Gothic Parish Church – Mariasdorf (Máriafalva)
The Church of the Assumption in Mariasdorf (Máriafalva) is a significant Gothic monument of the Őrvidék (Burgenland) and a remarkable work of Hungarian historicism: its late 19th-century restoration was designed by Imre Steindl, architect of the Hungarian Parliament, and its furnishings are made of Zsolnay majolica from Pécs.
The village is first mentioned in 1388, when Sigismund of Luxembourg pledged it, together with the Bernstein (Borostyánkő) estate, to János Kanizsai, Archbishop of Esztergom. Research suggests that a smaller Romanesque building once stood on the site of the present church. The Gothic chancel was completed around 1400, the Late Gothic nave was built in the last quarter of the 15th century, and the sacrament house bears the date 1483.
In 1666 the interior was remodelled in Baroque style, and the marbled high altar was commissioned by Kristóf Batthyány. In January 1849 a fire destroyed the tower, the bells and much of the roof. In 1876 Flóris Rómer found the building in poor condition and recommended a complete restoration.
On the initiative of parish priest Alajos Baumgartner, Minister of Religion and Education Ágoston Trefort commissioned Imre Steindl to draw up plans in 1878, and work began in 1882. Steindl removed the Baroque chancel vault and altars; the chancel received a net vault and the west front a rose window. The Zsolnay majolica high altar was completed in 1884, and the pulpit and baptismal font are also of Pécs majolica. The south windows were made by Miksa Róth to Steindl's designs and depict, among others, St Stephen, St Emeric and St Gerard. The church was reconsecrated on 27 October 1888.
The interior was painted in 1899 by the Budapest painter János Glaser. The Latin inscription on the west portal summarises the church's history from the start of construction before 1400 to its completion in 1899. The majolica furnishings were restored between 2008 and 2010 by Klára Csáki, a restorer from Pécs; the original wrought-iron door of the sacrament house is on display in the Diocesan Museum in Eisenstadt.
Visiting: the church stands in a commanding position above Mariasdorf, at the upper end of the village green. The parish is served from Bad Tatzmannsdorf (Tarcsafürdő), about 4 km away; a Hungarian-language guide to the church is also available.
Sources: Mariasdorf parish – church guide (Hungarian) · Wikipedia (German)
Photo: Manfred Werner (Tsui) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Arths by / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Town:
Mariasdorf (Máriafalva)