Pfarrkirche Mariä Himmelfahrt Feldkirchen

Feldkirchen in Kärnten / Maltschacher See, Carinthia

First documented mention in 1285. The parish church's epithet is "Maria im Dorn" (Mary in the Thorn Bush). According to legend, an ox lay down in front of a thorn bush where an image of Mary hung. After the image of Mary had been carried to the Michaeli Church several times, but returned to the thorn bush each night, the priest had a chapel built at this spot, the predecessor of today's parish church. A Neo-Gothic wayside shrine in the church square commemorates this legend. Church courtyard with Romanesque charnel house, surrounded by a defensive wall with a round defensive tower. Church: Gothic pointed arch portal, resting on two Romanesque bud capitals. A Biedermeier staircase leads to the church tower (Baroque onion dome). Church interior: Three-aisled (net-rib, star-rib, and groin vaults), Romanesque nave. Chancel tower – the oldest part of the church's construction. 13th-century frescoes with a lamb, Christ as Judge of the World, heads of prophets and apostles, evangelist symbols, and angel figures. In 1986, the west hall was added – the main altar was moved to the west (the Marian altar from a side chapel becomes the main altar, with a sculpture of Martin with the goose, originating from the old, stolen winged altar). Since 1991, the Martin-Pflüger organ has been in place of the recumbent triumphal arch wall. The Gothic tin bottle was found in the rubble of the tower room behind it. Keystone in the Gothic ceiling vault – coat of arms of the Diocese of Bamberg (lion with ribbon). In the right tower pillar, a marble torso of a Roman Hercules. In the Gothic fresco (Procession of the Three Kings). Above it, an uncovered Passion fresco by Master Friedrich von Villach. In the apse of the northern side aisle, remnants of a Gothic winged altar from the filial church of Tschahtisch. Front side – resurrected Christ, back side – Veil of Veronica. Gothic tombstone of the Bamberg official Christoph Scheit and his wife, Gothic stonemason's marks, and a Gothic crucifix. The Old Town Path leads through Schulhausgasse (where there was an elementary school with two classes, 1st class 100 students, 3rd class 20 students, as most had to work in the household after one school year), past elementary schools 1 and 2 (built by master builder Missoni in Art Nouveau style), the Feldkirchener Sparkasse (floral motifs and symbolic beehive), to Bamberger-Platz and into Untere Kirchgasse with 2 commercial buildings from the "Gründerzeit" (founding era).