A Jacobite Gazetteer - Bavaria

Munich - Theatinerkirche

Facade

This church is located at Theatinerstrasse 22. It is officially called the Stiftskirche St. Kajetan (the Priory Church of St. Cajetan), and is staffed by the Dominican Fathers.

Below the choir and sanctuary of the church is the Fürstengruft (crypt of the princes) which contains the remains of many Wittelsbachs. Access to the crypt is by means of an iron lattice gate at the far end of the right aisle. After descending the stairs, one enters the crypt.

On the left is an iron gate through which one can see the room with the sarcophagus of King Rupert and (to the left) the matching sarcophagus of his first wife Princess Marie Gabrielle, Duchess of Cornwall and Rothesay. To the right of King Rupert is a very simple sarcophagus containing the remains of his eldest son Prince Luitpold. To the left of the Duchess of Cornwall and Rothesay is an elaborate sarcophagus containing the remains of her youngest son Prince Rudolf. Immediately in front of Prince Rudolf's sarcophagus is a tiny sarcophagus containing the remains of a stillborn princess. In the corridor just to the right of Prince Luitpold's sarcophagus is a small sarcophagus containing the remains of Rupert's eldest daughter Princess Irmingard.

On the rear wall are stone tablets identifying each of the four large sarcophagi. The tops of all six sarcophagi are each inscribed with an inscription. ¹

Tombs of King Rupert and family

For more photographs of the tombs of King Rupert and his family, click here.

On July 13, 1996, the funeral mass for King Albert was celebrated in this church, before his remains were transferred to the Wittelsbacher Friedhof at Kloster Andechs.

Funeral of King Albert, July 13, 1996

The church is open daily 7.00 a.m. - 7.00 p.m.

The crypt is open May to October, Monday - Friday 10.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., and Saturday 10.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m.; it is closed November to April. There is an entrance fee of €2,00.

Telephone: 089.2106960; official website.

Notes

¹ On the sarcophagus of King Rupert is a German inscription:

RUPPRECHT
KRONPRINZ VON BAYERN
PFALZGRAF BEI RHEIN
HERZOG VON BAYERN
FRANKEN UND IN SCHWABEN

GEB.18.V.1869
GEST.2.VIII.1955

Rupert
Crown Prince of Bavaria
Count Palatine of the Rhine
Duke of Bavaria,
of Franken, and in Swabia

born May 18, 1869
died August 2, 1955

On the sarcophagus of Marie Gabrielle, Duchess of Cornwall and Rothesay is a German inscription:

MARIE GABRIELLE
K. PRINCESSIN [sic]
VON BAYERN
GEB. HERZOGIN
IN BAYERN

GEB. ZU TEGERNSEE
9.OCT.1878
GEST. ZU SORRENT
24.OCT.1912

Marie Gabrielle
Royal Princess
of Bavaria
born Duchess
in Bavaria

born at Tegernsee
October 9, 1878
died at Sorrento
October 24, 1912

On the sarcophagus of Prince Luitpold is a German inscription:

LUITPOLD
ERBPRINZ
VON BAYERN
* 8.MAI 1901
+ 27.AUGUST 1914

Luitpold
Hereditary Prince
of Bavaria
born May 8, 1901
died August 27, 1914

On the sarcophagus of Princess Irmingard is a German inscription:

Irmingard
Königl. Prinzessin
von
Bayern
geb. 21.IX.1902
gest. 21.IV.1903

Irmingard
Royal Princess
of
Bavaria
born November 21, 1902
died April 21, 1903

On the sarcophagus of the stillborn princess is an inscription:

6.XII.06.
R.I.P.

December 6, 1906
Rest in peace

On the sarcophagus of Prince Rudolf is a German inscription:

Rudolf
Königl. Prinz
von
Bayern
geb. 30.V.1909
gest. 26.VI.1912

Rudolf
Royal Prince
of
Bavaria
born May 30, 1909
died June 26, 1912

Image 1 (Facade): Lillian Schacherl and Josef H. Biller, Munich, Prestel City Guide (München: Prestel, 1987), 64.

Image 3 (Funeral of King Albert, July 13, 1996): Vincent Meylan, "L'adieu de la Bavière au duc Albrecht", Point de Vue no. 2504 (17 au 23 juillet 1996): 16.