the glass window of the peasant Rosina Buecher’s house on January 17, 1797, was transferred to the church; the church was then called Maria Absam Sanctuary. On June 24, 2000, the day of St. John the Baptist and the village's second patron saint, the church was proclaimed a Basilica, although there had been no petition for such a change by the community. It thus became the first sanctuary without a monastery in Tyrol to get this designation. Notable people Josef Feistmantl (born 1939): luger Franz Fischler (born 1946): politician Jacob Stainer: (born 1619): luthier Max Weiler (born 1910): painter Economy Industries Absam is home to the Swarovski Optik KG founded in 1935 by Wilhelm Swarovski; having developed a process of smoothing lenses and prisms, he applied it to the production of binoculars. The first serial product, "Habicht 7 x 42" is still in production and used mainly in the hunting optics. Swarovski Optik also manufactures telescopes, rifle scopes, optronic instruments, range finders and image intensifier tubes. References External links Official Website of Absam Region Hall-Wattens: Absam Tiroler Fachberufsschule für Tourismus Absam Cities and towns in Innsbruck-Land District