St. Areha on Frajhajm has returned
After almost eight years, the great altar of St. Areh has returned to its place
In September 2026, in the parish church of St. Areh in Frajhajm, we completed the assembly of the polychrome wooden altar screen and thus the important part of a multi-year conservation and restoration project.
The Great Altar is a work of art Jožef Straub, one of the more important late-Baroque sculptors who worked in our area, and was created in the 1850s. With his 960 cm in height and 530 cm in width It represents an exceptionally monumental whole. Unlike most of the Stravos altars, the pediment design here recedes into a large central niche, surrounded by volutes and a baldachin, with the main role being taken by powerful sculptural figures.
In the central niche stands St. Areh (Henrik) in a knightly pose with a royal crown, a golden orb and a scepter. Around him are St. Francis Xavier, St. John Nepomuk, and above the flanking niches St. Peter and St. Paul. The altar’s special feature are life-size statues placed in a distinctly theatrical, almost sculptural pose. The characteristic Stroba sculptor’s expression is recognizable in robust and rugged figures, expressive facial expressions, undulating curls, and richly sculpted drapery.
Our altar story began in April 2018, when we visited the church as part of a project. TrArS – Tracing the Art of the Straub Family. From the very first visit it was clear that the altar was severely compromised due to the extremely high humidity in the room. The polychrome cladding had become damp, lifted off the wooden support, and in many places had detached from it, so we first took emergency measures to protect and strengthen the vulnerable areas.
The decision to dismantle the altar fixture was not a matter of course. Demolition of the historical altar is a drastic intervention in its material and structural integrity, Therefore, it can be justified only in exceptional circumstances. In the case of the altar of St. Areh, the conditions in the church were extremely inadequate, and at the same time, more extensive construction interventions were planned in its interior. After careful consideration, we therefore assessed that a temporary withdrawal of the altar set was necessary to protect it and to carry out conservation and restoration procedures under controlled conditions.
In November 2018, the altar piece was disassembled and transported to the wood workshop at the ZVKDS Restoration Center. Years of research, probing, hardening, cleaning, reconstruction, and conservation and restoration treatments were then carried out on the individual architectural and sculptural elements.
Research has also revealed the surprisingly rich history of its appearance. We have discovered it in individual parts four to five renderings, Below them are the remains of the original polychrome decoration from the time the altar was created. The preserved remains show that the draperies of the saints were originally gilded and silvered with gold and silver leaf in the water-gilded or silvered technique, and the surfaces were further enriched with green, red, and blue lacquers. The architecture of the altar was painted in imitation of various types of marble – in brown, blue, gray, green, and red tones. The author of the original painting is not known at present.
Due to the size of the altar, the complex history of its paintings, and the sensitivity of the original layers preserved, the work was carried out gradually, in individual content and work phases. The methodology was continuously adapted during the intervention to new findings and the condition of the individual elements.
We collaborated with them in planning and implementing the intervention. responsible conservator with the Maribor Regional Unit of the ZVKDS, and keep them informed of the findings and the planned further procedures.
The final assembly was carried out as sub-departmental project of the Restoration Center of the ZVKDS in cooperation with Mizarstvo Novak s.p.
After almost eight years, we have returned the altar piece to its original place. Its return highlights one of the fundamental principles of conservation and restoration: cultural heritage must, whenever possible, be preserved in its original spatial, material, and historical context.
The project involved:
PROJECT MANAGER: Saša Dolinšek
RESPONSIBLE CONSERVATIONIST: Alenka Zupan
CO-WORKERS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF ZVKDS-RC: Katja Kavkler, Anže Šušteršič, Rok Dolničar, Robert Kuret, Nuška Dolenc Kambič, Marko Briesenhorn, Valentin Benedik.
EXTERNAL STAFF: Ana Oblak, Janez Novak, Franci Novak, Ana Strašek, Denis Dražetić, Anja Novak, Barbara Kogoj, Barbara Slapnik, Barbara Dragan, Nežka Faganel, Eva Lucija Krajnc, Klara Klančar, Aleksandra Mohorko, Marta Mitić, Ana Lupis, Jaka Jaklič and Valentina Pavlič.
