Frauenkirche, Nuremberg
Frauenkirche49°27′ N 11°05′ E
Nuremberg's Frauenkirche is the Gothic Catholic church on the east side of the Hauptmarkt, and it suits anyone at the Christkindlesmarkt who wants the noon clock show or the Christkind's opening speech from its gallery. Inside, it is a working parish church, so Mass takes priority over sightseeing.
Photo DALIBRI · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
The Frauenkirche closes the east side of the Hauptmarkt, behind the stalls of the Christkindlesmarkt. The city archive records that the church, like the Hauptmarkt itself, went up on the ground of the Jewish quarter after the pogrom of 1349. On the Friday before Advent the Christkind steps onto its gallery at 17:30 to read the Prolog that opens the Christkindlesmarkt.
Look up at noon. The Männleinlaufen, a clock from 1509 on the church front, shows small figures of the seven electors paying homage to Emperor Charles IV once a day. The city's building office, which keeps it running, says the figures start at about 12:01 after the bells and move for about four minutes. Stand back on the square so the market roofs don't block your view.
Worth knowing
- Find a spot on the square a few minutes before noon for the Männleinlaufen; the market crowds gather for it too.
Quick answers about Frauenkirche, Nuremberg
What time is the Männleinlaufen in Nuremberg?
The Männleinlaufen on Nuremberg's Frauenkirche runs every day at noon. The city's building office says the figures begin at about 12:01, after the bells, and move for about four minutes.
Where does the Nuremberg Christkind give the Prolog?
The Nuremberg Christkind reads the Prolog from the gallery of the Frauenkirche, facing the Hauptmarkt, at 17:30 on the Friday before Advent. In 2026 that is 27 November.
