the first church was built around a shrine to the holy mother, which is the origin of the name "maria taferl." the legends say that the statue of the pietà at the shrine was an offering from alexander schinagel, a forester, who had a miraculous recovery from a serious illness. it replaced a crucifix there, which had also been the site of a miracle, for when local shepherd thomas pachmann tried to chop down the oak on which it was placed, he gravely injured both his legs. after a prayer to the virgin mary, his almost fatal wounds stopped bleeding. the old oak was destroyed by fire in 1755, which also damaged the statue.