History of the Parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul
Legend has it that the church, first mentioned in 1093, must once have been a Romanesque basilica. After the basilica was completely destroyed by a second major fire in the 15th century, it was rebuilt as a gothic church. The first mention of this reconstruction dates back to 1500. After several restorations, which were necessary due to the chaos of war, it was described in the 17th century as a church with gothic façade and baroque furnishing. When a new baroque church was built in St. Märgen (St. Peter’s neighbouring community), St. Peter also received a new church under Abbot Ulrich Bürgi. It was built according to the plans of architect Peter Thumb from Vorarlberg in the early 18th century (construction period: 1724 – 1727).
It had a baroque façade and baroque furnishing, comparable with the churches in St. Blasien and Ebersmunster (Alsace). Due to the construction of the St. Ursula Chapel, which served as a replacement church during this time, the population of St. Peter was able to maintain a positive attitude and look forward to their new church. The parish church’s magnificence is accentuated by its impressive high altar, its side altars decorated with several stuccoes, as well as the gold adorned statues of the Dukes of Zähringen (the founders of St. Peter’s Abbey) on the pilasters, carved by Josef Anton Feuchtmayer. The monastery is the only building in the region that was newly built in the baroque age and has been preserved in its original form until today. The church is always freely accessible.
