ÖSTERREICH | AUSTRIA |
Bundesland: Steiermark | Styria |
Bezirk: Hartberg |
Sankt Johann bei Herberstein is situated at an elevation of 421 m on the river Feistritz at the end of the Feistritzklamm gorge. On 1 January 2015, the formerly independent municipalities of Blaindorf, Hirnsdorf, Kaibing, Sankt Johann bei Herberstein and Siegersdorf bei Herberstein were merged to become the new municipality of Feistritztal.
The parish church Johannes der Täufer (St. John the Baptist) [bottom left] on a hill above the river goes back to a church of 1150 (first mentioned in 1170). From 1245 it belonged to the Archbishop of Salzburg, from 1260 it was in possession of the Teutonic Order. The church was purchased in 1654 by count Johann Maximilian of Herberstein who founded an Augustinian Eremites' monastery, which existed until 1820. The new church was built starting in 1655 next to the monastery. Since 1953 church and monastery [bottom] (now parsonage) belong to the Capuchin Order. Since 1928 the vaults beneath the chancel of the church (former tombs of the Augustinians) are used for the tombs of the Herberstein family.