Nuremberg’s St. Sebald Church
by Anika Scott
Most people know the namesakes for the world’s most famous churches. St. Paul’s Cathedral is named after St. Paul. St. Peter’s Basilica is named after…yes, St. Peter. But Nuremberg’s oldest pilgrimage church carries the name of a saint even devout people may not know – St. Sebald. He’s the patron saint of Nuremberg, and his relics rest in a golden tomb under a magnificent bronze canopy in the church. Who was St. Sebald, and what did he do to be so honored?
Even medieval sources tell little about him. He’s first mentioned in 1070 as a miracle worker and healer of the sick who lived in the forest near Nuremberg as a hermit. Then, 100 years later the locals honored him as a saint, and Pope Martin V canonized him in 1425. So much for the official record – the real story of St. Sebald lies in legends. According to those, he was a Danish prince who refused marriage to devote himself to God. Sebald wandered as far as Italy, where he prayed for the earth to swallow up a heretic (and spit him out again when he recanted his error).
On one of his travels, he “miraculously” crossed the Danube River at Regensburg by walking on his cloak. Also, during a freezing winter, he melted the cold heart of a man hoarding charcoal by praying over icicles – which allegedly burst into flame. True or not, the life and legends of St. Sebald inspired Nuremberg to build its 13th century Sebalduskirche, a masterpiece of romanesque architecture and faith.
