The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche in German) is located in the foothills of the Alps, in the Municipality of Steingaden in the Weilheim-Schongau district, Bavaria in Germany. It is an oval rococo church, designated by two brothers John Baptist Zimmermann and Dominikus Zimmermann.
Legend
Legends say that in the year 1738, tears were seen on a dilapidated wooden statue of Scourged Saviours. This resulted in a pilgrimage rush to witness the sculpture. It is believed that many who prayed in front of the statue of Jesus have been cured of their diseases.
A small chapel was built to house the statue in 1740. As the number of visitors increased, it was evident that the small chapel can not accommodate the growing number. The Steingaden Abbey a monastery in Steingaden then decided to construct a new shrine.
Construction of the new shrine took place between 1745 and 1754. The rococo church has an exceptional ornamental and theatrical style of architecture.
The Wieskirche was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983. Extensive restoration was done between 1985 and 1991.
