St. Lambrecht's Abbey was founded in 1076 by Count Markward of Eppenstein; it was dissolved from 1786 to 1805. In 1938, the building was seized by the National Socialists. From 1942 to 1945, it was used as an external storage facility of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp. The monks returned in 1946.
Locally the two churches within the monastic grounds are called the Grosskirche ('big church') and the Kleinkirche ('little church'). During restoration work of the Grosskirche in the early 1970s extraordinary frescoes dating from the latter half of the 15th century were discovered on the north wall. These show the throne of Solomon.
On the lowest level is depicted the Old Testament Judgment of Solomon, above this the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus, and above all else Jesus Christ: 'the Word of God made Flesh'. Other frescoes dating from the 14th century depict Saint Christopher and Saint Agnes. Formerly in the monastery there was also a votive altarpiece from which the Master of the Saint Lambrecht Votive Altarpiece received his name; this is now in the Alte Galerie in Graz.
References:La Hougue Bie is a Neolithic ritual site which was in use around 3500 BC. Hougue is a Jèrriais/Norman language word meaning a \'mound\' and comes from the Old Norse word haugr. The site consists of 18.6m long passage chamber covered by a 12.2m high mound. The site was first excavated in 1925 by the Société Jersiaise. Fragments of twenty vase supports were found along with the scattered remains of at least eight individuals. Gravegoods, mostly pottery, were also present. At some time in the past, the site had evidently been entered and ransacked.
In Western Europe, it is one of the largest and best preserved passage graves and the most impressive and best preserved monument of Armorican Passage Grave group. Although they are termed \'passage graves\', they were ceremonial sites, whose function was more similar to churches or cathedrals, where burials were incidental.