The congregation of “Men and Citizens of
Munich” was founded in 1610. The meeting
hall in the city’s Neuhauser street, the “Bürgersaal”,
was consecrated as a church in 1778. It is now one
of the city’s noteworthy sites, not only because of
the significant work of major rococo sculptor Ignaz
Günther, who created his “Schutzengelgruppe” in
1763 for the Bürgersaalkirche, a work that can still
be seen in the church today. Pater Rupert Mayer SJ,
who was active in the Catholic resistance during the
Nazi regime, became head of the congregation in
1921. He died in 1945 and was beatified in 1987
by Pope Johannes Paul II; his grave is located in the
Bürgersaalkirche. The concert celebrating the anniversary
of the Marian Men’s Congregation includes
works that are closely associated with Rupert Mayer.
The organ of the church is also featured. It was built
in 1994 by the Vleugels organ-building company
and based on registration principles of the German
romantic tradition.