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The Chapel on Christberg

1 - Montafon is a valley. It is 39 kilometers long and lies in the state of Vorarlberg, in the far west of Austria. There are eight municipalities here, including Schrunz and Tschaguns. The village of Kristberg is located above the municipality of Silbertal. There is a small church here dedicated to Saint Agatha. It is the oldest church in Montafon.

2 - It is believed to have been built around the year 1400. According to legend, there was once a mine shaft on the site where the church now stands, through which miners descended deep underground. One day, a group of miners was trapped underground when part of the shaft collapsed. They were fortunately rescued. In gratitude, they built a church directly above the entrance to the mine shaft. Ever since, it has been named after Saint Agatha, patron saint of bell founders and ore smelters. A recess in the north side wall is said to mark the spot where the entrance was.

3 - This old story is a reminder that mineral resources were mined in Montafon for centuries. The mountains’ rock also contained iron, copper and silver. These valuable ores were extracted through hard, arduous and dangerous work. By the entrance to the church stands a sculpture depicting a medieval miner. He is strikingly dressed in a suit and pointed cap. The cap was padded with straw to protect against injuries; later, caps like these were replaced by helmets.

4 - In the 16th and 17th centuries, however, mining declined sharply. Spanish conquistadors brought entire shiploads of gold and silver from South and Central America to Europe. Mining in the Alps became unprofitable and was therefore discontinued. By the start of the Thirty Years’ War, mining in Montafon had almost completely ceased.

5 - Traces of this period can still be found in many places. Some mine shafts have survived, as well as depressions in the ground known as pingen. They indicate that shafts were once dug here and have since collapsed. The place name Silbertal and the little church on Kristberg also keep the memory of these long-past times alive.