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History of Roman Catholic Church of Szentgotthárd
(Saint Gotthard)

On the way to Szentgotthárd, the westernmost city of the country, the monumental tower of Cistercian church, which invites the visitors to one of the most wonderful church, can be seen from far away.

In 1183, Béla III. Hungarian king (1173-1196) founded an abbey in honor of Saint Gotthard on the land where River Raba and Lapnics swim together and Cistercian monks was deployed there from Trois Fontaines, France. Twelve monk arrived into our country leading by the abbot. In 1184, Cistercians started to built their new abbey-center from which the basic-wall of monastery and church, excavated by archeologists, evidence.
In 1556, Margit grace-mistress banished the Cistrecians from Szentgotthard with her armed forces. In 1605 general Wolfgang Tieffenbach blowed unprincipledly up the church and the monastery because of the Bocskay rebellion. For seventy years people of Szentgotthard have no church and the followings had to go to Rábakethely for the service.

In 1675, George Széchenyi, archbishop of Kalocsa, as a grace-lord got renovated the dilapidated church. Former stones was partly used up and between 1676 and 1677 the second church of the town was built, in which there were three altars in the only ship: in honor of Saint Gotthard, Strained Beatific and Grievous Mother. In the middle of the XVIII. century when building of the third church has started this – second – has lost its significance. Granary was developed from it. From this point it was mentioned as a “granary church”. In 1988 the building was transformed into City Theatre with huge financial sacrifice. Today it is essential part of the art relic group with its landscaped, settled environment.

After several ups and downs Robbert Leeb (1728-1755) an abbot from Heiligenkreuzi got back the abbey of Szentgotthard for Cistercian order. Five consecrate clerks and two laymen arrived with the group of the new “settlers” from Heiligenkreuz. Robert Leeb abbot laid a charge to Franz Anton Pilgrim ( 1699-1761), the Europe-reputed architect who was born in Vienna, on preparing the plans of the new monastery and the church. The construction of generous conception had been started in 1740 and monks could move into the half-made building in 1746. Bearing of the church was laid only on 14th August 1748. but the construction was moved on so fast that before the end of the renovation the church could have been consecrated by Alberik Fritz, successor of Robert Leeb who had died meanwhile. John Szily, first bishop of Szombathely, accomplished the consecration on 16th March 1779. who was inspired by the wonderful, new baroque church to dream his own abbey similarly ‘dynamic and picturesque’.
Our church preaches ‘the triumph of faith’ not only with its building but also with the interior design and adornment. From the murals of the church emerges the artwork about the victory of Szentgotthard above Turkish, painted by the Austrian born Stefan Dorfmeister (1725-1797) who worked in Hungary. As a Cistercian custom the painting of the main altar of the church illustrates the assumption. Painter of the main altar and all the other altars was Matthias Gusner (1694-1772).

Entering into the ship of the church the left side altar commemorates Saint Gotthard, patron saint of the town and the church. Saint Gotthard, Hildesheim bishop is contemporary of our king, Saint Stephen (+1038). On the altar picture as a heavenly mediator he raises from the dead a child, cures a girl and sets free a captive.

The altar on the right commemorates ‘The saint kings of the country’: Saint Stephen, Saint Laszlo and Saint Imre prince. In the altar picture there is Pozsony, the then capital of the country in the background.

On the left side altar of the second arch sector Matthias Gusner recorded the legend of Saint Bernat: beatific bend down to Bernard, meditating on Christ’s passion. Saint Bernat is the creator of Cistercian’s regulations and he is the best-known and greatest saint of the order.

In the same sector on the right altar there is the altar picture illustrating Saint Joseph’s death. Between Mary and Joseph the angel holds a writing: ‘See how truth dies’.

Statues of the church are creations of Joseph Schnitzer (1707-1769), a Cistercian sculptor from Heiligenkreuz. The first organ of the church was built in 1764 in Schwartz Ferdinand’s organ builder’s workshop. Into the original baroque organ case the Budapest „Aquincum” organ factory built a new mechanic in 1987.

The biggest bell in West-Hungary, which is almost 40 quintal, can be found in the tower of the church.

Unfortunately, the storms of history can be seen on the nearly 300 years old building, as notable reconstruction in this period of time has not happen. Roof is run down remarkably; the church and the monastery take in water through many places the pictures are in danger. As neither the parish nor the city does not have the financial funds to the renovation we can rescue this wonderful building only with huge national and transboarder co-operation. We hope that this will happen in the near future.


More photos about the church

 

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