Image: AG City History
With the merger of Rohrbach and Berg on May 1, 2015, the City History Initiative also took on the cultural heritage of the historic municipality of Berg. The people of Rohrbach who were interested in history also took the Maria Trost pilgrimage church, which can be seen from afar and towers over the town, under their wing. On this year’s Memorial Day, which is held throughout Austria on September 24th, the Rohrbach-Berg town history team will focus on the history and art-historical treasure of the Berger church. Built several centuries ago on the walls of the “Perg” castle, this is known to many as a pilgrimage church, and yet many things are hidden, which will be brought into focus on this day.
It is believed that there was a cult center at this point as early as the time of the Celts. Built in the Middle Ages on the hilltop, the castle was plundered and destroyed by peasants in 1626 during the Peasants’ War. In gratitude that Berg had been spared by the Swedes in 1645, Count Theodorich von Rödern fulfilled his vow and in the years that followed had a church built, presumably on the site of the castle chapel of the ruined castle. The church was built in 1650. An engraving by Georg Matthäus Vischer from 1667 shows that the mountain was treeless and the church had two towers. It was surrounded by a wall and defensive towers, some of which still exist today.
The pilgrimage church got its current appearance with a small turret above the presbytery in 1765. During this major renovation, a large part of today’s baroque interior was created. The last renovation for the time being was carried out in 1997.
Tour to small monuments
In addition to a guided tour of the church, a tour of the mountain is also offered. While most people know the popular baptismal and wedding church, many other “art treasures” are hidden in the Bergerwald.
The Rohrbach-Berg town history team therefore offers a tour of the small monuments Maria-Hilf-Kapelle, Maria-Schnee-Kapelle, the Holy Sepulchre, the Plague Column, the “Schickanus” and the Devil’s Chapel. There is a lot of interesting history behind it, as can be seen in the example of the Maria Hilf Chapel. The four continents known at the time are depicted in the ceiling painting; Australia is missing because it had not yet been discovered at the time. The tour is rounded off by “organ impressions” by Josef Kaineder (2 p.m.).
In the grip of the plague
The plague column from 1670, very close to the panoramic viewpoint, brings back memories of times long past. War, hardship and diseases such as the plague brought misery and terror to the population for centuries – also in Rohrbach-Berg.
With the pilgrimage church of Maria Trost, the beneficiaries’ house, the adjacent sacristan’s house, the Holy Sepulchre, the Schickanus wayside shrine and the Maria Schnee and Maria Hilf chapels, there are monuments of such art-historical value on the mountain that they are therefore also under stand under monument protection.
On Memorial Day, September 24, 2 p.m.: guided tour and organ impressions. 3 p.m.: Tour. Voluntary donations to the sanctuary welcome.
Source: Nachrichten
