The Fatima Chapel Schardenberg, also called Granitene Marienburg, is a pilgrimage chapel in the Fronwald in the Upper Austrian community Schardenberg. It was built between 1949 and 1951 on the site of a predecessor building in the historicist style.
On Ascension Day in 1939, two deacons were ordained priest in the parish church of Schardenberg by Bishop Johannes Maria Gföllner. Last night, Nazi laborers tore down all church decorations and flags and carried them off to the Fronwald. On the afternoon of the holiday, the parishioners flocked in large numbers to the Maying procession. Shortly thereafter, a dry thunderstorm came, with a lightning struck the maypole at the marketplace and all Nazi symbols fell down; at the same time a lightning struck the Fronwald, where the torn church flags lay. The people saw it as a divine judgment. [1]
In 1945, a renewal took place and the image of the Mother of God moved into the center. Since the number of pilgrims had increased significantly and the old chapel soon proved to be too small, it was decided to build a new, larger chapel.
From 1949 to 1951, the current chapel was built according to the plans of the Linz architect Hans Foschum and consecrated in 1951. The statue of Our Lady comes from the same artist's hand as the original in Fátima, Portugal. On the 13th of the months of May to October the Fatimatage is celebrated and thousands of pilgrims come to the sanctuary in the Fronwald.