Church of the Purification of Mary, Waidhofen

Surrounded by fertile fields and meadows, the charming parish village of Waidhofen lies in the broad, scenic Paartal valley between the Lenbach town of Schrobenhausen and the market town of Hohenwart. As early as the 12th century, there is evidence of a local nobility, likely subordinate to the Count Palatine of Wittelsbach. This nobility is first identified around 1190 in the person of a certain Markwart de Waidhouen, who, together with his sister, donated property to the Benedictine monastery of Scheyern. Around this time, a Grimold de Waidhouen also appears as a witness to a donation to the aforementioned monastery.The place name speaks of farming, pastures, and farms. The owners of the Waidhofen manor, which was united with the neighboring Schenkenau manor in 1430, were protectors of the church, secular court lords, administrative authorities, and auditors. Ownership changed frequently in the following period.It was Pastor Stephan Wallner who, in a brief description of the parish village, wrote, among other things, the following statement: "The parish was founded in 1326, and the local early mass benefice in 1488. Parish records only begin in 1372." Wallner must have consulted documentary records that are missing today.The establishment of a separate parish in Waidhofen therefore likely dates back to the 14th century. A certain "Herr Chounrad" is first recorded as the church lord and pastor of Waidhofen between 1372 and 1395. Paargau historian Georg August Reischl reports, without citing sources, about "the old church of Our Lady, built in the 13th century," which was repaired in 1418. In 1484, the writing of "the Sal- und Stift-Pueche to Our Lady" is documented.(taken from the Augsburg diocese website)

Waidhofen with a great beer garden right next to the church in Gasthaus Bogenrieder!

Beautiful church, visible from far away in the Paartal.