Straubing - St. Peter

The Romans have been here -on the banks of the Danube- for about 400 years. When they withdrew a group of Bavarii settled here, lead by a person named Strupo. Accordingly the settlement was called Strupinga - and today is Straubing. Today the center of the town is about 500 meters east, the old center was right here, all around the Carolingian predecessor of the church of St. Peter.

St. Peter, built around 1200, is a sober Romanesque basilica. The structure of the church looks very "complete", what is the result of the reconstruction of the 19th century.

Probably since the old days the church is surrounded by a graveyard. Some of the old monuments are more than 400 years old. The graveyard has three old chapels.

Unfortunately the chapels were locked, due to some kind of vandalism, that had taken place (that was what I learned from the paper at the door). I could only hold my camera inside - and so got this photo. This is the interior of the "Totenkapelle", built in 1486. The frescos ("Totentanz") on the right are Baroque (1763).

Actually, I had hoped to see the "Agnes-Bernauer-Kapelle", built in 1436 over the grave of Agnes, who was drowned after a false accusation (witchcraft) in the Danube by command of Ernest, Duke of Bavaria, in 1435. The tragic end of a touching love story between Agnes Bernauer - and Ernest´s son Albrecht, who later became Albert III, Duke of Bavaria.

If you want to read more about this story follow the link to Blutenburg below.