Construction began in 1468, but due to financial difficulties, Pope Sixtus IV granted an Indulgence. The church was completed in 1488 and consecrated in 1494. Of the two towers, the tallest is the North Tower, standing at 98.57m, with the South Tower only 0.12m smaller. There is a law prohibiting any building being taller than 99m, which is why you won't see any skyscrapers in the city centre, giving Munich the feel of a small town.
The church suffered severe damage during WWII and had to be restored. One feature which survived was the Teufelstritt (Devil's Footstep), which is believed to be where the Devil himself once stood. There are a few legends regarding the footstep, one is that the Devil made a deal with a builder so that the church would have no windows. The builder tricked the Devil by building columns to obscure the view of the windows. However, once the building was consecrated, the Devil could not enter and could only stand in the Foyer stamping his foot. He is supposed to have manifested his evil spirit in the wind, which rages furiously around the church.
Buried in the church are the tombs of many Archbishops, Dukes and even King Ludwig III and Louis IV, the Holy Roman Emperor.
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