St. Mang Square, open during the day;
Origins in the 8th century, Romanesque building 896, Protestant since 1525
Since free short church guides are available in St. Mang's Church, here are a few episodes that are not included:
The relief from 1912 in front of the main portal commemorates the victory of St. Magnus over the snake Boa. Symbol for the Christianization of the Celts and Alemanni.
In the side aisles and in the entrance area one finds so-called "captive chairs" with backs and armrests.
Influential families were allowed to sit here for a fee. The pitches were marked with the family crest.
The common people, on the other hand, had to make do with the backless "women's benches". 1912/1913 were new
Benches installed and the naming abolished. The “Herrgottscheisserle”, which was granted to the better off, was also special: under the seats there was a fold-out plate against which one could lean during the liturgy “standing time” in the service.
For decades, the “lantern weddings” were a special feature. In 1618 the magistrate decreed that these special marriages could only take place on Friday mornings between five and six o'clock in the morning by lantern light. Couples who had obviously violated the commandment of chastity received the blessing of the church.
The tower is a chapter in itself: During the Gothic extension of the church, the outside tower was integrated into the building and adapted to the changed proportions. The church tower is up to the clock tower (40 m) still from Romanesque times. In 1440 the people of Kempten increased it to 66 m and built in a belfry. They paid the bill with 520 thalers from indulgences. The belfry became the "home" of the tower guard. He looked after the clock in the church tower and also kept a watchful eye on the town of Kempten. He had to keep an eye out for possible fires every half hour. The ringer of St. Mang even had his own fire bell. It hung under the canopy on the west side. After the invention of the telephone, the Kempten tower guard was the first to have a “direct line” to the police and fire brigade. The bell room was inhabited until the end of 1921. The last bell ringer served for 21 years with a monthly salary of 130 RM. At the same time he worked as a shoemaker. Since there was no toilet in the tower, he defecated in a bucket on the tower.