Votive Church of the Immaculate Conception, Passau

The Votive Church of the Immaculate Conception holds a rich history deeply intertwined with the city's religious and architectural heritage. Situated at the entrance to the pedestrian zone on Heiliggeistgasse, this Catholic church carries a story of destruction, restoration, and transformation.

The original church on this site was part of the Franciscan monastery, a baroque masterpiece constructed between 1613 and 1619. Tragically, both the church and the monastery were ravaged by the devastating city fire of 1680, leaving them in ruins. However, in the aftermath of this disaster, resilience and devotion prevailed, and the church was reconstructed.

In the wake of secularization in Bavaria, the Votive Church faced a turbulent period where it passed into private ownership and was used for mundane purposes like a barn. The original high altar, a work of art in itself, found a new home in the parish church of the Holy Trinity in Grainet in 1823. It was a testament to the reverence placed upon these religious artifacts that they survived and found new places of honor.

The church's fortunes began to change in the mid-19th century when Bishop Heinrich von Hofstätter intervened. In 1857, he orchestrated the repurchase and restoration of the building, aligning its design with the Dogma Ineffabilis Deus, which declared the Immaculate Conception of Mary as an article of faith in 1854. In 1864, Bishop Hofstätter dedicated the church anew as a votive offering to the Immaculate Conception of Mary.