The Church of St. Andreas was constructed between 1622 and 1629 in the South German baroque style. It was originally a Jesuit church and also served as the court church for the Counts palatine of Neuburg. After the dissolution of the Jesuit order in August 1773 it served as a parish church until 2005 when it became the monastery church of the Dominican Order. The building itself is now owned by the city of Düsseldorf.
The church is furnished with stucco by Johannes Kuhn from Strassburg and life-size sculptures of the apostles and of saints of the Society of Jesus.
In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the church was an important center of musical culture in Düsseldorf. The composer Johann Hugo von Wilderer served as its organist. The mausoleum, designed by Venetian architect Simone del Sarto, contains the tombs of several Electors Palatine, including that of Johann Wilhelm. The high altar of the church was destroyed during World War II. The new altar, designed by Ewald Mataré was built in 1960. Paintings by Ernst Deger can be found in the church's two side altars which are dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
References:The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. The name means 'castle of the counts' in Dutch. Arnulf I (918–965), Count of Flanders, was the first to fortify this place, building a medieval bastion on this high sand dune, naturally protected by the river Leie and its marshy banks. This bastion consisted of a central wooden building and several surrounding buildings, also in wood.
In the early 11th century, the wooden building was replaced by a stone residence, consisting of three large halls that made up three storeys, connected by a stone stairwell. The monumental stone staircase, the light openings, the fireplaces built into the walls and the latrines were signs of considerable luxury and comfort in those days. There was probably also a tower.