St. Georg's Church

The first of the three churches that you see on Reichenau Island is St. George’s Church.

The Catholic parish church of St. George was built after 888 by Abbot Hatto III, who traveled to Rome in 896 for the imperial coronation of King Arnulf and received the head of St. George from Pope Formosus. He had the relic brought to Reichenau, where it could then be found in the newly built church. Large parts of this building still stand today. The miraculous deeds of Jesus are shown in large murals in the central nave and illustrate Jesus’ power over natural forces, illness, life and death. When the pictures were created in the 10th century, they are among the earliest examples north of the Alps.

Note: In the months from May to September, the church can only be visited as part of a guided tour.