Hospitalsckirche (Hospital Church), Stuttgart

The Hospital Church (Hospitalkirche) in Stuttgart is a historically significant religious structure and the third-largest medieval church in the old town of Stuttgart. Initially built between 1471 and 1493 by the master builder Aberlin Jörg, the church served the Dominican order as a three-aisled late Gothic hall church with a single-nave long choir. During the Reformation, the monastery was dissolved and converted into a hospital. The church later became a parish church and a tower was added to the south side of the choir in the 17th century.

The original interior furnishings of the church were largely lost over time, with only a few pieces, such as the Sachsenheim altar from 1489 and tombs from the 16th and 17th centuries, surviving. The church was severely damaged during a bombing raid in 1944, leaving only the choir and the tower, which were later restored under the direction of architect Rudolf Lempp. The nave was preserved as a ruin, serving as a memorial against war.

The church houses the original crucifixion group from 1501 by Hans Seyfer, originally located behind the Leonhardskirche, with a copy now placed there since 1976. Additionally, the composer Leonhard Lechner is buried in the Hospital Church.

A notable feature outside the church is the Württemberg Reformation Monument, created by sculptor Jakob Brüllmann in 1917, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Martin Luther's theses. The monument depicts the resurrected Christ with a victory flag, surrounded by figures of German reformer Martin Luther and Württemberg reformer Johannes Brenz, along with reliefs depicting rural life and Reformation-era scenes.

The church's organ, built by Friedrich Weigle in 1961, was designed with 40 stops on sliding shutters, featuring mechanical action and electric stops, later enhanced with an electronic typesetting system in 1998. The church's musical program prominently features new music, making it a cultural hub for contemporary musical expressions within the region.