Pilgrimage church Maria Lebing

A church is said to have been built as early as 1409, which was expanded over time.

During the Turkish invasions, the church was repeatedly in danger of being destroyed, and the Haiducks and Kuruzzi also passed the church outside the Hartberg city walls during their raids. According to legend, when the Kuruzzi invaded in 1704, they broke into the church and wanted to drag the statue of mercy from the altar. At that very moment the Madonna is said to have moved and bent towards the wicked. They are said to have been so frightened that they left the church with wild screams.

During the time of the Reformation, the church fell into disrepair, but as early as 1617 there was talk of the church being in an excellent condition again, which was not least possible thanks to the support of the Habsburgs. As the Catholic ruling family, they relied on the promotion of Marian devotion to strengthen the Catholic Church. About 150 years later, however, the ruling family of the Habsburgs almost didom the church of Maria Lebing: In the course of the numerous reforms of Maria Theresa's son and successor, Joseph II, all pilgrimages were banned in 1773, with only a few exceptions such as Mariazell. In 1788 there were even considerations to close the church in Lebingen. The church could only be preserved through the efforts of spiritual and secular leaders.

Until the 19th century, Maria Lebing was the favorite place of pilgrimage in the area. Today, due to its proximity to the cemetery, funeral masses are mainly celebrated in the church. The originally Gothic style of the church is only recognizable from the external appearance. The interior was baroque-styled in the 18th century and today houses, among other things, frescoes by Josef Adam von Mölk, a baroque high altar and the pulpit by the Graz sculptor Mathias Leitner.