Saint Martin’s Church

The limes protecting the Roman Empire run along the Danube in Roman times. One of its watchtowers (in Rajka) was transformed to a chapel in the beginning of the 14th century. The stubby tower and nave-like windows with foil arches are fine examples of the Roman and Gothic style. The Baroque nave of the church was added to this tower chapel after the Ottoman times. A statue of Saint Martin can be seen in one of the compartments of the front façade. Rich and noble German families were once buried in the crypt underneath the church, but two old tombstones can also be seen inserted in the external wall. The medieval statue depicting “Christ with a Toothache” was found nearby and was placed in the compartment above the side entrance. The 18th century calvary and a world war memorial adorned with an angel statue stand in the churchyard. The inside of the church is rich in statues and murals. Next to the Saint Martin painting of the main altar are statues of Saint Florian and Saint Catherine with a chained dragon. A bilingual tablet reminds us that Polish soldiers found solace and prayed for their home in this church in 1939. Another marble tablet lists the ancestors of Franz Liszt in Rajka and quotes the composer’s saying: “There is one doctor: Christ – and one medicine: eternity”.

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