Margravine Sibylla Augusta had gone on several pilgrimages to Einsiedeln in the Swiss Canton Schwyz and in 1709, she commissioned to have a reproduction of the Einsiedeln Chapel of Mercy built in her Schlackenwerther Palace Park. She donated an identical chapel to Rastatt in 1715, probably in thanks for the prior year’s signed Peace of Rastatt.
Children discover Rastatt:
The margravine brought back a consecrated statue of the Mother of God from a trip to Einsiedeln in Switzerland. This was erected in the chapel.
Many faithful pray there for themselves, their children, parents and relatives. One can see the Mother of God and the child Jesus with black faces above the small altar. Large groups of faithful worship Madonna figures with black painted faces as particularly miraculous. One can read on many panels in the inner chapel that the people give thanks that the Mother of God has helped.
During one voyage to Einsiedeln, Ludwig Georg, the 7 year-old heir to the throne, who had been dumb until then, began to talk. The Peace of Rastatt and the achievement of speech for the heir to the throne were probably the reason for the construction of the Einsiedeln Chapel.
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