Faith Matters
They are usually small buildings, inviting wayfarers to tarry, rest their legs, and ponder a while the joys and hardships of life – strangers and locals, young and old, Christians and non-Christians; often people who have no particular relationship to organised religion. Germany’s wayside chapels, whether famous or tucked away, are an expression of popular spirituality.
This film looks at three wayside chapels in southern Germany: one in a village, close to the donor’s estate; another in open country, a hill between clouds and meadows. One is a simple wooden structure without any decoration; another is a spectacular architectural jewel. The chapel in Altötting is visited by a million pilgrims each year; the private chapel in Breisach belongs to a family of tightrope artists; and the archaic-looking wooden chapel near the village of Bödigheim stands alone in the fields.