Churches and Cathedrals In Bad Ischl
Historic Bad Ischl, a spa town in Upper Austria, has a rich religious and cultural legacy that is especially seen in its famous churches and cathedrals. The town’s primary parish church, Pfarrkirche St. Nikolaus, was built in the Baroque style in the 18th century by Empress Maria Theresa and previously housed an amazing organ famously performed by Anton Bruckner. A hilltop pilgrimage site from the 17th century, Kalvarienbergkirche provides tranquilly and expansive vistas. Nestled in the neighboring community of St. Wolfgang, Pfarre St. Wolfgang is a Gothic structure with a towering spire and ornate interior decorations that date back to the tenth century. With its neo-Gothic architecture and frequent events, the 19th-century Protestant church in Bad Ischl, Evangelische Friedenskirche, is a representation of ecumenism and diplomatic ties. In addition to being architectural wonders, these churches help to define the town’s religious and cultural character and draw both pilgrims and visitors.
Stadtpfarrkirche St. Nikolaus
Under the Diocese of Linz and the Bad Ischl Deanery, the Stadtpfarrkirche St. Nikolaus is the Roman Catholic parish church in Bad Ischl. Remarkable for its 52-meter length, 22-meter breadth, and 20-meter dome height, the church can hold up to 3,000 people and has a 72-meter-tall tower. The year “1769” and an inscription naming Empress Maria Theresa as the main donor are engraved on its straightforwardly classical front.
The church is arranged within into four bays with vault belts held up by large pillars. There are frescoes all throughout the inside; they were painted between 1874 and 1882 by Georg Mader and other painters, who also included Nazarene themes. Old Covenant prophets, themes of faith, hope, and love, episodes from St. Nicholas’ life, and sacramental imagery are all included into the theological program of the paintings.
Three glass mosaics behind the tall altar depict Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael, the Archangels; St. Nicholas is the subject of the painting above the altar. Commissioned by Archdukes Ludwig and Franz Carl, side altars include paintings by Leopold Kupelwieser. Beginning in 1878, work on a new high altar used marble from the ruins of the Wildenstein castle near Ischl and white sandstone from Hungary. A local jeweler and Duke Philipp la Notiere Ferrari helped create the magnificent design of the tabernacle. The altar panels also use Egyptian marble from the same block that was used in the Vienna Votive Church, supplied by Archduke Ludwig Viktor of Austria.
Three eminent preachers are honored with plaques at the Stations of the Cross within the chapel, which were carved by Sebastian Steiner in 1895. Together, these creative and structural components add to the Stadtpfarrkirche St. Nikolaus’s beauty and significance, reflecting its historical and religious significance in the Bad Ischl community.
Evangelical Parish Church of Bad Ischl
Converted from a granary to a church between 1876 and 1881, the Evangelical Parish Church of Bad Ischl, also called the Church of Peace. As the parish church of Bad Ischl, it is a member of the Evangelical Superintendency AB Upper Austria and serves about 1350 Protestant Christians in the area. The Evangelical Friedenskirche in Bad Ischl is one of the seven Protestant churches located within the judicial district of Bad Ischl.
The church and vicarage combine to create a unified neo-Gothic structure atop the Plaimstein hill. Tucked up between Bahnhofstrasse and Voglhuberstrasse, next to the Eurotherme, it has a tower with exposed roof beams and a tiny rectangular floor layout. The pulpit is on the left side of the altar and a little vault with a baptismal font is on the right side of the hall church. The main entrance is on the north side, away from the street. With its east side entrance, the parsonage, which includes the parish hall, offices, and apartments, is located in the southern half.
The Berlin altarpiece “Inviting Christ” is on display on the south side of the church, and the organ gallery looks out over the northern section. A sign over the entry gate, “Jesus speaks: Let the little children come to me,” captures the friendly atmosphere of the church.
