About 250 meters has a visitor of the “Votivkirche“ to walk, when he passes all the artworks of the exhibition “Leiblichkeit und Sexualität”. Contemporary art placed in niches and chapels guide him through the church and lead him at the end to new thoughts, meanings, impressions, or enable at least to a short fled from the daily routine.

Walking is a specific aspect in the Christendom. Already the missionaries walked around the world to spread the message of Christ. This very day it is common to do processions for different events like Easter or the feast of Corpus Christi. Especially in the last years the pilgrimage became pretty popular again, not just for deeply religious people.

The pilgrimage had also a special meaning for the Habsburg Empire. This can be seen in the ambulatory chapels of the “Votivkirche”. 16 wall paintings are dedicated to the most famous pilgrimage places in the empire. (cf. Telesko 2008, S.102.) This includes among other things Alt- Bunzlau in Bohemia with the palladium of Bohamia in the second chapel (today Staré Boleslav in Poland), Mariaschnee in Carinthia in the third chapel and Maria zur Linde in Tirol in the sixth chapel. The job to picture the walls was given to Joseph Matthias Trenkwald (*1824 Prague † 1897 Lower Austria) in the late 19th century. He has been professor of historical painting at the academy of Vienna from 1872 to 1895. In 1895 he was raised to the peerage and became a member of the K&K central commission for art and historical monuments. (cf. Vierhaus 2008, S. 94.) Beside the frescos, Trenkwald was also responsible for the cartons of the windows in the ambulatory chapels. They showed scenes of the life of Saint Mary which were unfortunately destroyed in 1945.

The pilgrimage places in the “Votivkirche” arouse interest in the history of pilgrimage. The beginnings can be found in the first centuries Anno Domini. Helena, mother of Emperor Konstantin, did a pilgrimage in 327. In the fifth century church father Jerome, whose image can be seen at the pulpit of the “Votivkirche”, had the opinion, that visiting the holy places facilitate the understanding of the Bible. During the 12th century the improvement of streets and bridges made it easier to go on a pilgrimage. The motifs for visiting specific sacred places (most of the time shrines, relics places or places with legends of the saints) were different. They ranged from the hope of healing from emotional and physical suffering to the pray for redemption of the sins or the escape from one’s owns life. So-called “indulgence” became a popular reason for pilgrimage in the 14th century. Boniface VIII legislated a bull in 1300 which enabled a remission of sins. The believer had to come 15 respectively 30 times to the Basilica Peter and Paul after their confession. (cf. Herber 2006, S. 34f.)

The Marian pilgrimage places, on which the focus is laid at the “Votivkirche”, hat its height during the 16th and 17th century. The most important sacrifice place in Austria especially for the Habsburg Empire is Mariazell in Styria. It is pictured in the fourth ambulatory chapel. According to legend in 1157 monk Magnus from St. Lambrecht was sent to the area of Mariazell as a pastor for the shepherds. Close to his destination, suddenly a towering rock has blocked his path. He prayed to Saint Mary and asked for help. Suddenly the rock split and he could pass. As thanks, he put a statue of Saint Mary, carved by himself, on a tree stalk and build a chapel around it. (cf. Lukan;Lukan 2012, S. 121.)

The fresco by Trenkwald shows the monk as pastor who is surrounded by the shepherds. Typical for the painter, who is often called “last Nazarene” (cf. Kralik 1933, S.481.) he prefers the clarity of form instead of the intensity of color. He formed a connection between nature and people. Same as in the festival room of the academic gymnasium in Vienna he put ribbons under the scenes with the description of pictured topic.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said: “Nur wo du zu Fuß warst bist du auch wirklich gewesen.“ ("Only where you were on foot you have also been real.") A walk to a certain place, to a church or an exhibition can raise spiritually or secular experiences. Someone can escape from the bustle of the daily routine, find to himself or just reflects the recently seen.

Literature:

Herber, Klaus: Jakobsweg. Geschichte einer Pilgerfahrt. München: Beck 2006.

Lukan, Karl; Lukan, Fritzi: Via Sacra. Der alte Pilgerweg nach Mariazell. Mythos und Kult. Berndorf: Kral 2012.

Kralik, Richard: Geschichte der Stadt Wien und ihre Kultur. Wien: Holzhausen 1933.

Telesko, Werner: Kulturraum Österreich. Die Identität der Regionen in der bildenden Kunst des 19. Jahrhunderts. Wien: Böhlau 2008.

Vierhaus, Rudolf (Hg.): Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopädie 10. München: K.G. Sauer Verlag 2008.