Amberg - Pauline Monastery and Church

The Pauline Fathers came to Amberg by a circuitous route from Munich. In 1627 they came to Munich or Neudeck an der Au at the request of Elector Maximilian. In 1638 some of them also took over the pastorate in Neunburg vorm Wald at the order of the Prince. Complaints soon arose about their way of life and ministry, and on the initiative of the Elector's widow, Maria Anna, the three fathers were transferred to Amberg.

In 1652, a monastery was founded in Amberg and the Paulicians were allowed to use the so-called Metzberger's Haus. They were not recognised as an official monastery until 1671 and only in 1696 were they able to start building their own monastery buildings after they had acquired several townhouses. Wolfgang Dientzenhofer was in charge of the construction. The monastery was completed in 1702.

The monastery church was built according to Wolfgang Dientzenhofer's plans after his death in 1706 and was built between 1717 and 1719. The foundations of the church were laid in 1709, but their destruction during the War of the Spanish Succession delayed the construction. The consecration of the church was not performed until 29 August 1729 by the auxiliary bishop of Regensburg, Gottfried Langwerth von Simmern.
The military chaplaincy was the pastoral focus of the activities of the Pauline Fathers.

With the secularization of the early 19th century, the monastery was dissolved in 1803. The monastery buildings then housed a military hospital.

At that time, only three fathers and one lay brother remained in the monastery. The former Conventuals remained in Amberg and continued to work as military chaplains. The library was immediately sold at auction. The monastery brewery was taken over by the Amberg brewer Wingershof in 1803 and continued in private business. From 1856 it functioned as a municipal communal brewery.
The church served as a garrison until 1812, but in 1814 it was decided that it would no longer be used. After the removal of the interior furnishings, the church became a municipal salt office (warehouse). In 1819 both church towers were demolished.

In 1850, a false ceiling was added to the church and the upper part was handed over to the Evangelical congregation as a prayer room in 1851. In 1862 the Evangelical congregation managed to buy the whole church for 12,000 guilders as a parish church. In 1888 the interior of the church was renovated.

In 1925, the monastery buildings were converted into a district court, which is still housed here today.

Alterations to the interior of the church took place in the 1950s and at the time of the centenary of the "evangelical church". Today, the Pauline Church presents itself as a light, simply furnished space.

The stucco in the refractories was created by Paul d'Aglio.

The building of the former Pauline monastery is now part of the Amberg District Court. The church is administered by the Evangelical Lutheran parish in Amberg.