The Castle Chapel

The complete painting of the chapel at Kriebstein Castle counts among the most noble and best preserved late medieval programmatic murals in the German lands. It emerged in the first decade of the 15th century and represents very vividly the soft style prevailing at the time and the characteristic devotion to Virgin Mary.

The main theme of the chapel paintings is devoted to Virgin Mary. The Coronation and the Death of Virgin Mary, the Adoration Scene and the larger-than-life apocalyptic Madonna with halo show the devotion to the Mother of God. Other depictions originate from Christian iconography, such as Hell with the Procession of the Doomed to Damnation. Above the altar is the scene of Crucifixion.

In the course of the Reformation, the Catholic depictions in the chapel were partially destroyed and several times painted over in subsequent centuries. In securing works on the building ground in 1933, further murals were discovered, but considerable damage became visible soon. As late as in the 1980s, the museum management started extensive preliminary works for the structural situation. With the support of the State Office for Monumental Preservation and the Dresden University of Fine Arts, the restoration works started eventually in 1994 and could be accomplished after five years.