Memory of a unique Andechs pilgrimage

The traditional Schongau Andechs pilgrimage is canceled this year because of Corona. Christine Fremmer remembers her grandmother, who was there every year, and in the 80s she went on a pilgrimage herself - now she has written down her experiences and made them available to us.

Schongau - After the rainy days, it finally sprouts lush green in the garden. From the table I see the first peonies. The buttercups rose first at the pond. And the globeflowers bloom in all their glory, a big bush, much too early. My grandma always brought troll flowers from her annual pilgrimage to Andechs Monastery. It was the highlight of the year for them.

The pilgrimage has been taking place on Ascension Day for tens of years. The pilgrims, then and still mostly around seventy or eighty people, started earlier at midnight at the Church of the Holy Spirit, went through the Birschland Pirschwald to Rott and Bischofsried, from Dießen over the lake to Herrsching and reached their destination around noon. There was an overnight stay.

Back to Schongau in ten and a half hours

The next day, five in the morning, was a service. There was the blessing Procedamus in pace - in nomine Domini; then they moved back to Schongau on foot (ten and a half hours) and arrived there around 5 p.m. They were picked up by the parish and by the pastor himself. They prayed up the Lechberg together and in the parish church a jubilant organ awaited them for a short prayer.

On the return, the pilgrims are always accompanied up the Lechberg - the photo is from 2018.

© Archives Westermann

No more overnight stays, a bus drives the pilgrims home and the next day to Andechs. And departure has recently started at four in the morning and no longer at midnight.

There were no vacation trips at the time

Back to grandma: there were no vacation trips at the time. The highlights were visits to relatives. Uncle Karl used to live with his family in Tannenberg, then in Gotzing and Waakirchen. And a trip there was always something special. Just like the pilgrimage to Andechs. Small luggage, a rosary, the laudate, and grandma treated themselves to two brandy beans as additional food. Bought from pastry chef Nikolaus Fliegauf, who ran a small café in the old town, Weinstraße 16, 1st floor, next to Blumen-Pröbstl.

This confectioner also sold homemade chocolates. My brother and I were allowed to go there with our grandpa every now and then on a little hot cocoa. Later in this house on the ground floor was the "Sweet Hanni" (Johanna Fliegauf, his relative) with her candy shop.

A simple lodging in Andechs was always reserved

There was a quarters in Andechs, the simplest of course. But the woman who rented there always reserved for grandma, who arrived reliably every year. On the way back, Grandma picked globeflowers and flour primroses, a large bouquet. Today the flowers are strictly protected and very little can be found.

A sea of ​​colors and scents

At home the lilac was already blooming and with all these flowers a May altar was set up. There was a small white bench about three inches high. A figure of Mary was placed on top of it, candles on the left and right, and all around the spring flowers, the bright yellow globeflowers, the delicate, pink flour primroses and behind them the lilac in purple, all a sea of ​​colors and scents. We children had a little May devotion there every day, a beautiful ritual.

Spontaneously decided to go

My experience with a Andechs pilgrimage was a special one. For a long time I wanted to go, but somehow it never worked. In the 80s I was having coffee with a friend and we heard that the pilgrims started that evening. Spontaneously we both decided to go.

Men behind the cross, then women

Equipped with a small backpack, we were at the Church of the Holy Spirit shortly before midnight. Many people were waiting, including the pastor. There was a young, strong man with the cross that was carried, and people should go behind it. It struck twelve times from the church clock, the train was formed in no time: behind the cross the men, then the women.

Right the first time

We were right in the middle of it, the acquaintance quickly joined the men, and I went straight to the front of the women group. Praying according to the rosary, the troop marched down the Lechberg. Suddenly I heard voices behind me: "What is she doing up there?" "She has never been there before!" "Who is that?" "She should join up at the back!" "Why is it going there?"

Ranking had to be adhered to

Again and again such remarks were more or less loud and sharp. I finally asked what I did wrong and was unkindly informed that there was a ranking that should be complied with and that one should not push ahead.

The professionals had flashlights with them

We were quickly on Birkländer Straße, the industrial area east of Schongau. There was also the kennel of the German Shepherd Association, the rooms of the Animal Protection Association and in each larger building at least one large watchdog. The pilgrim train came spookily. The professionals had flashlights with them because there were no street lights in this way. Smartphones with light had not yet been invented.

