Maria Birnbaum, Catholic pilgrimage church in Sielenbach, Germany.
Maria Birnbaum is a Catholic pilgrimage church south of Sielenbach in Bavaria, built in the Baroque style with a central plan, white exterior walls and a large dome visible from the surrounding fields. It stands close to the Ecknach river and is listed as an architectural heritage monument in the state of Bavaria.
The church was built in the second half of the 17th century on the initiative of Philipp Jakob von Kaltenthal, a commander of the Teutonic Order, to serve a growing local devotion. Following secularization in the early 19th century, the Teutonic Order lost control of the site before eventually returning to it much later.
The name of the church comes from a pear that, according to local tradition, was found hanging on a pear tree at this spot by a farmer's wife. Inside, votive offerings left by pilgrims over the years line the walls, which is typical of Bavarian pilgrimage churches still in use today.
The church sits along hiking trails that connect it to nearby villages, making it easy to reach on foot from several directions. It is worth checking opening hours before visiting, as they may vary depending on the time of year.
The Teutonic Order returned to this church after an absence of more than two centuries and set it up as their novitiate house, where new members of the order receive their formation. This means the place is today used in the same way its founders originally intended, which is unusual for a building of this age.
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