Probably the two biggest tourist attractions in in
Büren, Germany, which I also saw during my April 1982 Easter visit there, are the Jesuitenkolleg and Jesuitenkirche.
The Jesuitenkolleg, also known today as Mauritius-Gymnasium (
Mauritius High School), is named for
Moritz von Büren (1604-1661), the last Baron of Büren. After a law career (from 1629 to 1644, he was president of the Supreme Court of the Holy Roman Empire in Speyer), he entered the Jesuit Order, and ultimately left all his possessions to that order. Between 1717 and 1728, his castle was torn down, and the Baroque-style Jesuit College, in a three-wing rectangular form with an open inner courtyard, was built. Over the years, the building has also served as a teacher training college, but has been
Mauritius-Gymnasium since 1946. My German cousins attended school here.
This is a view of the back side of the school, which has this lovely pond beside it:
Next door to the Jesuitenkolleg (to the right in the photo below) is the Jesuitenkirche, otherwise known as the
Kirche Maria Immaculata (Immaculate Mary Church). It was built in the late-Baroque style between 1754 and 1773. This is a view from the back.
Here is a view that shows more of the ornate front exterior of the church (to the right):
This church has an incredibly beautiful interior. This panoramic shot shows the numerous frescoes on the ceilings and dome, most of which portray scenes from the life of Mary, Mother of God:
The church has a gorgeous organ loft and organ, installed between 1884 and 1886 by Franz Eggert of nearby Paderborn:
More pictures of the beautiful interior and exterior of the church can be found
on Wikimedia Commons. Today the church is used mostly for weddings and concerts.
© Amanda Pape - 2013 -
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