Bell concert on Birkländer Straße

The ghost troop prayed loudly through the darkness - and all dogs made a sound. It was an encounter of the third kind. Deep voices, bright barking in between, sighing, hoarse, different keys and volumes, as soon as one stopped, the next started - it was a crazy bell concert in many different colors. When the pilgrims were long out of earshot, the irritated dogs probably calmed down gradually.

Rosary for rosary, pause for pause

The prayers continued, neatly sorted. After two rosaries there was a break of about half an hour, during which you could go unsorted, ratchet up a little and just walk there. Rosary after rosary, pause after pause.

Rott reached around 5 am and suddenly everyone was gone

We reached Rott around five in the morning. A little before the place the rosary was over and you just ran like that again. Suddenly my friend and I were the last, everyone else was way ahead of us, walking much faster than before. At some point everyone was gone. What was going on? The answer to the riddle: The inn in Rott was waiting for us with a pilgrim's breakfast. There was coffee and tea as well as sausage and cheese rolls. Everyone sat there and feasted with great appetite.

Bread rolls were all plastered long ago

We looked for a place, took our hot, thin coffee - but the rolls were all already plastered. Fortunately, I was well prepared and had my whole bread with me. The poisonous remark of a man at the table: "But you already know that you have to pay your four marks, no matter how much you eat." Nonetheless - everything gathered and we marched on strengthened and praying the rosary.

A rosary has a certain, almost meditative rhythm. A chain with pearls or balls is an aid to praying, for counting. The prayers let this chain slide through their fingers. This is also reminiscent of prayer chains and cords from other religions. The name rosary fits the Mother of God. There are many flower legends about them. And in the Advent song "Maria went through a thorn forest" roses are sung.

The rosary consists of a cross and 59 pearls. 55 of them - 50 smaller and five larger ones - form a coherent chain. One of the larger pearls serves as a link to another chain with three smaller pearls, one larger and one cross. Before the first pearl of the connected chain follows "Honor be to the Father ..." and the "Lord's Prayer". This also applies to the four other, slightly larger beads of the rosary.

After each large ball follow ten "Greetings, Maria". In "Greetings ..." is inserted what kind of rosary is prayed. These are the sections my grandmother, the firm was praying in the rosary, called "Gsätzle". There are e.g. B. the joyful, the bright, the painful or the glorious rosary.

Example: The joyful secrets (about the birth and childhood of Jesus) 1. Gsätzle ... Jesus whom you, o virgin, received from the Holy Spirit 2 ... Jesus, which you, o virgin, brought to Elizabeth 3. .. Jesus you, o virgin, gave birth in Bethlehem 4 ... Jesus you, o virgin, sacrificed in the temple 5 ... Jesus you, o virgin, found again in the temple. The individual formulations for pilgrimages, funerals, and even now for the Corona crisis are special - incredible what texts there are.

The ship was waiting to be translated in Dießen 

When we arrived in Dießen, the ship was already waiting for us pilgrims from Schongau and we crossed over. Opportunity to pause. I no longer felt my legs. We walked almost everything on asphalt and my footwear was unsuitable for this.

Bells from the monastery church greeted the pilgrims loudly

When we arrived in Herrsching, we still had to go to the "Holy Mountain" of Andechs, praying again - and of course uphill. The church bells of the monastery church greeted us loudly. It was impressive. A monastery priest held a short welcoming service.

And finally: the nearby inn, lunch, a long break. At that time, people no longer slept; we were therefore picked up. At home I spent the whole day on the sofa to heal my damaged bones - I gave myself the return trip.

Those who go on a pilgrimage publicly show that they are believers

On the Andechs Monastery website it says: Anyone who goes on a pilgrimage publicly shows that they are believers. He undertakes a spiritual journey, one also knows the expression: "Praying with your feet" - and the pilgrim usually has a concern for himself or his relatives and friends that he prays to his goal with the intention of finding answers and solutions .

Pilgrimage filled with humility and gratitude

I was just curious and wanted to know what magic my grandma had succumbed to. It was probably just the fact that she could dodge her home for two days. The pilgrimage, walking, praying, the challenge filled me with humility and gratitude.

CHRISTINE FREMMER

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Read more about the region here.