Brief historical overview
From the deed of foundation, dated 27 April 1429, we know that the chapel was built at the request of Stephanus, Count Palatine of the Rhine and Duke of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, for the log and honour of the "Immaculate Virgin and Mother of God Mary". The pictures were probably created in Seccomalerie around the middle of the 15th century. After the introduction of the Reformation in Annweiler in 1523, the pictures were covered over with white lime paint, as pictures were no longer desired. In 1912, itinerant paintings were rediscovered on the east wall during renovation work on the windows. In 1932, the Protestant parish commissioned a conservator to uncover all the paintings. Between 1945 and 1052, the chapel of the Protestant parish served as a place of worship for the town church destroyed in the Second World War. Since 1999, the Friends have been able to achieve a great deal, from securing the exterior with a "widening of the aisle" or the costly restoration of the wall paintings, to opening up the chapel with a contemporary door control system.
The wall paintings
The murals are arranged in two rows, one above the other, and show a total of 28 depictions. These are divided into three cycles, referring to the life of Mary, the childhood of Jesus and the passion of Christ. All the pictures on the west wall were lost during renovation work.
Excerpt from the flyer of the association "Rettet die Kapelle" e.V.
This building is a testimony to the medieval building culture in the Palatinate and part of the European model project "Sternenweg - Chemin des Étoiles". In the Middle Ages, pilgrims of St. James travelled along many different routes, but they oriented themselves to the old bishoprics such as Speyer or Strasbourg, to architectural witnesses such as churches, monasteries or castles, and to the stars. Today, many of these stone witnesses are marked with a scallop shell. They invite you to travel in the footsteps of the St. James pilgrims, to discover gems of cultural heritage and to find peace and contemplation off the beaten track. Pilgrimage stands for the motifs of democracy, peace, tolerance and freedom and aims to promote international understanding across borders. Further information: www.sternenweg.net
The Chapel "Zu unserer lieben Frau" is also part of the historical city tour of Annweiler am Trifels.
