Inner City Sanctuaries

I’m not quite sure how to describe St. Boniface’s church and abbey, only 200 meters from the central train station. On one hand, it’s a part of Munich history, as it was instated by King Ludwig I as an attempt to reanimate the country’s spiritual life, and today’s houses the tomb of Ludwig I himself. On the other hand, today it is a parish church, serving the surrounding community. It’s a bit strange to look at the building, as it was nearly completely destroyed during WWII, and only partially reconstructed – yet you can see every detail that is new vs old. In some ways, it embodies the German people – certainly shocked and destroyed by the defeat of the allied powers, and in some ways embarrassed by the local role in the holocaust; yet absolutely resolute that today they are doing the right thing. It’s a contrast that I don’t think exists in the US, and honestly one that I hope is never needed there.