Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary / Black Madonna
In 1629, the Chapel of Grace from Altötting was rebuilt in Fürstenstein. The castle owner wanted to use this to save pilgrims the dangerous journey to Altötting during the Thirty Years' War. The pilgrimage chapel received the early baroque replica of the Black Madonna of Altötting, which still exists today, as a miraculous image. This is the oldest and most faithful copy of the Altötting miraculous image.
In a letter to the cathedral chapter in Passau from that time, the church was called "Our Lady's House of God and Castle Chapel in Neuenötting in the forest near Fürstenstein".
The Black Madonna even made it to Rome during the church renovations in 1956/57, as far as Pope Pius XII, who housed and blessed her for a few days in his private rooms. To this day, numerous pilgrims still come every year to venerate the miraculous image and ask for help and support. This is also evidenced by the many votive tablets
in St. Mary's Church on Fürstensteiner Berg.
Dates for historical church tours by arrangement:
Tourist information for the municipality of Fürstenstein
Telephone: 08504 9155-17
Email: nicole.willmerdinger@fuerstenstein.de
Contribution to costs: €3.50 per person
Duration: approx. 90 minutes
Here is a short film about the parish and pilgrimage church: