Anyone who wants to know why Christian Schad (1894-1982), the "Master of New Objectivity" and renowned portraitist, came from Berlin to tranquil Aschaffenburg in 1943 should start his research here: in the enchanted Maria-Schnee- Chapel of the Aschaffenburg Collegiate Church of Saints Peter and Alexander.

A stone staircase in the left aisle leads up to the hidden place of worship.

Once at the top, in the subdued light of the basilica, you can see the "Stuppacher Madonna" with her softly glowing face and the lively baby Jesus on her lap.

Catherine Deschka

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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Originally, soon after the chapel was completed in 1516, the original painting by the Renaissance painter Matthias Grünewald stood there.

It is believed, however, that the Madonna as the central panel of an altar disappeared behind the folded side wings as early as 1530, so that an Adoration of the Three Kings that had been placed there and did not originate from Grünewald could be seen.

There are different opinions as to whether the Madonna was taken out of the frame at that time or only centuries later.

It is undisputed that the valuable image of the Virgin Mary was given to the Teutonic Order in Bad Mergentheim and sold to the village church in Stuppach in 1812.

Only decades later, during a restoration, did the people of Stuppach realize which master it came from.

"The pity was great," says Anja Lippert, head of the department of urban history at the museums of the city of Aschaffenburg, when it was realized what an important painting of the city had been lost at the time.

In addition to the Isenheim Altarpiece, the "Stuppacher Madonna" is one of Grünewald's main works.

For Aschaffenburg, however, the painting was lost.

At least the original frame with Grünewald's signature remained.

Small consolation.

The motif fitted into the Nazi ideology

Because the loss hurt the people of Aschaffenburg, in the middle of the Second World War the National Socialist Mayor Wilhelm Wohlgemuth came up with the idea of ​​having a high-quality copy made for the wedding hall of Schloss Johannisburg.

The motif fitted into the Nazi ideology because motherhood was a high priority.

In 1943 he commissioned Christian Schad, who was known as a brilliant draftsman and "old master" painter.

Schad was already working in Aschaffenburg in 1942 when he was commissioned by Baron Gorup von Besánez to portray his wife Ruth – and subsequently other Aschaffenburg citizens.

In March 1943, Schad's Berlin studio was severely damaged in air raids, but the paintings were saved.

Schad had to try harder to get orders after he lost his well-paid position in 1942, arranged by his father as managing director of a Berlin brewery that had to close during the war.

For Schad, the mayor's proposal came at just the right time.

In April 1943 he signed the contract.

He was to receive an impressive 12,000 Reichsmarks for making the copy of the “Stuppacher Madonna”, payable in monthly installments of 700 Reichsmarks.