Parish Church of Our Lady’s Birth

The Parish Church of Our Lady’s Birth is a Roman Catholic church located in the market town of Altenmarkt im Pongau in the State of Salzburg.The ensemble consists of several buildings, namely the Anna Chapel, the Lourdes Chapel, the Market Chapel, the Tannenkapelle, the Dechanthof, and the Dechanthofstadel.

The oldest church in Altenmarkt is believed to be located beneath the current church and is thought to have been constructed during the latter half of the 9th century.In 1074, Archbishop Gebhard made a generous donation of goods to the parish of Rastat, which is now known as Altenmarkt. This donation was intended to provide the necessary resources for the Admont monastery, which he had established.The name of this place is likely derived from a rest stop along the Tauernstraße.The pastor Reicher von Etling’s presence can be traced in this location from 1369 to 1399.He is actively involved at the court of Archbishop Pilgrim II, serving as a chaplain initially and later taking on the role of a steward. His name is specifically mentioned in the songs of the “Monk of Salzburg.”He acquired several letters of indulgence, indicating a significant increase in building activity under his leadership starting from 1393.

Since 1398, the income generated by the parish of Altenmarkt has been allocated to Archbishop Gregor Schenk von Osterwitz’s table.The parish is currently led by secular priests. However, from 1623 to 1628, there were Benedictines who served as priests in the parish.The church likely suffered damage during the Peasants’ War in 1526, and subsequently underwent significant alterations through repeated additions and conversions.

Since 1753, Altenmarkt has been a deanery consisting of ten parishes. These parishes include St. Martin and Wagrain (added in 1857), Flachau and Filzmoos (added in 1858), Radstadt (added in 1859), Kleinarl, Hüttau, Untertauern, and Forstau (added in 1891), and Eben (added in 1954). Currently, Altenmarkt is home to a total of 14 churches.

The church underwent a comprehensive restoration in the neo-Gothic style from 1867 to 1875.During the final interior restoration from 1988 to 1990, the paintings in the vaults were able to be renewed.The entire exterior underwent renovation in 1985/1986.

The church building is rectangular in shape, measuring 42 meters in length and 22 meters in width. It is adorned on the outside with buttresses, except for the south-eastern area where they are absent.The presbytery is designed with a shallow 3/8 closure, and there is a small side apse located beside it.The Gothic tower built by Matthias Pichler in 1764 was later replaced by the current onion tower.

The interior of the building has seven bays, meaning that each yoke of the central nave corresponds to one of the side naves.All yokes are cross-rib vaulted.The architecture of the room is distinguished by the unusually low choir arch, located between the fourth and fifth bay.It is believed that the Romanesque predecessor only consisted of the masonry in the central nave up to this point. The remaining three bays and the chancel were added during the final decade of the 14th century.In the 16th century, both aisles were still two bays shorter. On the north side, there was a chapel consecrated in 1502 to honor St. Andreas, Wolfgang, and Ursula. In the southern aisle, there were the Josefskapelle and the sacristy.The current length of these was extended in 1638.The entrance to the small crypt, situated beneath the southern side aisle and below the current sacristy, was sealed off and required to be filled.The decorative paintings in the church’s vault also date back to this period.

The church was furnished with a baroque interior in 1762 under the leadership of Dean Sebastian Vorderegger.During that period, there were two large wooden galleries that extended into the central nave.Dean Thomas Furthner removed this in 1867-1875, along with the majority of the baroque furnishings.He opened the three front bays of the aisles towards the nave, making them equal in length to the nave.The structure was adorned with a neo-Gothic ribbed vault and featured windows with tracery.The redesign also includes the gallery, paving, pews, and pulpit.

The main highlight of the church is the collection of brightly colored windows, which were painted by Josef Widmoser from Innsbruck in 1954.The central window depicts two angels at the top, holding the Marian symbols of a lily and a crown. Below them, there are scenes of the Nativity, the Annunciation, and the Lamentation of Christ.The window on the left depicts themes from the life of St. Elizabeth of Thuringia, while the window on the right is dedicated to Rupert, the patron of the diocese.

In 1972, the high altar underwent a redesign, which was based on a design by Clemens Holzmeister.Adjacent to the baroque cross crafted by Sebastian Eberl, you will find two assistant figures named Johannes and Maria. These figures are believed to have been created by the renowned Tyrolean sculptor Josef Martin Lengauer around 1760.The tabernacle was made by H. Baudisch.

The marble communion lattice originates from the baroque remodeling that took place in 1762. The sculptures of St. Sebastian, St. Catherine, and St. Barbara were created by Sebastian Eberl.The leaf from the former Joseph altar is located in the vicarage, along with the portrait of Archbishop Sigismund III.Christoph von Schrattenbach is credited to his valet, Benedikt Werkstätter.

The two side altars, namely the Mother of God altar on the left and the Joseph altar on the right, were created in 1902 by Johann Piger in collaboration with cabinetmaker Johann Ripper.Adjacent to the statues of St. Dominic and Catherine of Siena, on the altar’s left side, you will find a replica of the Altenmarkter Grace Madonna.The statues on the right side altar depict St. Joseph, accompanied by Mary’s parents, Anna and Joachim.

The Altenmarkter Madonna is widely recognized as a prominent example of the Beautiful Madonnas.The Gothic sculpture, standing at a height of 88 cm, was skillfully carved from Planer limestone by an artist from Bohemia whose identity remains unknown.On August 14, 1393, the papal nuncio Ubaldinus da Torres issued a letter of indulgence in Prague at Vyšehrad. The letter stated that anyone who prays before the statue will be granted an indulgence.She had been standing behind the choir head of the church as the Madonna in front of the fir tree for a long time. However, in 1638, she was moved to her own altar within the church.

The second sculpture that gained fame around 1400 is known as the Vesperbild.This Pietà, crafted from artificial stone, is an exceptional representation of a three-handed Pieta. In this sculpture, one of Mary’s hands gently rests on the crossed hands of the deceased Savior, while the other hand supports his head beneath his neck. It is considered to be a significant piece in this style.

The confessionals were redesigned in 1976 based on plans created by Clemens Holzmeister.The pulpit, which was created in 1872, was made by Johann Ripper, a skilled carpenter from Salzburg. The design for the pulpit was originally conceived by Josef Wessicken.The Way of the Cross was created in 1873 by Matthäus Schiestl d. Ä., a skilled sculptor from Zillertal.