Maria Taferl
The Danube runs in the foothills of Taferlberg Mountain. In the east you can see up to the mountains before Vienna, in the west to Traunstein Mountain in the Salzkammergut area. In the north is the Waldviertel district. A fantastic panoramic view!Maria Taferl is located in Lower Austria, in the Nibelungengau district. The district’s name refers to the 2400-verse-long Nibelungen epic, which was written here in the Danube valley by an unknown author in 1203. Downstream the Nibelungengau district leads into the famous Wachau area. A privileged spot of the earth: the pilgrimage village of Maria Taferl.
Next to the church is a stone pedestal, a sacrificial stone. This stone was the centre of superstitious, heathen cults of the Celts. That is why the Christian population found the area eerie at first. To get rid of the old memories, a small wooden cross was put on the oak tree next to the stone. The cross was fixed to a plate, a so called “Taferl”. That’s where the village’s name stems from.
That’s what archeologists assume still today. More is known about the origin of today’s pilgrimage place in the 17th century: on January 14, 1633 the shepherd Thomas Pachmanm wanted to cut down the scrawny oak tree. His axe slipped and wounded both his legs. He then saw the cross and regretted his sacrilegious deep deeply. He got on his knees and asked for forgiveness. Suddenyl the blood stopped flowing from his wounds. Pachmann returned back home and soon was completely healed.
In 1641 or 1642 the judge of Kleinkrummnussbaum – the shepherd was from the same village – had a small statue of “Mary in Despair” placed in the oak when he heard these reports. As a result judge Alexander Schinagl, who was suffering from severe depression, was completely healed. First reports of miraculous apparitions date back to 1658. In the following years three more apparitions were reported. Altogether 26 apparitions are reported: strange pilgrims in white clothes were seen, alone or in groups, some on the earth some floating in the air. Miraculous healings went hand in hand with these apparitions. All of these incidents were examined by the church. 51 witnesses were interrogated under oath. Result: decision to build a large pilgrimage church.
In 1660 the first mass took place at this spot on March 19. On April 25 the laying of the cornerstone of the pilgrimage church took place. Building works lasted 60 years. The architects were Georg Gerstenbrand, imperial architect from Vienna, then Carlo Lurago and Jakob Prandtauer who completed the dome. The bishop of Passau, Josef Dominik Graf Lamberg, consecrated the church on April 29, 1724. The church’s high altar was finished only in 1738.
The pilgrimage place became increasingly popular. At some times, up to 25 priests where there to look after the believers. Even accidents and setbacks could stop the rush of pilgrims. After the two world wars of the 20th century, during which the Maria Taferl was severly damaged, a fresh impetus was given to pilgrimage. In 1947 the church was promoted to being a basilica minor under pope Pius XII.
The building of the church of Maria Taferl is also portrayed in a historic mechanic nativity scene. It was built in 1892 by a teacher from Purgstall and is under a preservation order. It is located in the centre of the small pilgrimage village.
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Panoramic view of the Danube and the foothills of the Alps.
