The Chapel of the Cross was considered the holiest room in St Michael's, as it housed a piece of wood from the cross of Christ alongside other precious relics. The entire room is centred on the veneration of the Holy Cross, which is particularly evident in the altarpiece by Hans von Aachen (1552 - 1615). The figures on the arch to the chancel depict Jesus as Vir dolorum, the Man of Sorrows, and his mother Mary as Mater Dolorosa, the Mother of Sorrows. The figures of St Catherine and St Barbara stand in the wall niches.
History of the Building
In 1579 Duke William V took over the reign of Bavaria, about two decades after Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, had agreed to establish a Jesuit College in the Bavarian capital shortly before his death (1556). The duke had been educated by Jesuits himself. In his eyes, the tradition of Renaissance humanism seemed ideal for shaping Bavaria in the Catholic spirit.
