The Astl Altar
The Astl Altar in Hallstatt’s parish church is one of the finest masterpieces of late Gothic woodcarving. This splendid winged altar was created between 1510 and 1520.
Remarkably, we even know the name of its maker. On the shoulder cloth of a High Priest – a detail visible only at Christmas, when the inner wings are closed – a few letters can still be read: …onhart Astl. Leonhart Astl, who had his workshop in the Gmunden area, was thus the local artist behind this extraordinary work.
Because of its double set of wings, the altar has three different “faces”:
Throughout the year: the central image remains on view.
Advent and Christmas: the outer wings are opened, revealing four painted panels and four reliefs. Among them is the Circumcision of Christ, where Leonhart Astl signed his work.
Lent: both sets of wings are closed, displaying painted scenes from the life of Christ.
In the central shrine, Mary appears with the Christ Child, flanked by Saint Catherine on the left and Saint Barbara on the right.
The painted panels show the Birth of Mary and the Annunciation (above), as well as the Presentation in the Temple and the Death of Mary (below).
In the Hallstatt Charnel House you can see around 1,200 skulls, most of them carefully inscribed and beautifully decorated with floral ornaments. About 700 of these skulls are even painted.
The tradition of skull painting began here around 1720, although skulls had already been placed in the charnel house since the early 1600s as a kind of “second burial.” Contrary to long-held belief, this was not primarily due to a lack of space in the cemetery, but rather a family tradition. Graves were never cleared on a large scale.
Usually, the deceased would remain buried for 10 to 20 years before the skull was removed. The gravedigger would then clean it, and it would be left outdoors in sun and moonlight to bleach naturally. Afterwards, the skull could be decorated—each artist adding their own style, though different painting patterns can be traced to particular periods.
Today, new skulls are only rarely placed in the charnel house. However, this is still possible on request—for both Catholic and Protestant Christians, who continue to share the same cemetery. A meaningful symbol of ecumenical harmony
Perched on the hillside, the Calvary Church is a true Baroque treasure. To preserve it for future generations, around 24,000 curved larch shingles were carefully laid to restore its graceful roof just as it looked in the early 18th century.
The church was built in 1711, together with the Way of the Cross chapels, as a gift from the court clerk Georg Franz von Sumating and his wife Anna Christina. Childless themselves, they wanted the church to serve as both their final resting place and a place of comfort and prayer for the miners and their families. In their 1709 testament, they wrote: “A Calvary shall be built in honor of the suffering Lord, as a plea for our own salvation, as a place of prayer and consolation for the miners and their families.”
From the outside, the church enchants visitors with its elegant Baroque silhouette. Inside, this first impression is more than confirmed: the highlight is the magnificent carved Calvary group, attributed to the renowned sculptor Meinrad Guggenbichler. While some art guides cautiously ascribe it to his circle, his biographer Heinrich Decker considered it one of the master’s own late works.
Step inside, and you’ll discover not just a church, but a place where art, faith, and history meet in harmony.
