Deutsch-Griffen - St. Jakobus

Hemma of Gurk donated a chapel in "Grivinne" in 1043. The chapel belonged to the chapter of the Gurk cathedral in 1157 and around 1218 was the parish church Deutsch-Griffen.


The Romanesque structure was rebuilt as a fortified church in the 15th century, when it served as a refuge for the villagers during the Turkish incursions. Since then it is surounded by a wall. The octagonal Karner (ossuary) erected in the 14th century was used as a defense tower duirng that time.
The Karner is dedicated to Saint Oswald (of Northumbria). The basement is still full of human bones.