Maria Laeng Kapelle (Maria Lang Chapel), Regensburg

The Maria Lang Chapel is a Catholic prayer room that has attracted visitors since its construction in the late 17th century. This baroque hall building, featuring groined vaulting, was built in 1675 by Albert Ernst von Wartenberg, a Regensburg canon and later auxiliary bishop. The chapel is situated on the ground floor of a former canon's court, near the southern cathedral square.

The name "Läng" in the chapel's title has a peculiar significance. It stems from an old cultic-religious belief associated with determining the exact length of the figure of Mary. According to the belief, knowledge of Mary's true length would bestow blessings, salvation powers, or the fulfillment of wishes upon the faithful. This unique aspect of the chapel's name reflects the cultural and religious ideas prevalent at the time of its construction.

The chapel houses a life-size figure of the Virgin Mary, representing Saint Mary in her true length. This figure, dating back to 1798, depicts the Mother of God adorned in a damask dress, a long veil, and a crown with a scepter. Positioned in the central niche of the altar, the figure is flanked by two pairs of columns. Additionally, two wooden figures of the apostles Peter and Paul, crafted around 1520, stand on either side of the altar, each displaying its own distinct facial expression.

The interior of the Maria Lang Chapel features a small, narrow hall with a three-part groin vault. The vault's acanthus paintings date back to the chapel's construction in 1675. The chapel room is accessible through two round-arched windows located on the east side, facing Pfauengasse. It is connected to a room on the first floor of the building via an oratory window in the north wall.