Schankweiler Klause

The Schankweiler Klause is a pilgrimage chapel in the municipality of Schankweiler in the Bitburg-Prüm district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

History

In 1648, the hermit Johann Seelmayer received permission from Wolfgang Heinrich von Metternich (1615-1699), lord of Bourscheid, to build a hermitage and a chapel. From 1732 to 1733, the pilgrimage church was rebuilt with a magnificent main altar according to the designs of the Tyrolean master Joseph Dangel. Dangel also worked on the construction of St. Paulin in Trier. The current building was erected between 1762 and 1763 on behalf of the collatrix Maria Theresia von Eltz-Rodendorf (1720-1803). The main altar is attributed to the sculptor Eberhard Hennes (1737-1797) from Neuerburg. The miraculous image of the main altar is based on the painting of Mariahilf by Lucas Cranach the Elder, which he painted after 1537 for the Saxon court in Dresden, legend has it in the presence of Martin Luther. Today, the Schankweiler Klause is a pilgrimage site dedicated to the Mother of Good Counsel.

Next to the chapel is the so-called hermit's apartment, which is intended to be the residence of a hermit. In the past, it was usually a monk who took care of the chapel and looked after the pilgrims, but this ceased in the second half of the 20th century. From 2008 to 2021, a retired priest lived in the hermitage during the summer months. Since the spring of 2024, the hermitage has been inhabited by a priest again.

Translated from German

Source: Schankweiler Klause - Wikipedia

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