Friedhofskirche St. Leonhard zu Spital am Pyhrn

The prehistory of this church leads us into the secrets of ancient times. According to tradition, a pagan sacrificial site is said to have once stood on the rock that today forms the foundation for the front part of the nave and the presbytery of the upper church. At the beginning of the 15th century, the upper church was built in honor of the Mother of God Mary and Saint Leonhard. The consecration took place on September 27, 1439, by Bishop Friedrich von Aufseß. As a former canon, he had chosen Spital as his retirement home after his time as Bishop of Bamberg. He financed the purchase of the market town of Windischgarsten and promoted the expansion of the monastery. Friedrich von Aufseß died in 1440. His tombstone can be seen in the lower church room, to the left of the rock altar, since the restoration work of St. Leonhard Church (1973-75). The construction continued with the building of the lower church at the foot of the rock, on its west side. This part was consecrated on August 22, 1462, by the auxiliary bishop of Passau Sigismund (Bishop of Salona) in honor of the crucified Savior. The cross altar contains several precious statues, predominantly from the 18th century. The depictions of Christ, the Mother of God, John, and Mary Magdalene come from the sculptor Franz Xaver Leithner from Lambach. The 5 statues on the recreated Mount of Olives also come from the sculptor Leithner. The bell in the tower is as old as the foundation of the church; it was donated around 1440 by a canon from Spital. Two spiral staircases lead to the upper church, with the staircase on the south side having been built considerably earlier than the one on the north side of the church. The upper church has 3 altars. At the high altar, there is a painting by Kremser-Schmid from 1774, depicting Saint Leonhard. To the left and right in front of the painting, there is a statue of Saint Sebastian and Saint Rochus, respectively. The former high altar painting by Kremser-Schmid from 1774, hanging on the north wall, depicts the patron saint Leonhard. The eastern window, flanked by the plague saints Sebastian and Rochus, still has the original Gothic tracery, although the Gothic pointed arches are no longer present. The northern side altar is dedicated to Saint Barbara, the altar in the south shows a painting of Saint Catherine; again, both paintings are by Kremser-Schmid. The organ was built by the schoolmaster of Windischgarsten, later organ builder in Spital am Pyhrn, Valentin Hochleithner. It is said that a hermit, who may also have been a sacristan, lived next to the choir. The tower and roof truss were rebuilt in 1774. The overall appearance of the originally Gothic St. Leonhard Church is a mixture of four stylistic epochs. Gothic in the construction and in the remarkable frescoes, Renaissance in the pew ends, Baroque in the paintings by Kremser-Schmidt, and Rococo in the picture frames. But it is not only the rich artistry, the two-story church structure, but above all the tranquility that captivates everyone who has visited the house of God. St. Leonhard Church is also the cemetery church and is surrounded by it.