In the museum on the cathedral: born in fire sparked faith!

In the museum on the cathedral: born in fire sparked faith!

From April 10, 2024, the museum at the cathedral in St. Pölten opens its doors for the annual exhibition "Born in Fire". This addresses the central role of fire in Christianity and explores the question of how this element shaped 2000 years of religious history. The museum director Barbara Taubinger emphasizes that fire is presented as the origin, end point, divine sign, power of cleaning and threat. This is reflected in a variety of sacred objects that are shown in the exhibition.

Special exhibits of the exhibition are, for example, relics from the Middle Ages, baroque goldsmithing, a ceramic crib, Art Nouveau pieces and contemporary works of art. The objects come from various sources, including museums, parishes, monasteries and private collections. A central thematic representation is dedicated to the purgatory, which is known as a place of purification.

The symbolism of the fire

Bishop Alois Schwarz emphasizes the historical and symbolic meaning of fire in Christianity. In the Bible, fire is mentioned in various contexts, including as a revelation of God in the burning Dornbusch and as a sign of the Divine Court in the history of Sodom and Gomorra. Especially at Pentecost, the festival of the Holy Spirit, "tongues like from fire" appear that bring the Holy Spirit to the disciples. This event is celebrated as the birth festival of the church.

fire combines both positive and negative meanings. It symbolizes, strength and passion, but also stands for destruction and pain. Historically, fire played an important role in human history: it brought light, warmth and security and was a decisive factor for the development of civilizations. Fire disasters are common topics in urban and abbey history as well as on votive pictures.

fire in art and culture

The exhibition aims to arouse enthusiasm for Christian art and culture. This includes, for example, the importance of goldsmithing, which requires fire to alleviate and gilding objects, as well as the production of ceramics and porcelain, where heat is crucial for the durability and coloring of the materials. The influence of the fire also extends into contemporary art.

Another aspect is the representation of the purgatory, which has been distributed in Christian art since the 15th century. Here fire is viewed not only as a threat, but also as a sacred process of purification after death, as is formulated by church fathers, especially Pope Gregor the Great.

The annual exhibition can be seen in the Museum am Dom in St. Pölten by the end of October 2025 and gives visitors the opportunity to discover and reflect the complex importance of fire in Christianity. As oe24.at it becomes clear that fire is not only a natural force, but also a central component of the spiritual Imagination world.

In addition, mesekirchenzeitung.at that the objects come from a wide variety of eras and styles, which underlines their meaning. The cultural evolution of fire during the industrial revolution is also addressed. The exhibition thus offers a comprehensive insight into art history under the influence of fire and its symbolic power.

Overall, it shows that fire acts in Christianity and beyond both as a source of inspiration and as a sign of the challenge. domradio.de describes how the importance of the fire has changed over the centuries and what role it takes in religious and cultural development.