Peterskirche (St. Peter's Church)

Peterskirche is Lindau's oldest surviving church, with a history going back to the 10th century, though the current building is largely 11th–13th century. It ceased functioning as a parish church and was used as a war memorial for a period; today it serves as a memorial church and exhibition space. The interior is simple and well preserved.

The attraction for art historians and curious visitors is the fresco cycle, tentatively attributed to Hans Holbein the Elder. Whether or not the attribution holds — scholars still disagree — the paintings are striking: expressive faces, compressed compositions, strong colour that has survived the centuries remarkably well. The church is small and rarely crowded.

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A story
The frescoes inside Peterskirche — a cycle of passion scenes painted around 1480 — are attributed to Hans Holbein the Elder, the father of the more famous portrait painter. If the attribution is correct, they are among the most significant works of German Gothic art on the eastern Bodensee, and the church's low vaulting and intimate scale makes them unusually immediate — you can stand close enough to see the individual brushstrokes.