Churches in Speyer

The building was intended to commemorate the protest made by the Protestant imperial estates at the Imperial Diet of Speyer in 1529. The Luther monument and the statues of Protestant princes in the vestibule commemorate this event.
During the culture clash at the end of the 19th century, relations between Catholics and Protestants were tense. This had an impact on the construction of the Memorial Church, which was not to be overshadowed by the cathedral. However, the construction was controversial among the population, even among protestant Christians.
The Protestants collected donations and even gained the support of Emperor Wilhelm II and his wife, who donated the stained glass windows in the apse. Based on plans by Julius Flügge and Carl Nordmann, the church was built at great expense from white-grey Vosges sandstone.
In 1979, the old organ was replaced. The current organ, built by Detlef Kleuker, is the largest organ in south-west Germany with 95 stops and the second largest mechanical organ in the world. Organ concerts and matinees are held regularly at the Memorial Church.
The Memorial Church parish offers up-to-date information about the church on the internet (German only), as well as a detailed virtual tour. 

Many residents of Speyer found refuge in Frankfurt after the destruction of their city and celebrated their services in St. Catherine's Church there. They had the building constructed based on this model by the Electoral Palatinate court architect Johann Peter Graber from neighbouring Mannheim.

The interior, which is still preserved in its original wooden form, owes its existence to the fact that funds were scarce and wood was inexpensive. Of particular note are the carvings on the altar and pulpit by Christian Dathan and the vaulted ceiling, richly painted with scenes from the Old and New Testaments by Johann Christian Gutbier. A special feature is the organ above the altar. The excellent acoustics make the church interior very popular for concerts.

Today, the church is considered a Baroque jewel of national significance and an outstanding achievement in Protestant church architecture.

The Protestant Trinity Church congregation describes the unusual origins of the church and its eventful history on its website (German only). Here you will also find up-to-date information on events and opening hours.

The Trinity Church is visited as part of the Speyer city walks.

St. Magdalena's Convent was the only one of 60 former convents in the Palatinate to have survived until today. But now the closure has been announced for 2026.
In 1228, the community of penitents moved from St. Leon on the right bank of the Rhine to Speyer, where they requested admission to the Dominican Order in 1304. Since then, the nuns have devoted themselves to the education of girls and run many schools. In the early 18th century, a six-axis nave was built on the walls of the original Gothic church in the extensive monastery grounds. The former school building dates from 1832.
The complex is entered through a late Wilhelminian gatehouse dating from 1889. Old grave crosses, mostly from the 18th century, can still be seen in the wall surrounding the monastery complex.
Between 1923 and 1931, the school was the workplace of the philosopher and Carmelite nun Dr Edith Stein, who was murdered by the National Socialists and had converted from Judaism to Catholicism in 1922.
The Dominican Sisters provide information about the history of the convent and its current activities on the convent's website (German only).

The foundation stone was laid on 9 June 1912. Just two years later, on 22 November 1914, the then Bishop Dr. v. Faulhaber consecrated the church. In the summer of 1917, the artist Ronge from Munich painted the pictures for the side altars. He also painted the four high altar pictures, which depict scenes from the childhood of Jesus. He used paintings by Rogier v. d. Weyden in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich as models.
The Trinity group, the so-called Throne of Grace on the high altar, was created by Professor Thomas Buscher from Munich, who also created the Pietà in the Ägidienkapelle, which was converted into a memorial chapel for the fallen in 1925. The Stations of the Cross with the cross altar, as well as the statue of St. Aloysius and the statue of St. Joseph, are the work of sculptor Georg Busch.
In 1988/89, the church underwent extensive renovation and in 1990 the new Wilbrand organ was inaugurated.
St. Joseph on the Internet (German only).

Just outside the city centre, near the railway station, you will find St. Bernhard's Peace Church next to Adenauer Park. 
The reason for building St. Bernhard's Church in 1953/54 was to create a stone testament to the reconciliation between Germany and France. The church, jointly financed by German and French Catholics, was consecrated in 1954. St. Bernhard was the parish church of a parish of the same name until 1982.
The church is designed in a simple, monastic style, similar to that of Cistercian monasteries.
The crypt beneath the choir room, the Pax Christi Chapel, is a special feature and is entirely oriented towards the idea of the church – a symbol of peace and reconciliation set in stone. Small wall niches in the semicircular wall contain earth and stones from places of special significance on all continents.