Niederaltaich Abbey

At the beginning of the 10th century, the monastery was still destroyed several times by invasions of Hungarians and Czechs, which is why nothing can be seen of the very original buildings. Moreover, the monastery complex and basilica were baroqueized during the reign of Abbot Joscio Hamberger (1700 – 1739), as can still be seen today. The celebration of the Byzantine rite is held in a chapel established in 1955 and in 1986 the former brewery of the monastery was transformed into a large and small Byzantine church. The remaining baroque parts of the building had already been connected in 1953/54 with a wing, which was later renovated again and today houses the St. Pirmin conference center and guesthouse.

The masonry of the church clearly indicates that it was formerly built as an early Gothic and hall-shaped pilgrimage church. The construction was completed in 1207, but that of the nave only around 1306: the tympanum on the outside of the northern tower, which connects the church and the former cloister, is particularly spectacular. The tower buildings, begun in the Renaissance, are 72 meters high, and on the south side of the southern tower, a cosmic horoscope mounted on a memorial stone commemorates the beginning of construction.

In 1720 the interior of the church was baroqueized. This period was also marked by a fusion of the old and new architectural styles. A semicircle for the sacristy was added behind the high altar by the great master builder of the Baroque Johann Michael Fischer, as well as an «upper church» above it for the monks. When visitors enter the church, the first thing that catches their eye is the painting Landhut, centrally located above the high altar, which was made by Franz Geiger in 1675 and depicts the church patron St. Mauritius with his companions. Above the altar paintings are glass shrines containing relics that were decorated with shiny stones in the early days of the Roman catacombs and were transferred in the Baroque period. An opening above the altars and arches set off the frescoes of celestial figures in the upper church. Approximately in the center of the right aisle is a figure of Sant (Pieta), which can be dated to about 1480. The fresco above it is a rare representation of the Holy Mary. Like the more than 200 other frescoes, it was created by the Austrian artist Wolfgang Andreas Heindl.

After the monastery was refurbished in 1818 and the parish was revived, the venerable sanctuary received the distinction of «Basilica minor» from the Pope in 1932 to mark its newfound importance. This was followed by another complete restoration of the basilica in 1989.

FLORIAN HARTMANN