Pilgrimage Church of St. John Nepomuk - Johannisberg Church
The pilgrimage to St. John Nepomuk at the Forst began when Pastor Florian Sigismund v. Miller from Oberviechtach built a small field chapel with a picture of John Nepomuk on the busy road from Regensburg to Bohemia in 1704. The chapel must have been very small. The pilgrimage was obviously very popular with the local population and passing traders, who donated generously to the small chapel, so that the desire to build a large pilgrimage church was soon expressed.
Construction began in 1732: the farmers brought the necessary wood, stones and other materials. The church was built and fully furnished in just two years. Construction management was in the hands of unknown Electoral master masons from Amberg. Otherwise, the church as a whole is the creation of local craftsmen and artists.
Spacious central building with a three-eighth choir, vaulted. The sacristy is attached to the north, with an upper floor as an oratory; they were only built in 1764/65. Nave has a flat roof with a cove. Gable turret.
The stately high altar is dedicated to St. John Nepomuk. The altarpiece with the image of the church's patron saint by Matthias Pösl is flanked by two columns each; between the columns are the life-size figures of John the Baptist (left) and John the Evangelist (right). Above the altarpiece is a painting depicting God the Father, surrounded by numerous angel figures.
The side altars are less elaborately designed: the left one is dedicated to the Queen of Heaven, the right one to St. Wendelin, the patron saint of cattle. The pulpit is erected on the left side of the nave, decorated with foliage and ribbon work and evangelist shields.
Opposite is a high-quality, life-size wooden figure of St. John Nepomuk. The two late Gothic wooden relief figures of St. Barbara and St. Catherine are noteworthy. They appear very slim and delicate and were probably made around 1500. Where they came from and how they got to Johannesberg cannot be determined.
An extensive renovation took place from 1972 to 1974.
Source: Excerpts from pfarrei-oberviechtach.de/johannisberg/