St. Lambrecht#

St. Lambrecht, Styria, market town in the district of Murau, alt. 1,028 m, pop. 1,819, area 44.18 km2, highest-lying market town in Styria, situated in the Thaja depression of the mountains between the provinces of Styria and Carinthia. - Wood processing (windows, furniture), dynamite manufacture (explosives, military products), tourism (16,040 overnight stays in 1992). - Benedictine Abbey founded in 1096 (confirmed by imperial document), closed between 1786-1802 and 1939-1945), reconstructed in Baroque style from 1639 by D. Sciassia, the stylistically purest abbey in Austria. The Gothic collegiate church from around 1421, with Romanesque foundations and twin-towered façade is a 3-nave hall church (78 m long), Gothic frescoes (late 14th and early 16th  century), Romanesque portal, 3-level marble stucco high altar (1632), richly decorated pulpit (1731-32) and vestry; in the Abbey: Fuerstenzimmer (Princes' rooms), collection of paintings and sculptures (including Gothic works of art), collection of birds by B. Hanf; folklore collection, Imperial Hall with rich stucco work (1645) and fountain, refectory with cavetto vault, prelate room. The Abbey of St. Lambrecht founded the pilgrimage centre of Mariazell; Gothic St. Peter's church (former hospital church (1424), with late Gothic winged altar (around 1525) and panel paintings by the "Meister der St. Lambrechter Kreuzigungen" (Master of the St. Lambrecht Crucifixions) (around 1435); Romanesque ossuary (first documented mention in 1148); former palace area with keep; palace chapel (1418) with winged altar (around 1520-1523) by a Villach workshop; garden pavilion (1646-1648).

Literature#