances, and quiet reflection, showing how deeply this building remains woven into the daily life of local residents.
The church stands on St.-Martin-Straße in the village centre, about 100 metres from the main road, and is surrounded by a walled churchyard. The building is oriented roughly 30 degrees north of true east. The parish house, also a protected monument, lies about 150 metres east on the main road.
The tower's baroque helm, added in 1750–1755, has a shape that recalls the tower of the Wieskirche by Dominikus Zimmermann. On its east side survives a painted Gothic clock face, a detail easily missed below the round clock dials on the north and east faces.
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