Maria Seelenberg (Eggenthal)

Maria Seelenberg

The pilgrimage chapel Maria Seelenberg is a church founded in 1645 on the Seelenberg near Eggenthal in Ostallgäu . The chapel is a listed building and is one of the landmarks of Eggenthal.

location

The chapel is located south of the village on a hill that was formerly a castle stables of the local lords of Eggenthal.

history

The church stands next to the plague cemetery , which was built in 1628 and is still used as a cemetery. According to the founding legend, children "under the guidance of the carpenter Fürschneider" built a modest Lady Chapel made of wood and stones in 1645, which fell into disrepair after 30 years. In 1683 a new stone building was built. A lively pilgrimage to the chapel began, which soon became too small. In 1697 the chapel was renewed and the rotunda that dominates today was added to the choir. The construction was completed in 1702 and was consecrated in 1704. In 1710 a monk's apartment was added to the nave, which served the Irsee monks as an apartment. There was a classroom underneath.

The last restoration took place in 1982/83, the outdoor area was redesigned in 2011.

Furnishing

The painting of the chapel was created in 1758 by the Eggenthal painter Franz Xaver Bernhard . The center of the double altar is the wooden figure of an enthroned Madonna and Child from the middle of the 15th century. The theme of the pilgrimage can be seen in the altar panel of the upper altar: Mary as Mother of God, Christ in the grave, including the poor souls in purgatory . A farmer in the field leaves his plow and takes part in the mass celebrated by a priest for the poor souls, while an angel continues his plow.

Christ's death on the cross and the resurrection are depicted in the dome.

From the village of Eggenthal to the chapel there is a way of the cross with three stations from the 18th century set up in niche buildings. The chapel and the Way of the Cross are registered architectural monuments, the plague cemetery north of the chapel is a ground monument registered in the Bavarian list of monuments.