Pfarrkirche Geretsberg

The name of the parish of Geretsberg probably goes back to a personal name, Gerold or Gebhard. One version also says that Count Gebhard I or II of Burghausen founded Geretsberg. This would mean that he had a church built here, which soon became the centre of a pastoral area and around which a village developed. Geretsberg was first mentioned in documents around 1120. In 1147, Geretsberg is already mentioned in Rome. There, a document is issued to Ranshofen Abbey in which Geretsberg is confirmed as a pastoral centre. Between 1262-77 the parish rights of Hochburg are transferred to Geretsberg and a parish priest with parish rights is appointed. In any case, Geretsberg is already mentioned as a fully-fledged parish in a document dated 6 December 1330. Hochburg would have wanted to join Salzburg via Ostermiething, which is why Ranshofen was linked more firmly to the monastery via Geretsberg and thus to Passau. The much older Hochburg remained with Geretsberg for over half a millennium. Augustinian canons from Ranshofen Abbey were in charge of the parish pastoral care in Geretsberg until the 18th century.

The current Geretsberg parish church is a Gothic building from the first half of the 15th century. In 1909, the church was extended by 1 1/2 bays to the west. The parish church is dedicated to the apostles St Peter and St Paul. The beautiful baroque interior dates from around 1660/70 and the altarpiece of St Peter and St Paul is by the famous baroque painter Tobias Schinagl from Burghausen. He portrayed himself in St Paul.