The baroque pilgrimage church of the Assumption of Mary in Allersdorf is idyllically situated on the Frauenberg near Abensberg and is best reached via the Abensberg Panorama Trail.
Legends and sagas have always surrounded the place and give the picturesque setting a very special atmosphere. At the beginning of the 11th century, a son of Count Babo, the founder of Abensberg Castle, is said to have been childless for years. The Countess of Abensberg therefore vowed to build a church for the Virgin Mary so that his wish to have children would be fulfilled. According to legend, she shot an arrow from the castle in order to build the church where the arrow hit the ground. And so it happened, and the count and countess were blessed with seven children.
Even if you're not keen on the mysticism surrounding this place, a detour to the church is still recommended: Allersdorf was already a popular pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages and still bears traces of its eventful history today. The foundations of the Romanesque tower date back to the 13th century, while the upper floor of the tower was built in its present form around 1712. Jesuits once placed a light in the lantern-shaped dome with four stained-glass windows. Furthermore, the miraculous image dates back to the late Gothic period around 1510/1520. From 1598 to 1600, a new building was constructed, along with the addition of an additional transept in the Baroque style – making it one of the oldest Baroque churches in Bavaria.
After secularization, the pilgrimage priest's house was built in 1845 as a two-story hipped-roof building with segmented-arch windows in the Biedermeier style. Towards the end of the 19th century, parts of the ceiling paintings were painted over and the stucco was enhanced with color. This condition has largely been preserved. The priest's house was last renovated and modernized in 1968.
Pilgrimages to Allersdorf still occasionally take place, such as the supplication processions of the parishes of Abensberg and Siegenburg in May, the "month of Mary."