Hans Steininger's grave

Among the church´s numerous gravestones, one stands out particularly:

It is a renaissance epitaph on the northern exterior wall and is dedicated to the former Town Leader Hans Staininger, the "man with the very long beard".According to a legend, Staininger forgot to roll up his beard (which was approx. 2 m long, although he cut it off 18 times from his chin on) when a fire broke out in the town hall. It is said that he stepped on his beard, when he tried to run out of the building and broke his neck. After his death, his beard was taken off and remained a precious family-relic. In 1911, the beard and some of his other belongings were given to the city. These precious objects are shown in a show case in the "Duke´s Castle". Expertises (16 pages long) of 4 dermatologists proof the authenticity of the beard.



Source:

Eitzlmayr, Max, Braunau - die historische Handelsstadt, Braunau 2. Aufl. 1997