A century after one of Austria's most controversial art scandals shook the Catholic Church, a new exhibition in Lienz promises to reveal the dramatic story behind painter Albin Egger-Lienz and his forbidden masterpiece. The upcoming show, opening at the Dolomitenbank Gallery, coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Memorial Chapel's consecration as a district war memorial, an event that divided clergy and citizens alike and made headlines as far away as Flensburg and Frankfurt.
On September 8, 1925, exactly 100 years ago, the Memorial Chapel was inaugurated as Lienz's district war memorial in a grand ceremony that drew 10,000 pilgrims to the main square and St. Andrew's Parish Church, where the chapel is housed in the northern arcades. Bishop Sigismund Waitz traveled to attend the ceremony, along with a high-ranking cleric from Rome who was vacationing in East Tyrol. However, one crucial figure was notably absent: Albin Egger-Lienz, whom the mayor Johann Oberhueber had praised as a "world artist."
The Lienz-born painter, who lived from 1868 to 1926, had been instrumental not only in commissioning architect Clemens Holzmeister for the project but also in designing the chapel's artistic elements. Four of Egger-Lienz's works transformed the war memorial chapel into an art historical gem. He painted two of his pieces directly onto stone as frescoes – the only time the artist ever worked in this medium. These included "The Nameless" (originally created in 1914), which historian and art expert Erich Mair describes as "one of the most important and beautiful anti-war paintings ever created," and "Death Offering."
The scandal erupted when additional paintings from Egger-Lienz's studio near Bolzano arrived by train in Lienz. At the center of the storm was "The Resurrected," a haunting depiction of an emaciated Christ who, according to Mair, resembled a returnee from World War I. When Dean Gottfried Stemberger first glimpsed the painting in its crate, he nearly fainted from shock. "He fought against it for the rest of his life," the historian explained during a recent press conference.
Church officials pleaded with Egger-Lienz to create a different work, but the artist indignantly refused, declaring: "This is the most beautiful Christ ever painted." The situation became truly criminal when unknown supporters took advantage of the dean's two-day absence to secretly wall the controversial painting inside the chapel. By then, it was too late to cancel the opening ceremony – the bishop was already en route.
The controversy escalated dramatically when cardinals in Rome imposed an interdict on the chapel, forbidding masses and other religious services until the offensive painting was removed. However, thanks to support from Mayor Oberhueber and Provost Josef Weingartner, the artwork remained in place. The heated dispute inspired local artist Karl Untergasser to create a spiteful work titled "The Devil Painter," depicting the diminutive Lienz artist with devils apparently mocking the resurrected Christ.
Untergasser's satirical painting was displayed in Lienz for several days before the dean ordered its destruction. Instead, the work mysteriously disappeared, only resurfacing in the 1980s when the Vatican finally lifted the interdict. The controversial piece has been in historian Mair's possession for the past two years, though he plans to make it accessible to the public soon.
The upcoming exhibition, titled as an "art and church crime story," will run from September 8 through January 9, opening with three vernissage events from September 8-10. "Historic days await us," declared Hansjörg Mattersberger, chairman of the Dolomitenbank's board. The show will feature 73 exhibits, including 51 previously unseen works by Egger-Lienz, alongside paintings by his contemporaries such as Franz von Defregger (who was originally supposed to design the chapel but died beforehand), Josef Manfreda, and Karl Untergasser.
The exhibition's timing deliberately coincides with the centennial of the chapel's consecration and aims to provide new interpretations of this unique scandal. Adding to the intrigue, Egger-Lienz's remains were secretly transferred from Lienz's city cemetery to the memorial chapel a year after his death in 1926, where they remain buried today. Visitors can still see the controversial "Resurrected" painting above the chapel's left entrance, alongside the impressive fresco "The Nameless," also known as "The Storm."
For those wishing to attend the opening events, advance registration is required by calling (04852) 666 500 30. The exhibition will be held at the Dolomitenbank Gallery on Südtiroler Platz 9 in Lienz, offering visitors a rare opportunity to explore one of Austria's most fascinating art historical controversies and its lasting impact on the relationship between artistic expression and religious authority.
