Visiting R 64 18

A quick stop in Herzogenburg took me to one of the monasteries of that trip. It seems like in this region the density of monasteries is really high. If fells like every other village has one (see also Melk and Göttweig).

Link to home

Passau, where I live, used to be a huge diocese, reaching out as far as Vienna. The bishops were quite busy and of them founded this monastery in 1112. Until 1783 it belonged to the diocese of Passau.

Side of the monastery. 4 story building with high red roof, ornaments above the windows. On the left behind the buildings is a pink church tower.

This is not how it looked like when it was founded. It was even at another place. The original location was around 10 km away. In 1244 they chose this place as a new location. Fire and fights damaged the buildings. In 1714, work began on the new construction of the complex. The work finished in 1785.

Sonte wall with decorative figures on top of it. A round arched exit leads to the street, fields in the background. The wall is white and gray.
Entrance, going out again as somebody just started closing all the gates
The monastery from a little further away. The church including the tower is visible on the left, the large building attached to it on the right. In the foreground are sheep in the meadow.
This answers the question how they mow the lawn

Behind walls

For the last picture, I had to stretch a lot to reach over the wall with the camera. The whole area is surrounded by a wall.

A brownish wall along a street. The top of the church tower is visible.
Most of the time this is what you see

Sometimes you can get a glimpse through a gate.

Building in the background, metal bars of a gate on the left and right.

These walls really offered protection. So, today a little annoying because one couldn’t see the buildings. In previous times, highly needed for defense.

A round small tower with the number 1598 on it. To the left and the right a wall that has small embrasures.

Philosophical question

I am a spiritual but not a church spiritual person. At the entrance there was a sign saying “Whether you believe in God or not does not change his existence. But it may change yours.”

Something about this sign triggered resistance in me. And I tried to figure out, what.

It pretends that the existence of God is something that is a proven fact. But as God’s existence can’t be proven objectively it is a question of believe. And, if it is a question of believe then whether or not you believe exactly makes the difference. Only if you believe then God will exist for you. This might not be the best way of describing the knot in my head when thinking about it. Can you see where I am going?

I am totally fine with me that people believe in God. I am also fine if they believe in the Awesome Red Gummi Bear as long as whatever rules come with this believe don’t harm others. In any case, the absolute statement on this sign immediately provoked a adverse response in my head.

The rainbow looked nice, though.

Things that have names

Walking through the town, I passed the fire station and was able to look through the windows of the gates. Practically all the vehicles there had names. I’d never seen anything like it before for fire trucks and found it very funny.

Red firetruck with the text "Elisabeth" on it.

Some random impressions from nature

Sometimes it doesn’t have to be big. Sometimes it is enough to just stand there and enjoy the view.

Sun has already set, the sky looks very orange. A cloud blocks the light so that a dark ray goes from the middle to the left of the image.

River with trees to the left and the right.

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