St. Sebastian Parish Church in Ramsau

One of Bavaria’s best-known churches

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Ramsau

St. Sebastian Church is a place of spiritual inspiration set against the impressive backdrop of the Berchtesgaden Alps. With the Reiter Alm massif rising behind it, it’s no wonder the church is such a popular photo motif. The historic Oberwirt was once a wine tavern and lodging place for travelers and haulers along the old trade route through Ramsau.

In the mountaineering village of Ramsau, you’ll discover one of Bavaria’s best-known churches: St. Sebastian Parish Church. Just a few meters away is the historic Oberwirt, a traditional Ramsau inn popular with locals and visitors alike.

The name and history of Ramsau

Ramsau was first documented in 1295 as “ramsaw.” The place name probably derives from the Tyrolean words rams, meaning debris deposited by water, and au, meaning fertile land beside water. Construction of the church began in 1512 along the old trade route used by salt packhorse drivers traveling between Berchtesgaden and Hirschbichl Pass in Pinzgau, Austria, close to an existing tavern. It was probably built in response to strong demand from local residents, as their mother church in Berchtesgaden was several hours away on foot. Today, the church surrounded by its historic cemetery, the former sacristan’s house, and the rectory to the west form an impressive architectural ensemble.

St. Sebastian Parish Church in Ramsau

The church in Ramsau was built in 1512 under Prince-Provost Gregor Rainer and is dedicated to St. Sebastian and St. Fabian. Particularly noteworthy are the intricately carved figures of Christ and the Twelve Apostles dating from the 15th century. For 150 years, the church was served from Berchtesgaden. Beginning in 1657, a canon lived at the church as an independent vicar, and a rectory was established for him in 1659. Today, you enter the parish church from the west through the portal at the base of the tower, which dates from 1700. On the organ gallery in the two-bay extension stands a very rare and historically significant Steinmeyer organ with sliderless windchests and mechanical key and stop action.

Along the gallery parapet, twelve figures of the Apostles dating from around 1420/30 stand out for their individual attributes. The saints are delicately carved with a courtly elegance. Particularly characteristic are the soft, graceful folds of their garments, which fall in deep curves from the waist. At the center is Christ as Salvator Mundi (“Savior of the World”), an artistic motif that emerged in the Late Middle Ages. Christ raises his right hand in blessing and holds an orb topped by a cross in his left. The orb symbolizes Christ’s dominion over the world. Researchers are uncertain about the figures’ original intended location because they predate the construction of the church.

Turn your gaze eastward and the high altar draws your eye into the narrower, three-bay original Late Gothic structure. The Early Baroque altarpiece comes from an earlier altar and depicts the martyrdom of St. Sebastian, tied to a tree and pierced by arrows. The figure to the left represents St. Wendelin, patron saint of herdsmen. To the right stands St. Roch, depicted with a pilgrim’s staff and a plague sore. Above the altarpiece in the center, St. George is shown fighting the dragon. The angel on the left side of the pediment, holding scales for weighing souls and a flaming sword, is the Archangel Michael.

The church has been immortalized by renowned landscape painters, particularly from the viewpoint known as Malerwinkel, with the Ramsauer Ache and Ertlsteg footbridge in the foreground and Reiter Alm in the background. This iconic view of St. Sebastian has also become a classic motif on photographs and postcards.

Impressions

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Patron Saint

The church is dedicated to St. Sebastian, whose feast day is celebrated by both the Catholic and Protestant churches on January 20. Sebastian, a Roman officer at the court of Emperor Diocletian, professed his Christian faith and was sentenced to death for it. Tied to a tree, he was shot with arrows. In the past, so-called Sebastian arrows were carried as protection against the plague, a disease believed to strike like an arrow. His appearance after being pierced by so many arrows also made Sebastian the patron saint of brushmakers. He survived this first attempt at martyrdom and later publicly confronted the emperor over his cruel and senseless persecution of Christians. The emperor then had him beaten to death and his body thrown into the Cloaca Maxima, Rome’s great ancient sewer.

The period between January 16 and 26 is traditionally known as Sebastianikälte, or “Sebastian’s cold spell.” In Central Europe, this period is often associated with high-pressure weather, little precipitation, and temperatures well below freezing. According to tradition, the sap begins to rise in the trees around St. Sebastian’s Day. After January 20, when young boys traditionally carved whistles from willow branches, trees were therefore no longer to be felled.

Spiritual reflection

Nameplates can still be seen on the old church pews. Between 1615 and 1812, seats in the church were assigned to families from Ramsau. Today, the nameplates no longer reserve a particular seat. Instead, they serve as a reminder of a place where you can say a prayer in silence and light a candle for a loved one.

Oberwirt: Ramsau’s traditional inn

Around 1500, the Prince-Provostry of Berchtesgaden built lodging for packhorse drivers and carters on the site of today’s Oberwirt. Packhorse drivers transported salt, wine, and other goods on the backs of pack animals along narrow trails across the Alpine passes.

Today, the historic, protected Oberwirt consists of three buildings that form a distinctive architectural ensemble. The three-story main inn features a projecting low-pitched gable roof and a stone round-arched portal. The details of its façade and decorative painting are best viewed from the opposite side of the street, where the second part of the ensemble stands. Today, this building houses a butcher shop, hair salon, doctor’s office, and bank.

A few meters farther west stands the third building, at the beginning of the Stationsweg leading to the Maria Himmelfahrt pilgrimage chapel, along the route known as Kunterweg. The name recalls the path’s former importance for livestock: “Kunter” or “Gunter” means an animal or small livestock.