Description of the attraction
The Abbey of St. Georgenberg Ficht is a monastery of the Benedictine order, founded in 1138. The abbey is the oldest surviving in Tyrol.
The first mention of the abbey dates back to the middle of the 10th century, when the blessed Ratold built a small shelter on the Georgenberg rock near Stans. After a while, other hermits joined Ratold, and the chapel of the Virgin Mary was built on the rock. Ratold was canonized after his death, and the community continued to develop. Bishop Brixen made an impressive donation, providing "funds for the existence of the holy place." Emperor Henry IV in 1097 also took part in the financing of the future abbey. The religious community of St. Georgenberg was converted into a Benedictine monastery on April 30, 1138.
By the early 11th century, the parish had become a place of pilgrimage for many people. Soon the church could no longer accommodate all those who came to prayer. In July 1284, a terrible and destructive fire broke out in the church. The restoration was carried out by Bishop Bruno Brixen. After the first fire, the monastery suffered other troubles: the bubonic plague in 1348, the second fire in 1448, the destruction of the High Bridge in 1470. By 1520, the situation finally worsened: the flow of pilgrims completely dried up for almost a century.
After the fourth catastrophic fire on October 31, 1705, the monastery was moved to a new location in Ficht. Due to lack of funds, new monastery buildings and a church were built gradually (until 1781). Finances also dictated the style of construction - the modesty of Baroque architecture.
In 1806, the monastery in Tyrol passed into the possession of Bavaria, but in 1816 it again became part of Austria. In 1868, a serious fire struck the abbey again, causing great damage to the monastery's collection of graphics, but sparing most of the library.
From 1941 to 1945 the monastery was confiscated by the German army, the monks were expelled and could return only after the end of the Second World War.
Currently, the Abbey of St. Georgenberg-Ficht is a functioning monastery that receives pilgrims annually from May to October.
