Taking a stroll along the Isar river between the Deutsches Museum (German Museum) and the Maximilianeum building, you won’t fail to miss the grand Lukaskirche (St. Luke’s Church) and its distinctive towers on the western bank.
St. Lukas, as it is also known, is the only historical-style Protestant parish church left in Munich and has been more or less fully preserved. Designed by Albert Schmidt, it was built between 1893 and 1896 in the Lehel district. When it was constructed at the end of the 19th century, St. Lukas was the third Lutheran Protestant church to be built in Munich.
When designing the church, the architect deliberately opted for a pre-Reformation style, thus helping St. Lukas to blend in better with the skyline of Roman Catholic Munich. Its exterior design is therefore distinguished by Romanesque features, while early Gothic elements shape the interior.
Lukaskirche is open almost all-year round, offering visitors a place of peace. Services are held several times a week and the church is also a well-known, popular venue for concerts and other cultural events.
The church community is particularly proud of the St. Lukas gospel choir, who first began performing in 1991. Now made up of over 70 singers, the choir and its unmistakeable sound have long been a staple on Munich’s cultural scene. With tours around the USA and Israel, countless televisions appearances and various international competitions, the group’s fame now stretches far beyond Germany. The choir provides musical accompaniment to a Sunday service once every quarter.
