Isabella Mueller Baroness of Stainton le Vale
The symbol of the Bavarian capital Munich is undoubtedly the Frauenkirche, which, with its characteristic twin towers almost 100 meters high, dominates the Munich skyline like no other building. The foundation stone for the Gothic, three-nave cathedral and parish church “Zu Unserer Lieben Frau” (To Our Lady) was laid in 1468 by Duke Sigismund, who commissioned the city master mason Jörg von Halspach to build the new hall church that still stands today. After only 20 years, in 1483, the building was completed except for the tower roofs. These did not receive their distinctive “Welschen Hauben” (Italian-style domes) until 1525. This world-famous church is not only associated with the legend of the Devil’s Ride and the Devil’s footprint, which still exists today in a square floor slab in the entrance area of the nave, but also with a legend of a ghost wearing a nightcap. The church was once surrounded by a cemetery, the so-called Frauenfreihof, which is still commemorated today by the epitaphs on the outer walls to the north, east, and south. A white ghost with a nightcap on its head is said to have haunted this cemetery at night, which is why people avoided the area after dark. A merchant wanted to get to the bottom of this ghost story, as he considered it to be nonsense. After visiting a tavern, he set off for home, but made a detour to the cemetery of the Frauenkirche. Once there, he saw a mysterious figure wearing a long white dress and a nightcap on her head. The merchant shuddered terribly, but nevertheless bravely approached the eerie ghost and gave it a resounding slap, causing the nightcap to fly off the ghost’s head. The ghost just grinned maliciously. The merchant became frightened and ran for his life. But the ghost pursued him. With his last ounce of strength, he saved himself by running into his house and locking the door. The ghost could not get in because the blessing C+M+B was written on the door. Relieved, he wanted to go to bed and went into his bedroom. However, as he entered, he saw the ghost climbing through his open window. A cold shiver ran down his spine. When the ghost stood in front of him, he quickly tore the picture of the Altötting Madonna from the wall to banish the spirit. He succeeded, and the spirit disappeared into the night. Since then, the merchant has been called the Schlafhaubenkrämer (sleep hood peddler) and has gone down in Munich’s horror history.
