St. Stephan, Religious building in Genhofen, Germany

St. Stephan is a Catholic filial church in Genhofen, a district of Stiefenhofen. The late-Gothic choir and tower date to 1495, when master builder Conrad Schilling commissioned the chapel. Inside are three late-Gothic winged altars, and the sacristy door is studded with dozens of horseshoes.

The chapel's late-Gothic choir and tower date to around 1495, when the date was scratched beside the sacristy door; its builder was Magister Conrad Schilling. Between 1566 and 1617, under the parish priests Anton and Arbogast Heimos, a second layer of frescoes was painted, then whitewashed about a century later as unworthy of a church. Rediscovered during renovations from 1938 to 1944, they made the chapel known beyond art-history circles.

The church is named after Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, reflecting a common dedication in medieval Bavaria. Visitors can observe local craftsmanship in the stone details and wooden elements throughout the interior.

The church is accessible from village pathways and sits centrally within Genhofen's core area. Visitors should note that opening hours may vary depending on religious services and local events.

The sacristy door is studded with several dozen nailed-on horseshoes, left as votive offerings by local smiths or by carters who had just hauled their wagons up the feared Salzstraße climb over the Hahnschenkel and had loose iron replaced at the village forge. Crossed wolf traps (Wolfsangeln) carved on the door and painted in the frescoes point to the smiths' importance to the chapel.