Lörrach

In the shade of the trees on the terrace in front of the Ottilien-Kirche, you can let your gaze wander from the Black Forest, across the Jura to the Burgunder Pforte and on through to the southern Vosges. According to one of the many legends this was, together with two other hills around Basle, home to one of the “three sisters”, daughter of a knight from Schloss Pfeffingen, whose lover was murdered by her father (Binningen – St. Margarethen and Bettingen – St. Chrischona). This type of legend involving three women is closely linked to a pre-Christian belief system, containing such figures as the Roman-Celtic Matronae and the German Nornen, and to the triad of Mother Moon, Mother Earth and Mother Sun. In the Ottilien Kirche there is a further link to female trilogy, a fresco of the three Marias, Mary Magdelene, Mary-Salome and Mary Kleopas, gathered at Christ’s grave. It is thought to be the work of Konrad Witz. The original patronage of the church remains unknown. It is possibly a St. Michael’s Chapel that was built on a pre-Christian holy site.

Seen from the Hünerberg, the sun sets on the winter solstice exactly above the St. Ottilien church on the Tüllingen hill. Incidentally, the Celtic settlement “Basel-Gasfabrik” also lies on the same sun line. And this line is in turn part of the great “Belchen system”.