Kalvarienbergkirche Bad Ischl
Known by many as the Calvary Church, the Kalvarienbergkirche is a magnificent example of baroque ecclesiastical art and architecture and is perched on a hill overlooking Bad Ischl in Upper Austria. Mirroring the Calvary in Jerusalem, it was built in the early eighteenth century and represents a site of pilgrimage and devotion. The local salt mining guild sponsored the church’s opening in 1711. Significant additions throughout the ages included towers, side altars, and a Salzburg bell.
The little church with its elaborate decorations has a crucifixion group in the apse with nine wooden figurines that represent Jesus, Mary, John, and other characters. Supposedly from the Turkish wars, the facade features clay figurines showing Jesus’ condemnation. Inside the church are altars, paintings, and frescoes, the main altar including a Paul Preisl crucifixion picture. It captures the baroque spirit and over time has inspired a number of artists and writers as a mirror of the faith, history, and culture of the area.
The church’s original baroque aspect was preserved by renovations and restorations, most famously in 1960–1961, which also improved its historical value. The fact that the church has been there for more than three centuries is evidence of its continuing significance to the residents of Bad Ischl. Its representation in the creations of well-known painters and incorporation in literary works attests even more to its lasting cultural value in the area.
Pfandl Parish Church
Built between 1957 and 1958, the Pfandl parish church is an example of modern, elegant architecture designed by Karl Holey. With a length of 33 meters, a breadth of 16 meters, and a height of 12 meters, it has a roomy interior that can hold up to 700 people, albeit seating is only 300. The church is dominated by its five-story, 35-meter tower, which has a baptismal chamber on the bottom floor.
Notable are the nine stained-glass windows, which Lydia Roppolt created and which give vivid colors and a creative atmosphere while depicting events from Mary’s life. 3.6 meters in height and 60 cm in breadth, these windows were made at the well-known glassworks of Schlierbach Abbey.
Within the church, three altars honor various facets of Christian religion. The main altar is dedicated to St. Mary; side altars made of Schwarzensee marble celebrate the Heart of Jesus and St. Christopher. With its dark and glossy polish, this native stone also covers the communion bench, holy water font, and entryway panels. Against the Gosau conglomerate rock flooring in the nave, the presbytery floor, where clergy members sit, is light-colored Italian marble.
Reproduction of a Gothic figure originally carved in wood during the 14th century, currently kept at the Upper Austrian Provincial Museum, the Madonna and Child with a halo and mandorla is a magnificent piece of art that adorns the presbytery. The Roppolt family gave the church this bronze replica.
Offering daily hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Pfandl parish church is a monument of art, architecture, religion, and dedication. Being a popular site in Upper Austria, it welcomes people to enjoy its cultural and religious legacy with regular services on Sundays and weekdays.
Parish Church Lauffen
Lauffen’s Gothic-styled Roman Catholic parish and pilgrimage church, “Maria im Schatten” (Mary in the Shadow), honors the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Records describing a timber building in 1117, which by the middle of the 15th century had changed to a stone church, date it to the 12th century. In the sixteenth century Lauffen became independent after being first a part of the parish of Goisern.
The church radiates Gothic grandeur with its two-aisled, three-and-a-half-bay nave with a diamond star ceiling and its vividly colored and florally decorated walls. Comprising the superb Baroque high altar, finished in 1719, the choir is somewhat off-center from the nave axis and features a cross vault with a 3/8 closure. This altar, which represents the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, has a relic—a portion of Mary’s veil—that was purchased in Jerusalem.
Saints include St. Sebastian and St. Roch are honored by two side altars that were rebuilt in 1845 and again in 1951. A 15th-century wooden crucifix famous for its purported supernatural qualities is also housed in a chapel south of the choir, built in 1456. Offering sweeping views of the town and river is a 1705 tower with an onion-shaped dome.
The town and church coat of arms, together with a Latin inscription that reads, “Hic est domus Dei et porta coeli” (This is the home of God and the gate of heaven), decorate the entryway, which has a late 17th-century wrought iron grille. As a major site of cultural and religious heritage, the church welcomes pilgrims as well as tourists to worship its treasures and take in the Gothic beauty.
