St. Michael Church

The Roman Catholic St. Michael’s Church, a branch church dedicated to Archangel Michael (September 29), is the oldest church in Salzburg and belongs to the Sankt Peter monastery.It is located in Salzburg’s old town, between Waagplatz and Residenzplatz.

Prior to the middle of the 17th century, the long transept on the east side of the church served as a Schranne, or common point of sale, with the baker selling bread.The Trakl family later lived on the first floor, where Georg Trakl spent his childhood and adolescence, while his father, Tobias Trakl, managed a hardware business on the ground level.Since 1925, the property in Waagplatz 3 has been utilized as a café.

The church’s beginnings may be traced back to Carolingian times.Five Roman reliefs have been put into the north side, which is now entirely built up, and another relief with Dionysus and Ariadne, as well as two sarcophagus pieces, are now housed at the Salzburg Museum.

The Michaelskirche began as a royal chapel for the Agilolfingers.It was erected close to the Bavarian Palatinate, the Agilolfinger family’s ducal administrative headquarters and the city’s oldest courthouse, known as Schranne.

From roughly 780 until the 12th century, the Michaelskirche served as both the imperial palace chapel and the citizenry’s parish church.As a result, it featured two entrances and two distinct floors.The Emperor and his entourage had easy access to the upper level from the neighbouring Imperial Palatinate.(The final vestige of this palace is the Romanesque Hall , Waagplatz 4, from the 12th century).The bottom story, accessible from the market square, was designed for the town’s residents.In the late Middle Ages, the tiny church was no longer the focal point of municipal activity when the ancient market place and, subsequently, the court seat were transferred.The parish was passed to the Church of Our Lady (after the Franciscan Church) in 1189, and then to the cathedral in 1635.

The church was afterwards renovated multiple times.This was last done in 1767-1778 on behalf of Abbot Beda Seeauer, when it was remodeled to suit the tastes of the period.Benedikt Zöpf constructed the rococo stucco work of the vault and window frames at the time (1770).Franz Xaver König created the frescoes in the stucco-framed picture windows.They portray Mary’s coronation, Archangel Michael, and a chorus of angels celebrating God’s name.

The altars, as well as the trellis and other furniture, are built of Untersberger and Adnet marble.Johann Högler altered the high altar in 1770, which originates from the mid-17th century.The altarpiece, which was made around 1650, depicts the descent of Lucifer (here: Satan) from Hell.The top image of St. Benedict was installed around 1770.

Johann Högler designed the side altars circa 1770, and Franz Xaver König created the altarpieces.The left side altarpiece depicts the Annunciation of Mariae (by the angel Gabriel), and the extract tondo Simon Petrus.The archangel Raphael can be seen with Tobias in the tondo above Paul of Tarsus in the right image of the side altar.

At the conclusion of the interior refurbishment (2015), those in charge erected an ambo (since on the epistle side) and a translucent people’s altar.Archabbot Korbinian (Dr. Korbinian Birnbacher OSB) dedicated this altar on September 28, 2015.