300 years of Haindorf pilgrimage church: festivities and exhibition!

300 years of Haindorf pilgrimage church: festivities and exhibition!

In Haindorf, an idyllic town in northern Bohemia, people are preparing for a very special event: the pilgrimage church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary will celebrate its remarkable 300th anniversary in 2025. This anniversary will be celebrated not only with a festive series of services, but also with an extensive exhibition that reflects the baroque splendor and rich history of the church. Like that Diocese of Dresden-Meissen reports, the year-round celebration will take place on July 1, 2025 with an impressive procession and a pontifical mass led by Bishop Mons. Stanislav Přibyl, officially inaugurated.

The anniversary exhibition will be on display in the Hejnice Monastery from June 30 to September 28, 2025, daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is divided into two parts: The first part shows works of art from the end of the 18th century to the present that focus on the church building. The second part discusses the history of the monastery church, including its architectural development and spiritual significance. Nineteen display panels in the cloister of the monastery tell the eventful history of the church and were created in collaboration with historians and art historians from the Technical University of Liberec.

A look into the past

The pilgrimage church itself was built between 1722 and 1729 according to the plans of Thomas Haffenecker and today enjoys the status of a national cultural monument. This honor by the Czech government took place in 2018. The church is also the final resting place of over 30 members of the aristocratic Gallas and Clam-Gallas families, which further underlines its importance in the region.

The interest in the history of the pilgrimage church can also be seen in the collector's items. Platforms like Delcampe, for example, offer historical postcards from around 1940 that document church history. The Collector's page reports on auctions that ran until recently and met with great interest, particularly among history and art lovers.

Tradition and celebration

Preparations for the big celebrations have already begun in the region. The liturgical celebrations are musically accompanied by the Collegium Musicum, the choir of the Technical University of Prague and a choir of former students from the Sorbian high school in Bautzen. After the mass at the anniversary celebration, there will be a church festival in the garden of the monastery, which rounds off the festive setting.

For the community, this anniversary is not only an occasion to celebrate, but also to reflect on the importance of the community and the rich heritage that has been preserved over the centuries. The efforts of individuals, public institutions, companies and foundations were crucial in realizing the festivities and the exhibition and thus making the long history of the pilgrimage church tangible for future generations.