St. Peter’s Church

At over 1,000 years old, St. Peter’s Church is the oldest church in Lindau and one of the oldest on Lake Constance. This fascinating building houses a significant art treasure.

Oldest church in Lindau

The church, also known as the Fishermen’s Church, was formerly dedicated to Saint Simon Peter, the patron saint of fishermen who lived around Schrannenplatz at that time. Until 1180, St. Peter’s Church was the parish church of the town of Lindau. The eastern parts of the existing building probably date from the middle of the 12th century, while the western third of the nave with the entrance dates from 1470.

The massive, tall and windowless church tower must be older than the church itself, as it cuts diagonally into the choir room and nave walls without any connection to the church. It is clear that it initially served a primarily defensive function, which is not surprising given its proximity to the first harbour. St. Peter’s was deconsecrated in the 17th century at the latest and consecrated as a war memorial in 1928.

This is evidenced by the memorial plaques in the entrance area commemorating Lindau soldiers who fell in the First and Second World Wars. They are complemented by plaques commemorating displaced persons and, since 1981, victims of National Socialism, including Jews, euthanasia victims and forced labourers, of whom there were over 1,000 in the Lindau district. They were employed, for example, at Dornier, Elektra, Escher Wyss, Volta and Wankel, as well as in households and in agriculture. The initiator of this latest plaque, Lindau city councillor Hermann Dorfmüller, speaks of ‘warning signs of German history’. Warning signs of what happened as a result of militarism, nationalism, imperialism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia, so that it does not happen again. Remembering in the face of these memorial plaques is, to quote Ernst Bloch, only fruitful if it also reminds us of what still needs to be done.

Frescoes in St. Peter’s Church

The frescoes depicting the Lindau Passion inside the church, attributed to Hans Holbein the Elder, are an important artistic treasure. The early Gothic red chalk drawing depicts scenes from the Passion of Christ, St. Peter and St. Christopher. The choir room features the fresco ‘The Coronation of Mary’ by Lindau painter Mathis Miller.