Guard Stone Figures at the Market Place

The family of guard stone figures placed in and around the market place of Waldkirchen is currently the most popular and important subject for photos taken by holidaymakers.

In the past, those stones mainly performed a practical function as keep-off railstones. In earlier centuries, when regular cattle markets took place on the market place, when life played out around small shops and inns of the market place and in its narrow side-alleys, numerous horse-drawn vehicles were daily on the road. In order to protect the corners and walls of a building, people bricked up granite stone pillars around the corners of their houses, so that the wheels of the carts were kept off when cutting the corners too close. And this way, the walls remained undamaged. Many years later, the stones had been refunctioned.

Matthias Hausbäck, a stonemason, created the stone figure of the Eternal Bridegroom in the mid-19th century. All other figures are the work of Manfred Werner, a famous local artist. The club ‚Heimat- und Museumsverein Waldkirchen’ (a kind of Historical Society) helped to ensure that the stone figures always got addition to their family. And who knows – maybe it will continue to grow in the near future.

Learn more about the Guard Stone Figures and download our brochure. Please ask for further information at the Tourist Office.