Attractions & Landmarks In Bruck a der Mur
Twelve turrets, some of which are still standing, surrounded the medieval city of Bruck a der Mur. Among the architectural treasures in the city is the Parish Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, a neo-Gothic Catholic church built in 1883 with a striking bell tower.
The Gothic gateway and unusual fresco of a female saint are features of the 15th-century graveyard church Church of St. Ruprecht im Friedhof. An eighteenth-century cross on the property enhances its artistic and historical value. A late Gothic church originally devoted to the Trinity, the Holy Spirit church has an unusual triangle design and was painstakingly restored to its former state in 2011.
Neo-Romanesque in design, the Evangelical Church in Bruck a der Mur was built in 1906. Its architectural charm is increased by its red brick façade, stained glass windows, pipe organ, and rose window above the main entrance. Richly ornamented with sgraffito, reliefs, and coats of arms, the Kornmesserhaus is a Renaissance structure constructed in 1498 by trader Hans Kornmesser.
Probably built in the second century AD, the Roman bridge at St. Dionysen was an essential part of the Roman post route that connected Flavia Solva, Poedicum, and Stiriate. Remaining a monument of the city’s historic infrastructure, it is classified as such. First documented in 1066, the Church of St. George at Pöglhof underwent late-Gothic reconstruction in the fifteenth century. It is home of the well-known Martinstafel, a 1518 painting regarded as a major late-Gothic masterpiece in Styria.
Modern cultural, event, and convention venue with cutting edge amenities is the Stadtsaal Bruck a der Mur. Up to 500 people may attend its large auditorium, which is used for a variety of events including balls, seminars, cabarets, concerts, and exhibits. Constructed as a component of the citizen hospital in the 14th and 15th centuries, the Bürgerspitalskirche St. Martin has a Gothic doorway and a cross-ribbed vault in the choir. Another 1518 Martinstafel, a picture that echoes its counterpart in the Church of St. George at Pöglhof, is housed there.
A former 16th-century bathhouse, the Baderhaus is now a restaurant and private room rental. A bathroom and flat-screen cable TV are features of every themed room. Finally, the Baroque-style Iron Fountain with a wrought-iron canopy was built in 1726 by artist Balthasar Prandtstätter in Brucker’s Main Square. The fountain represents the Bruck a der Mur iron industry and shows the four seasons, the four elements, and the four cardinal virtues.
Because Bruck a der Mur is situated in the middle of the Grazer Bergland in the south, the Fischbacher Alps with Peter Rosegger’s forest home in the east, the Hochschwab with the Grüner See in the north, and the neighboring Niedere Tauern in the west, it is a starting point for hiking trips of all difficulty. Apart from the Murrad and Mürztalradweg, the Kornmesserstadt is traversed by other regional and municipal bike routes.
City fortifications Bruck an der Mur
Built after area was divided, mostly from Admont Abbey, the old town of Bruck a der Mur is situated in the Styria district of Bruck-Mürzzuschlag. Rebuilding of the town was supervised by King Ottokar II Pemysl Pemysl in 1263, who also built a fortification atop the Schlossberg and positioned it strategically within the triangle created by the Mur and Mürz rivers. The town was recognized as a “oppidum” in 1265 and Rudolf von Habsburg approved its town charter in 1277. In 1301 the Minorite monastery was founded to strengthen the city wall.
An economic crisis brought on by the termination of salt deposit rights in 1541 presented Bruck with difficulties. But in 1575 the salt trade was once more allowed. In 1461, 1510, 1683, and 1792, the town had a number of catastrophic fires; the latter one nearly destroyed the entire city. Important gates that were destroyed throughout time were Schifftor (1888), Leobner Gate (1876), Vienna Gate (1844), and Graz Gate (1839).
Situated on the east bank of the Mürz and the south side of the Mur, the city defenses comprise the Minorite monastery, the old gates of Vienna and Graz, and the integrated Landskron Castle with a northern fortification tower (now the clock tower) at the north-east corner. In the west there was a moat with Friedrichsallee as it is now. A long-line arrangement of city streets inside the walls led to the big rectangular Kolloman-Wallisch-Platz main plaza in the middle.
Bruck a der Mur parish church was once surrounded by a cemetery, which makes it stand off from the main square by a row of houses. Twelve towers in all guarded the medieval wall; several have survived, including the clock tower, ship’s tower, and the towers at Stephanienpark and Fridrichsallee (now in ruins). Remarkably, not one of the four robust gates that used to provide access to the city has survived.
Parish Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary
Situated in the Styrian municipality, Bruck a der Mur Roman Catholic parish church and provost is a noteworthy architectural and religious monument. Part of the Bruck a der Mur deanery in the diocese of Graz-Seckau, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary parish church has historical roots going back to the city’s reorganization in 1272.
