"She": The Virgin Mary in contemporary art."Popular devotion is the way in which the Church opens itself to the culture of each region, and Our Lady is the matrix."Where Our Lady hides: a Sanctuary in the valleys of SloveniaThe Marian invocation that probably enjoys the greatest devotion in Germany - at least it is the Marian shrine that receives the most visits - is the Brown Madonna ("Schwarze Muttergottes") of Altötting, a Bavarian town located about 90 kilometers east of Munich. On their web page they include the testimony of Benedict XVI, who described Altötting as "the heart of Bavaria and one of the hearts of Europe". He continues: "For more than 1250 years it has been the spiritual center of Bavaria and, for more than 500 years, the most important Marian shrine in Germany".
In addition, together with Częstochowa (Poland), Einsiedeln (Switzerland), Lourdes (France), Loreto (Italy), Fatima (Portugal) and Mariazell (Austria), is one of the so-called "Shrines of Europe", the seven most important Marian shrines in Europe.
The sanctuary
Although the first chapel was built in the 8th to 10th centuries, the present form is due to the 15th century Gothic additions, which coincided with a tradition that made it known throughout Germany and beyond, and which marks the beginning of the shrine's history: it is said that in 1489, a three-year-old boy fell into a river and drowned. After rescuing the lifeless child, the desperate mother took him to the chapel dedicated to Our Lady and placed him on the altar. There she began to pray with others for the salvation of her son, and after a short time, life returned to the body of the apparently dead child.
The present image, 64 centimeters high, was probably carved from linden wood in Burgundy or the Upper Rhine region and arrived in Altötting in the 14th century. Its black hands and blackened face are reminiscent of a type of wood carving that was widespread in the early Middle Ages: there are 272 "black virgins" in Europe. Among the most famous are those of Einsiedeln, Loreto, Częstochowa, and Montserrat. In addition to silver inlays, the image has been covered since 1518, initially with fabrics from the wedding dresses of Bavarian princesses. The Elector Maximilian I (1573-1651) of Bavaria donated the scepter and crown.
Both the interior and exterior walls of the holy chapel are covered with more than 2000 votive images, donated in gratitude for the miracles worked through the intercession of Our Lady of Altötting. Part of the pilgrims surround the chapel, some on their knees and carrying wooden crosses, to commend their intentions to Our Lady. In addition, in the chapel are buried the hearts of prominent Bavarian personalities, including Emperor Charles VII (1697-1745), six kings, including the famous Ludwig II (1845-1886), three prince electors, twelve prominent noblewomen and five bishops.
Papal visits
The Altötting shrine has been visited by three popes. The first documented papal visit dates back to 1782, when Pius VI - who had been coldly received by Emperor Joseph II in Vienna - was warmly welcomed in Bavaria. He returned to Rome via the Marian shrine at the invitation of the Bavarian Elector Karl Theodor. Pius VI celebrated Mass in the holy chapel and gave his blessing to a crowd gathered there.
On November 19, 1980, he was in Altötting, Germany. St. John Paul II. The visit to the Marian shrine was one of the highlights of his first trip to Germany as Pope. The Mass with the Pope brought together more than 60,000 faithful - including the author of these lines - on the esplanade of the chapel. The Pope was accompanied by the Archbishop of Munich, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as host. On the occasion of his trip, John Paul II planted a linden tree. The "papal linden tree" and a larger-than-life bronze statue commemorate this visit.
Benedict XVI's relationship with Altötting was very close throughout his life. He was born on April 16, 1927 in Marktl am Inn, about 15 kilometers from the Marian shrine. In the preface to the city guide, he writes: "I had the good fortune to be born very close to Altötting. Therefore, the pilgrimages to the shrine with my parents and siblings are among my earliest and most beautiful memories."
After accompanying John Paul II in 1980, and while he was Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Ratzinger She came on several occasions. These were both official visits - in 1989 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the shrine and in 1999 on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the Marian congregation - and private visits, for example on the occasion of his 75th birthday. In 2006, as Pope, he visited Altötting as part of his visit to Bavaria. There he was made an honorary citizen of the city.
In May 2021, Pope Francis chose Altötting as one of the locations for the "prayer marathon" to pray for the end of the pandemic caused by COVID-19.
