Holy Blood of Wilsnack

The Holy Blood of Wilsnack was the name given to three hosts, which survived a fire in 1383 that burned the church and village to the ground.

In 1383 a quarrel broke out between one of the knights of the Prignitz, Heinrich von Bülow and the Bishop of Havelberg, Dietrich Man.

In 1395, Johann III Wöplitz, Bishop of Havelberg, incorporated the church into his episcopal household so that two-thirds of the income flowed directly to the bishopric.

[3] In 1412, Günther II of Schwarzburg, Metropolitan Archbishop of Magdeburg ordered an investigation, which found that the shrine bred confusion in that the mostly poor pilgrims could not comprehend the theological issues.

Some contemporary religious figures like Nicholas of Cusa discouraged pilgrimage to Wilsnack, questioning the nature of these wonder hosts and suspecting fraud.

Pope Eugene IV compromised by requiring that a freshly consecrated host be displayed alongside the relics.The controversy continued for more than a century.

[1] The common people persisted in making pilgrimages to see the hosts, which were important objects of devotion until destroyed by Protestant reformers in 1558.