Situated on the northern edge of the old town, the church has a combination of architectural styles. An old Romanesque nave, altered during a late Gothic conversion, coexists with the Gothic choir and choir tower. In 1336 the choir was first dedicated, and in 1498 the church was granted parish status. Notably, up to Emperor Joseph II’s diocesan rule, the parish priest was an archdeacon, representing the Salzburg Archbishop as the episcopal vicar over the Mur and Mürz valley (“Upper Mark”).
Under a single gabled roof, the side aisle and chapel extend northward from the nave, which is distinguished by brickwork from the thirteenth century. Water hammer non-stepped buttresses used in Late Gothic stabilizations to the south and west help to maintain the church’s structural stability. In the southwest corner rises a late Gothic polygonal stair tower with unusual elements, which adds a distinguishing architectural aspect. Big stone masonry choir tower, finished in 1890, with twin pointed windows and an octagonal lantern with a pointed helmet.
Matthias Schiffer’s (1807) altarpiece depicting the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is on display in the church’s early 19th-century classical high altar. North of the choir and choir tower sits the sacristy, a two-story building from the latter half of the 17th century. Several side altars from the eighteenth century have altarpieces by Philipp Carl Laubmann and other painters. Among the well-known pieces of art are wall altars with Laubmann’s “Painful Heart of Mary” (1750) and “Last Supper” (1751).
The church also has a mid-18th-century statue of St. Johannes Nepomuk, statues of Saints Florian and Sebastian on the triumphal arch, and a classical pulpit from the early 19th century with allegorical depictions of the Three Divine Virtues. An altarpiece by Ioannes J. Terzanus Comenis from 1647 depicts the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and is located on the northern wall of the nave.
A mid-15th century late Gothic crucifix, classical statues of Mary and John, and a variety of 17th and 18th-century canvas paintings of scenarios including Ecce Homo, the Carrying of the Cross, and The Last Supper are also kept in the church. Among the centuries-old gravestones and coat of arms tombstones in the burial grounds around the choir are those of renowned people like Caspar Myrer (1759), Franz Ignaz Marchovitsch (1676), and Duke Ernst von Eisernen (1424).
Church of St. Ruprecht im Friedhof
The 1416 frescoes at Bruck a der Mur, Styria, Austria’s Church of St. Ruprecht im Friedhof are dedicated to St. Rupert of Salzburg. Now used mostly for funerals, the Roman Catholic Church is located close outside of town. A stone sign close to the west doorway claims that the church complex, which is encircled by a cemetery on the right bank of the Mur, was consecrated first in 1063. Prominent art historians dispute this assertion, nevertheless, and between 1195 and 1545 the church is formally acknowledged as a parish church.
The present southern nave was a part of a flat-roofed Romanesque church with an adjoining choir square tower. A second nave was built north between 1415 and 1416, joined to the current nave by breaking through the old north wall. An eastward 5/8 apse ends the new extension. East of the tower were built a sacristy, a circular stair tower to the south, and a two-bay choir with a 5/8 closure. In 1770 the church tower was raised, and a baroque onion dome with a lantern took its place.
Within, the church has two naves and four bays with a ribbed roof. Part of the design are grouted pillars and ribs with finely carved, colorful keystones. The saint Rupert is honored by the baroque high altar, which dates to around 1680 and has an altar painting of the saint together with an old picture of the church. The interior is enhanced with a baroque organ, a baroque side altar, a late Gothic octagonal baptismal font fashioned of red marble, and a Matthäus Krenauer pulpit from 1735.
The cemetery, next to the church, has a Saint Erhard-dedicated Romanesque ossuary from the early 13th century that is now a war memorial. The ossuary has a Gothic ceiling. The cemetery is historically significant because it has a large number of antique grave constructions that date back to about 1900.
Holy Spirit Chapel Bruck an der Mur
At Bruck a der Mur, Styria, Austria, the Holy Spirit Chapel—originally Trinity Church—is a remarkable architectural relic with a six-pointed star vault and a characteristic triangular form. Built in 1422 as a replacement chapel for one at the plague hospital, the chapel is crucial to the country and suffered serious damage in 1480 during a Turkish invasion. Rich contributions from well-known families in the late 15th century, such as the Holzapfel, Pögl, and Kornmesser families, made possible its repair and boosted the town’s economy.
Up until 1783, when it became run-down, services were held at the chapel. After being desecrated and then sold in 1794, the church was used as a stable and storage facility. It became an inn in 1817, and tracery windows were taken out during renovations in 1921. Owned by the municipality since 1955, the structure was converted into a housing for city workers and had walls and ceilings built. The church has been empty since 1999 when plans to destroy it to make room for a motorway interchange were shelved.
