Bildchen - Hersberg

The “Heeschbrecher Bildchen” is an ancient pilgrimage site near Altrier. A 500-year-old oak tree holds a statue of the Virgin Mary, commemorating a tragic event in 1731.

The Bildchen in Hersberg is an ancient pilgrimage site. A 500-year-old oak tree bears a statue of the Virgin Mary in the hollow of its trunk.

The veneration of the Virgin Mary probably goes back to an event on 30 May 1731. On this day, three brothers seeking shelter under the oak tree during a thunderstorm were struck by lightning; only one of the brothers survived. In gratitude, the man had a statue of the Virgin Mary erected at the oak tree. According to the parish register of deaths, the three Deitz brothers actually lived in Hersberg and two of them died as a result of a lightning strike.

It is quite possible that the pilgrimage site is older than 1731. The original statue from the picture is now in the church in Altrier, while a copy has been erected in the oak trunk.

Every year, on 15 August, there is a pilgrimage to the statue. A procession leads from Altrier to the oak tree, where the priest celebrates mass by the beautifully decorated statue.