Three brothers of the Suter family donated the family chapel, which was consecrated in 1538: however, little is known about the foundation and the history of its origins - today, the chapel contains a lavishly decorated skeleton of a catacomb saint.
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Stained Glass Windows
Only the window, which formerly indicated a year (presumably 1523), and the documented consecration of 1538 provide insight into the origin story of this chapel, about whose donor little is known.
Three brothers from the Suter family are shown praying in front of three patron saints of the family. The hilly meadow landscape in the background running through three of the stained glass windows, the deep blue sky and the colourful Renaissance ornamentation with decorative branches in the form of arches suggest that the stained glass windows are based on designs by Hans Baldung Grien.
The large key marks St Peter. The blue coat of arms with the golden cross with a double bar in the bottom corner is the Suter family coat of arms. Even though the stained glass windows only show three of the brothers, the chapel was dedicated to the entire family. This is also shown by the fact that in 1519, two brothers, Theobald and Peter Suter, donated an annual service for themselves and their siblings – a common practice in the Middle Ages and early modern period to commemorate the deceased.
The apostle Paul is portrayed with his attribute, the sword. His open arms show the saint in an embracing gesture, even though his gaze – like that of the Suter brothers – is directed to the right. The red coat of arms in the bottom corner is the coat of arms of the Schrag family: the mother of the Suter siblings. It shows three golden stars on a silver bar with lime leaves on a red shield.
The Madonna and Child on the crescent moon, also known as the apocalyptic woman, refers to a vision from the story of St John: due to this connection between the depiction of the Madonna and Child on the crescent moon and St John the Evangelist, it is also assumed that the three brothers in the windows are named after the three saints depicted: St Paul, St Peter and St John. On a radiant gold background, the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child is revealed to the donors in the windows, turned to the left and thus looking towards the two apostles and three brothers.
The Coats of Arms of the Suter Chapel
The unique chapel grille
Compared to the other choir chapels, the chapel grilles of the Suter Chapel are the only chapel grilles made of round iron. Two coats of arms can be seen on the entrance gate. The Suter family is represented by their blue coat of arms with a golden cross and double bar. The coat of arms on the mother's side can also be seen next to it: The connection between the Gewischter family and their mother's house is also evident on the entrance gate of the chapel, as in the windows.
The imaginative stone plinths
The plinths were created in 1568 and show ornate grotesques – forms and creatures modelled on the decorative paintings of antiquity. The left-hand plinth shows a putto in the centre surrounded by tendrils and flowers. The coats of arms on it are those of the master constable Jodokus Hauser, with three horse heads, and that of his wife Anna, née Sutor (Suter).
The right-hand plinth feature an impressive depiction of two unicorns, which merge into the ornate tendrils. In the Middle Ages, the unicorn was a symbol that was also associated with Christ due to its unique status among animals. Between the heads of the two mythical creatures, the date of origin of the plinth stones is carved in relief. The coat of arms with the three cherries refers to Apollinar Kirser and his wife from the Welsinger family.
The bosses
The depiction of a seated bishop cannot be clearly resolved iconographically: Based on an inscription under the stained glass windows of the Suter Chapel, which was destroyed in the Second World War, the bishop can be interpreted as the patron saint Theobald of Thann. The pilgrimage to the bishop's remains in the Alsatian town of Thann (approx. 20 kilometres from Mulhouse) was extremely popular in the Middle Ages. Over time, the canonised Bishop Ubald of Gubbio received his byname Theobald of Thann, after the church of Theobald there, where his relics were kept.
The Altarpiece
The altarpiece houses the relic of St Alexander ornately draped in valuable materials. Besides Alexander, who was declared the patron saint of Freiburg more recently, the middle of the altarpiece shows St Lambert, who has been a patron saint of the city for longer.
From the Catacombs of Rome to Freiburg: St Alexander
Transferred from the Priscilla Catacombs in Rome to Freiburg in 1650, the relic was originally placed in the Minster’s St Anne Chapel, what is today the Sacrament Chapel. Around 1752, the present reliquary with gemstones in gold embroidery was created, presented in an intricately carved Rococo shrine. In 1881, the glazed shrine was placed in a Neo-Gothic altarpiece, which was not moved into this chapel until 1990 along with the relic.
Aloysius Gonzaga
St. Aloysius is depicted with a book and dressed in the vestments of the Jesuits. He is the patron saint of students.
Anthony of Padua
St Anthony of Padua is depicted in Franciscan robes. The infant Jesus can be seen on his arm, while the saint is also holding a lily.
Theresa of Avila
Theresa of Avila is depicted as a Carmelite nun with an open book and two feathered arrows.
Charles Borromeo
Charles Borromeo, Cardinal and Archbishop of Milan, can be seen in the Cardinal vestments. This characterises him as the patron saint of aspiring priests.
Plague victim
A plague victim kneels at the feet of St Charles Borromeo as a sign of the saint's self-sacrificing commitment to the sick.
Memoria: Graves and epitaph
Appolinar Kirser, the donor of an earlier altar from the 16th century, is represented by an epitaph in the chapel. The wall epitaph, made of grey sandstone and marble, contains a large inscription panel framed by angels and magnificent Renaissance architecture. The suffering Mary with her deceased son, depicted in a medallion and known as the Pieta, is a popular depiction that symbolises death in a Christian context. The epitaph is rounded off with a large, decorative coat of arms from Kirser.
While the tomb slabs from the southern part of the choir were removed, this process was abandoned before it reached the tomb slabs from the northern part of the choir, which is why they can still be found in front of the chapels today.
The tomb slab of Anna Sutor, the wife of the master constable Jodokus Hauser. The coat of arms of the deceased, who died in 1587, can be seen together with her husband's coat of arms on the left-hand stone plinth of the chapel.
The best preserved tomb slab in the Sutor Chapel area is that of Maria Welsinger. The wife of Appolinar Kirser died in 1565 and was buried near the high altar before the high choir wall was erected.
Lothar von Kübel
The statue of auxiliary Bishop Lothar von Kübel († 1881, interred in the north aisle) made by the sculptor Joseph Franz Baumeister, based in Karlsruhe, Germany, was moved into the chapel in 1936.