Wilhering#

Wilhering, Upper Austria, market town in the district of Liezen, alt. 270 m, pop. 4,649, area 29.97 km2, residential town on a bend of the River Danube west of Linz, on the western edge of the Kuernberger Wald Mountain. Collegiate Gymnasium secondary school, Ottensheim-Wilhering run-of-river power station (erected in 1973, 179 MW), switching station of the Oberoesterreichische Kraftwerke AG, control engineering, locksmith's shops, horticultural enterprise run by the Abbey. - The Cistercian Abbey was founded in 1146, establishment of the Gymnasium secondary school under abbot T. Grasboeck around 1900; a western wing was built for the Gymnasium secondary school in 1995; the mediaeval construction was rebuilt to a large extent after the fire of 1733, according to plans of J. Haslinger. The interior of the collegiate church, which is said to be the most splendid Rococo church interior in Austria, was probably built after a master plan by A. Altamonte; colourful plastic stucco and sculptures by the Wessobrunn masters J. G. Uebelherr and J. M. Feichmeier; Gothic cenotaphs of the Earls of Schaunberg, ceiling paintings and altar pieces by B. and M. Altamonte; abbey with late-Romanesque core, gallery of Austrian Baroque painters in the prelate wing (B. Altomonte, A. Maulbertsch, M. J. Schmidt); collegiate library (historical books until 1900, around 40,000 volumes, 20,000 volumes from the 20th150 mediaeval manuscripts, 220 incunabula, magnificent Abbey gardens with rare plants.

Literature#