Pilgrim’s garb. That is what the man wore who appeared to a field warden on Thurn Mountain. According to the legend, the man revealed himself as Saint James the Elder. He warned of approaching Turks. This is the story of St. Jakob am Thurn.
St. Jakob am Thurn’s church was first mentioned in documents in 1238. Every year on July 25th, a rifle dance commemorates that warning. Johann Kaspar Pichler, a court administrator, acquired relics of the pilgrim saint during the Baroque era. He obtained indulgences for the church and its pilgrims.
In 1747 Archbishop Jakob Ernst Graf Liechtenstein gifted an ivory statuette to the church. In 1753, the Loreto Chapel was added to the parish church. St. Jakob holds a significant position among Salzburg’s five Loreto sanctuaries. It stands second only to Maria Loreto in Radstadt. Today, the Loreto Chapel serves as a weekday church. It once held memories of a flourishing pilgrimage. These are now in the country’s significant folklore collections.
The village of St. Jakob am Thurn developed around the castle. The castle dates back to the 12th or 13th century. It was the seat of the Salzburg minister family of Thurn. The name St. Jakob for the church existed since 1324. Joseph Anton von Plaz commissioned Kassian Singer to build the Loreto Chapel in 1752.
Charlotte von Bornemann purchased the castle in 1924. She had the pond created. The pond is fed by the Oberthurnbach stream. Since 1991, the pond has been a protected area.
The Jakobischützen originated to honor the Brotherhoods of St. James. These brotherhoods cared for pilgrims during their pilgrimages. They perform the legend of St. James during Corpus Christi processions. The Jakobibruderschaft is documented in 1738. It was banned around 1783 during the Enlightenment. In 1926, Kuno Brandauer and Josef Fallnhauser re-established it. Restrictions followed during the Nazi era. After 1945, the association was revived. Today, it participates in church and regional festivals. It also takes part in traditional events and shooting festivals.
So, remember the story of the pilgrim. Remember the legend. Remember St. Jakob am Thurn.