Mark’s Church

General information:

The church as it is today, with other preceding chapels at its’ location, was developed from a former basilica probably dating back to the 14th century (construction began around 1321) to a Gothic hall church around 1500, with three naves and choirs, almost equal in height and width. In 1606, the originally Gothic spire was replaced by a Baroque spire. The foundation of the Latin School (1470) and the ”Kugelherren“ house funds was initiated by the ”Brüder vom gemeinsamen Leben“ (Brotherhood of the Communal Life), or ”Kugelherren“ - (1468-1555 - named after their hood-shaped, round headgear, the ”gogil“). Their most famous provost Gabriel Biel (approx. 1410 - 1495) was an organising pioneer and professor at the University of Tuebingen. He is remembered as ”the last great Theologian before the Reformation”. Landgrave Philipp of Hesse-Butzbach built the Landgrave’s family crypt (1622) and donated the organ (1614) and the pulpit (1617). The church bears many outstanding cultural monuments.