UNESCO World Heritage Site Wieskirche

The Wieskirche, which is located in the foothills of the Alps near Steingaden is known as one of the most impressive rococo churches in the world.

In the Wies Church rococo art reached a unique perfection. This masterpiece, created by the brothers Dominikus and Johann Baptist Zimmermann of Wessobrunn, was given international recognition in 1983 when it was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. In spite of the lightness and grace typical of rococo style, the Wies Church has a deep meditative quality coming from the important theological themes which are treated there. Spiritual center of the church is the Scourged Saviour, Jesus Christ, God's Son, who, giving his life for all humankind, offers himself as a sacrifice to God the Father. Out of this sacrifice is born redemption, blessing and the glory of heaven. Every pilgrim and visitor of the Wies Church is rewarded by the magnificence and harmony of the wonderful song Zimmermann called forth in building the Wies Church. When the visitor, in encountering the resounding four-tone chord of art, theology, light and music, experiences the total beauty of the Wies, he can experience what the builder of the church, Abbot Marianus II Mayer, expressed: "Hoc loco habitat fortuna, hic quiescit cor." (In this place abideth happiness, here the heart findeth peace)

Its history began with a miracle. In 1738 tears were seen on a dilapidated wooden figure of the Scourged Saviour. This miracle resulted in a pilgrimage rush. In 1740 a small chapel was built to house the statue, but soon it became clear that it was too small for the number of pilgrims it attracted. Thus the Steingaden monastery decided to build a separate shrine near the original chapel. The construction took place between 1745 and 1754. Today, about 1 million people visit the famous pilgrimage church, which is also part of the Romantic Road, every year. Since the pilgrimage has remained alive up to the present, there are lots of request and thanks papers on the side corridors. Young and old people leave their papers with prayers and thanks in the church. Every Wednesday there is a general Pilgrim day with meditation, pilgrim mass, guided tour of the church, musical meditation etc.

A special experience is also to attend one of the concerts in the church.

“Festlicher Sommer in der Wies” and “”Musik im Pfaffenwinkel”: The combination of musical performance and sacral architecture is the distinctive feature of this extraordinary event. Every year from June to August the compositions of world-renowned and immortal musicians are presented.

“Abendkonzerte in der Wieskirche”: The organist of the Wies church, Anton Guggemos, leads these concerts which take place on Saturday evenings from May to October.

In the surroundings of the Wieskirche there are several other places worth visiting: The Guelph cathedral in Steingaden (originally Romanesque minster with a wonderful cloister) and the former monastery collegiate church in Rottenbuch together with Altenstadt and its Romanesque basilica are but a few of the sacred edifices well worth visiting. The Wessobrunn Prayer, written in Old High German around the year 814, is the oldest preserved text, marking, so to speak, the beginning of German literature. Another destination is the historical town of Schongau, an important trade place in the Middle Ages with a completely preserved city wall.

Within short driving distance there are the very famous King Ludwig’s castles: Neuschwanstein which is called the “fairy-tale castle”, Hohenschwangau next to Neuschwanstein and Linderhof near Oberammergau.

For further information, please contact:
Tourismusverband Pfaffenwinkel, Bauerngasse 5, D-86956 Schongau, Phone: +49 (0) 88 61 / 77 73, Fax: +49 (0) 88 61 / 200 678
, www.pfaffen-winkel.de

Tourismusverband Pfaffenwinkel ∙ Bauerngasse 5 ∙ 86956 Schongau ∙ Postfach 1247 ∙ 86952 Schongau

Telefon 08861/7773 ∙ Fax 08861/200678 ∙ ∙ www.pfaffen-winkel.de
Verantwortlich für den Pressendienst: Susanne Lengger, Geschäftsführerin ∙