Kaasgrabenkirche

Geschichte

The Kaasgrabenkirche, also known as the Wallfahrtskirche “Mariä Schmerzen”, is a Roman Catholic parish and pilgrimage church in the suburb of Grinzing in the 19th district of Vienna, Döbling. The church has been managed since 1903 by the order of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and is equally the seat of the branch of the order covering Austria and Southern Germany. It has had the status of a parish church since 1939.The name Kaasgrabenkirche hearkens back to an old name for the local area, which probably indicates the presence of water (mineral springs) that were rich in iron and sulphur. The smell and colour of this water resembled whey, which is sometimes referred to as Käsewasser (literally, cheese water) in German. References survive from 1280 to Chezwazzeresgraben and from 1331 to Cheswassergraben.HistoryThere is a legend concerning the Kaasgrabenkirche that takes place during the second siege of Vienna in 1683. According to the legend, a young woman was scavenging for berries with her child when she was surprised by Turkish soldiers. She hid behind an elderberry bush. The soldiers followed her footprints to the bush but, seeing swallows nesting in the branches, assumed that no-one could be hiding there. The woman donated a Bildstock dedicated to Mary as a sign of her gratitude. There is however no evidence that such a shrine ever existed.