“Each wayside shrine reveals its own fate”

As the site of a monastery at the transition between the Danube plain and the southern foothills of the granite highlands, Baumgartenberg has an exceptionally rich treasure of cultural and natural monuments. Two years ago, Ambros Kastler and Hans Tremesberger began compiling information and photos about the numerous small, meadow and natural monuments that have shaped the cultural and natural landscape around the “Dom des Machland” for centuries.

“Our goal was to protect the history and stories surrounding the many small monuments in Baumgartenberg from being forgotten,” say the two authors. In addition to the archival work, discussions with older people from Baumgartenberg created the database for the current “Chapel Book”, in which 97 objects are described in detail with useful information and photos. With the book entitled “Silent Witnesses of Time”, Chancellor and Tremesberger want to present these treasures clearly, convey their cultural-historical significance and preserve the knowledge of these gems in a literary form for posterity.

The book is particularly exciting because it not only collects numbers and place names, but also tells about the lives of the people in our homeland: “Each wayside shrine reveals its very own human fate. We became aware of this again and again during our work. “

Amesbach to Untergassolding

Arranged alphabetically by town – from Amesbach to Untergassolding – Chancellor and Tremesberg chapels, marterls, wayside crosses, secular monuments and special natural phenomena in the community and parish are presented. Of these, 57 are of religious origin, 16 monuments have a profane background, nine are natural monuments, while 15 “lost monuments” only survive as fragments. Chancellor and Tremesberger agree that every single chapter was worth the work: “The majority of the monuments described in the book are logically found around the monastery. But we also came across very interesting places outside of it.”

“Silent Witnesses of Time” will see the light of day today, Wednesday, at a book presentation organized together with the cultural association and the Baumgartenberg Education Meeting Point, which will be musically provided by the music association. Following the presentation, the book will be offered for sale in the cozy setting of an agape. It starts at 7 p.m. in the Baumgartenberg parish church.