Easter graves – A tradition comes to life again

04 April 2025

Post originally written in: Deutsch

Easter - the festival when the Easter bunny hides colorful eggs and children look for them with joy. Families come together, celebrate and enjoy time together. But Easter is more than just a happy spring festival - it is the most important holiday for Christians. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion on Good Friday. There are many beautiful customs surrounding Easter - some cheerful, others contemplative and deeply rooted in tradition. One of these, which is still (re)alive in Tyrol today, is the Easter graves. In this article, we take a look at this impressive tradition and its special significance.

From simple wooden chests to magnificent displays

The tradition of Easter tombs dates back to the early Middle Ages. Even then, believers in Europe depicted replicas of holy sites, in particular the tomb of Christ. The first holy tombs in churches were simple wooden chests. Over time, however, they became increasingly ornate: from the middle of the 16th century, Easter tombs developed into magnificent productions. Inspired by the funerary scaffolding used by emperors and princes, several arches of scenery were arranged one behind the other. So-called cobbler's balls - glass balls filled with water that intensified the candlelight - provided atmospheric lighting.

Banned by the emperor, preserved by the people

However, the Easter tombs were not well received by everyone - at least not by Emperor Joseph II. in 1783, he imposed a general ban on their installation, presumably because he considered them to be superfluous kitsch. After all, tastes differ! A pretty drastic measure, if you ask me. But the ban didn't last long anyway: shortly after the emperor's death, the holy tombs found their way back into the churches thanks to popular piety. From the 1970s onwards, however, the custom was increasingly forgotten - dismissed as outdated, the ornate graves gathered dust in attics and almost completely disappeared from the public consciousness.

Easter graves around Innsbruck: the tradition lives on

In the region around Innsbruck, lovingly and elaborately designed Holy Sepulchres are erected in some churches during Holy Week. They serve as places of contemplation for the faithful and are an impressive testimony to living tradition. Anyone looking for Easter graves will find them in Flaurling, among other places. The small community in the Inn Valley is known for its magnificent Easter gravewhich is built with great attention to detail. It was painted back in 1829 by the artist Johann Baptist Daum.

The Easter tomb of Flaurling - lovingly restored and preserved

A special and, according to the Flaurling chroniclers, unique feature in Tyrol is the beautiful garden depiction. in 1989, the Easter Sepulchre was restored for the first time - not renovated. The difference is important: restoration means that the existing parts were cleaned, the canvases reinforced and re-stretched. In the case of the 19th century paintings, only mechanical damage or damage caused by water was repaired. The Flaurling Horticultural Society has been looking after the Easter Sepulchre since the 1980s and arranged for it to be restored again as part of the church renovation in 2010.

Tradition, community, symbolism and mysticism

Karin Reiter, chairwoman of the gardening association, was kind enough to tell me more about the Easter tomb in her parish. As it is not erected until Palm Sunday, I did not have the opportunity to visit it myself. But Karin describes it so impressively that it really makes you want to go and see it. "The tomb is erected by the rural youth. On the Wednesday of Holy Week, the candles behind the spheres are lit for the first time," she explains. This atmospheric event is accompanied by the Passion Singing organized by the Flaurling Horticultural Association.

The night of the resurrection

The highlight, however, is the Easter Vigil - the night from Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday. "When the church is pitch dark, the candles are lit and the baubles glow brightly, it creates a really mystical atmosphere," Karin describes enthusiastically. According to her, the colorful baubles symbolize the resurrection of Jesus, diversity and a new beginning in spring. You can visit the Holy Sepulchre in Flaurling until White Sunday - the Sunday after Easter.

A gem in Tyrol - the church of St. Moritzen in Telfs

One of my favorite jogging routes leads to Telfs, more precisely to the Moritzen church in St. Moritzen. I like this area all year round, but at Easter time it has something special: firstly, the beautiful Easter tomb and secondly, the mechanical Lenten crib, which is over 100 years old and depicts the events of the Passion. The „Mandln“ (little men) - as the people of Telfer call the moving figures - are in operation every Sunday during Lent and on Good Friday from 13:00 to 17:00. The Moritzen church is also open during this time. The colorful spheres of the Holy Sepulchre in St. Moritzen also light up on Sundays during Lent and on Good Friday. There is even another Easter tomb in Telfs, in the Peter and Paul parish church. Here you can admire a Holy Sepulchre glued together from Swiss stone pine from Maundy Thursday to Ascension Day.

Variety of Easter graves in the Innsbruck region

Of course, there are many more Easter graves to admire in the region around Innsbruck - for example in Wilten Basilica. In even-numbered years you can admire the large Easter tomb, in odd-numbered years (like this year) the small one. Other examples of impressive Easter graves can be found in Patsch, Oberperfuss and Mutters. You can find all the Easter graves in the region at a glance here. If you would like to delve deeper into the topic, I recommend the illustrated book Holy Graves in Tyrol this book invites you on an impressive journey through North, East and South Tyrol. A team of art historians visited 170 graves, which are described in detail in the book and captured in impressive pictures.