the sculptures in the Adalbert wing
11 Feb 2026
Which historical figures adorn our corridors?
11 Feb 2026
Which historical figures adorn our corridors?
At the western end of the corridors, the Adalbert wing is adorned with three statues of well-known figures from church history. Starting from the ground floor and moving upwards, these are Gregory the Great, Thomas Aquinas, and (presumably) Pope Innocent III.
Gregory I (540–604) was pope from 590 to 604. Due to his enormous influence, including on the Christianization of Europe, he was given the epithet "the Great" and is considered one of the most important popes. He was canonized in 1295.
The design of the sculptures suggests that they date from the decades after the Second World War and were probably not created together.
Pope Innocent III (1161–1216) was increasingly concerned with establishing and expanding the secular power of the Church. He also played a decisive role in the succession dispute in the Holy Roman Empire.
Only the sculpture of Thomas Aquinas has been signed by the artist. The artist is identified as the Munich sculptor Ernst Andreas Rauch (1901–1990). His extensive oeuvre reached its zenith in the 1960s. The sculpture probably dates from 1960 and was created specifically for its current location.
Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) was an Italian Dominican, an influential philosopher, and an important theologian. He is one of the most influential representatives of scholasticism. He was canonized in 1323.