Siebenbrunn: Settlement Pattern, Wayside Crosses and Religious Customs

Siebenbrunn combines a distinctive historical settlement pattern with a local history in which wayside crosses and religious observances feature repeatedly. The crescent-shaped alignment of farmsteads, the Gewannflur (a system of open-field strips) and the common land are all part of the settlement community’s character, dating back to the colonization period. If you are looking for a holiday apartment and are interested in local history, you will find two clear themes here: the layout of the settlement and religious customs.

Farmsteads, Fields and Common Land

The historic settlement pattern includes a regular layout and a crescent-shaped alignment of farmsteads, as well as the Gewannflur system and common land. The alignment describes the arrangement of the farmsteads; a Gewannflur divides fields into Gewanne (strips), while common land refers to land used collectively. This means the focus is not only on individual buildings, but also on the settlement’s layout and the shared use of land. If you are travelling with children, the local history can be summed up in three simple questions: How were the farmsteads arranged? How were the fields divided? What was used collectively?

Wayside Crosses and Local Religious History

Siebenbrunn has three wayside crosses, documented in the book “Religious Wayside Monuments and Places of Worship in the Hartberg Parish Area.” The village cross was renovated and redesigned, then solemnly blessed by Dean Dr Josef Reisenhofer on Whit Monday, 12 May 2008, as part of a Christian instruction service. In 2017, Susanne and Hannes Schirnhofer completely redesigned the Schirnhofer Cross; the villagers blessed it at a convivial gathering. On 17 May 2025, a May devotion was held in Siebenbrunn, including the blessing of the renovated Hofer Cross.

The occasions differ: in 2008, the focus was on the blessing after renovation and redesign; in 2017, it was the blessing of the Schirnhofer Cross after its complete redesign; and in 2025, a blessing during the May devotion. The village cross is also used every two years for the blessing of Easter foods. These individual historical dates thus sit alongside a recurring custom.

Religious Observances Throughout the Year

Every year on 1 May, around 25 people from Siebenbrunn make a pilgrimage together to Auffen. Unlike the blessing of Easter foods, which takes place every two years, this is a recurring religious observance held on a fixed date each year. In 2026, children from Siebenbrunn went out with their companions as carol singers, even in cold and snowy weather.

For Whit Monday 2025, the Siebenbrunn/Mitterdombach teaching group invited people to a Christian instruction service; Pastor Michael Junghoon Kim from Grafendorf celebrated Mass, as he had the previous year.

Choose a Holiday Apartment Based on Your Reason for Travelling

When looking for a holiday apartment in Siebenbrunn, start by asking what brings you here: would you like to focus on the historic settlement layout or on a recurring religious observance? The local history offers a cultural and historical perspective that is not tied to a particular feast day; the religious customs, meanwhile, have different points of reference in the annual 1 May pilgrimage and the blessing of Easter foods every two years. If you are planning your trip around a particular celebration, check its date before booking.

Discover more destinations: Sankt Stefan, Vorau, Bad Waltersdorf, Bad Blumau, Maierhofbergen, Geiseldorf, Wenigzell, Obertiefenbach.

For the broader travel overview: Hartberg-Fürstenfeld.