Heiliges Grab Görlitz, Gothic chapel complex in Görlitz, Germany
The Heiliges Grab is a complex of multiple chapels and garden pavilions that recreates the Holy Sepulchre from Jerusalem. The site contains a double chapel, an anointing house, and a sepulchral chapel arranged together in a garden layout.
A wealthy mayor ordered the complex built between 1481 and 1504 following his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, wanting to bring the religious experience of Jerusalem's sacred sites to his city. The project emerged from a desire to make such devotional travel unnecessary for his fellow citizens.
The complex reflects deep religious devotion and shows how pilgrims could experience a sacred space without traveling to Jerusalem. The buildings and garden formed a place where people expressed their faith and sought spiritual reflection.
The site is easy to reach and walkable from the city center. Visitors should allow time to explore the chapels and garden, as different seasons reveal various aspects of the grounds.
A long pathway with about 1000 steps connects the Peter and Paul Church to the sepulchral chapel, mirroring the Via Dolorosa from Jerusalem. This connection let pilgrims experience something similar to their journeys east without having to cross the sea.
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