The
Ludwigskirche is situated in the northern part of the
Ludwigstrasse and was built by the architect
Friedrich von Gärtner from 1829 onward (completed 1844). The patron was King
Ludwig I of Bavaria. The facade with two steeples was constructed as balance to the
Theatinerkirche, which stands diagonally opposite. The floor plan shows the church as a model to a three-aisled
Byzantine basilica with the basic geometric figure of the
cross of tau. The church is 60 m long and 20 m wide. The towers are 71 meters high and each equipped with six bells, which are named after patron saints of the family of King Ludwig. In the years 2007–2009 the church roof was re-covered in the originally planned
mosaic decoration. The
frescoes of the church were created by
Peter von Cornelius. They are perhaps one of the most important mural works of modern times. The large fresco of the
Last Judgment (1836–1840), situated over the high altar, measures 62 ft in height by 38 ft in width. The frescoes of the
Creator, the
Nativity, and the
Crucifixion are also on a large scale. But the work was rejected by the King, and Cornelius left Munich shortly afterward. The sculpture
Four Evangelists with Jesus Christ was designed by
Ludwig von Schwanthaler. The church was the model for many other churches, such as the
Altlerchenfelder Pfarrkirche in
Vienna, and Richard Upjohn's
Congregational Church of the Pilgrims (1844–1846), in
Brooklyn, New York, the first of the
Rundbogenstil in North America. This was followed by
St. George's Episcopal Church in New York City by Charles Bresch, and the
Bowdoin College Chapel in
Brunswick, Maine. In Minnesota the church was the blueprint for the
Church of the Assumption (1874) in Saint Paul and the original abbey church of
Saint John's Abbey (1868) in Collegeville. ==Burial place==