Die St. Marienkirche
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For almost three centuries after the Reformation there was no Roman Catholic church in Hof. This only changed when Hof became part of Bavaria in 1806, after which time the number of Catholics living in Hof rose steadily. It was for them that the neo-gothic St Mary’s Church was planned and built by the architect to the Regensburg Cathedral Denzinger.
The location of what is now the main Catholic church in Hof is particularly favourable: it closes off the southern end of Hof’s Altstadt and its mighty towers, 57 metres high with the west tower slightly higher, are landmarks that can be seen from quite a distance no matter from what direction one approaches the town. The neo-gothic style shows that the church is considerably younger than for example St Michael’s. The cornerstone was laid in 1864 and the first service held in June 1867.
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Inside, St Mary’s seems to be a mixture of a single-nave sacred building and a hall church. The choir is separated from the nave by a rather commanding arch. The stained glass windows in the choir date from the year 1902. From left to right, they show the Apostles St Peter and St Paul, the angels’ salutation and, as a sign of the church’s attachment to the bishopric of Bamberg, Emperor Heinrich with his wife Kunigunde. The pulpit (1901) shows the Evangelists Mathew, Mark, Luke and John and Archangel Michael.
From March to December 1925 the interior of the church was renovated under the guidance of Leo Götz. The altar, however, was not restored until the following spring. Paintings of the four Evangelists can still be seen on the vaulted ceiling of the vestry. The rest was painted over during the restoration work.