2011 saw Philipp Harnoncourt and his siblings make a plea to Bruck to protect and renovate the Holy Spirit Chapel. Now a unique landmark, the structure emphasizes among its goals environmental stewardship.
The chapel is built in late Gothic style with three trapezoidal altar niches separated by an equilateral triangle plan with beveled sides. Three identical portals with windows adorn the outside of the hexagonal center space, which has a ribbed vault. The southwest gateway still has its original shoulder arch hidden below a tracery window. With triumphant gates resembling choirs in the altar niches facing different directions, the church is divided into a nave and choir.
2013 saw the discovery of additional ornamental features, one of which being a damaged foundation inscription from 1497 that named Pankraz Kornmess, Michael Holzapfel, Leonhard Schierling, and Albrecht Dyem along with their coats of arms. A discussion also pointed up an eastward deforested region where, on Ash Wednesday, February 12, 1494, the rising sun coincided with the church, matching the southeast choir’s later placement on the first Sunday of Lent.
Evangelical Church in Bruck an der Mur
With affiliation to the Evangelical Superintendency AB Styria, the Evangelical Church in Bruck a der Mur, Styria, serves as the parish church for the local evangelical community. Before the peasants rose up in revolt in 1525, Bruck saw the emergence of the evangelical religion, with Lutheran-minded priests such as priest Christoph Wagner and Dr. Otmar. Predating the Counter-Reformation implemented in 1598, the community’s dedication to Protestantism was cemented in 1577 when Archduke Karl pledged freedom of belief in the Brucker state assembly.
In Bruck a Protestant community was formally founded in the 19th century. The town had visitor privileges at the Lichtenstein Castle church from 1859 to 1863, and an emergency church was established in a guest room above an ice cellar from 1869 until 1900. 1902 saw the opening of a prayer room, which Otto Bartning subsequently altered. The church was granted autonomous congregation status in 1912, but World War I hampered Otto Kuhlmann’s 1913 plans for a new edifice. A further effort that ran from 1936 to 1938 met a similar end because of World War II. Based on plans by Sepp Letzner, the new church was actually built between 1957 and 1959. Its three bell peal was added in 2002.
Octagonal in shape, the Evangelical Church has a chancel and rectangular entry porch. There is a pointed ridge tower and a gallery on the eight-sided tent roof of the building. The stepped entrance and the two arched windows are clear examples of how abstract historicism is reflected in the architecture. Especially, there are allusions to the octagonal Church of the Redeemer in Krems a der Donau, which Otto Bartning built between 1912 and 1913.
Being the earliest Protestant church in Rottenmann, the Holy Spirit Chapel in Bruck a der Mur is a late Gothic core structure that dates back to the pre-Reformation period. An important architectural paradigm for other buildings is the eight-sided center edifice, best represented by the Evangelical Church. The Holy Spirit Chapel’s late Gothic style is in keeping with the pre-Reformation era and advances knowledge of the area’s Protestant history.
Kornmesserhaus
An outstanding example of Gothic architecture in an Austrian non-religious setting is the Kornmesserhaus in Bruck a der Mur. Constructed for prominent hammer industry magnate Pankraz Kornmeß between 1499 and 1505, the structure has a unique architectural style influenced by Venetian palaces from the same era. Particularly noticeable is this influence in the complex open arcade facade, which emphasizes the design’s brilliance.
Impressively beautiful, the loggia and the wall-mounted Kornmess coat of arms are obvious reminders of the area’s wealth and vast iron and arsenic trading links. Representing the bourgeoisie’s riches during Maximilian I’s rule, the Kornmesserhaus is conspicuously located at No. 22 on Brucker’s main plaza.
Remarkable ornamental features on the house’s façade are reminiscent of the style that was traditionally associated with the west gallery of the Eisenerz parish church of St. Oswald, built between 1513 and 1517. This architectural link highlights even more the Kornmesserhaus’s rich artistic and historical fabric.
From 1622 to 1629, the Kornmesserhaus functioned civically as Brucker’s town hall, lending historical significance to its already notable appearance. But in 1792 a big fire badly damaged the building, causing a setback for the town. Notwithstanding this obstacle, the Kornmesserhaus continues to have architectural and historical significance and provides a concrete link to the economic success and cultural influences of its day.
Roman bridge at St. Dionysen
Along the road to Sankt Dionysen in the Bruck a der Mur, Bruck-Mürzzuschlag municipality, the Roman bridge at St. Dionysen in Oberdorf, Styria, is an arched construction that was probably built in Roman times out of quarry stones. The bridge is important historically as a writing from 1454 mentions its existence. It is thought to have formed a section of the old Roman post road that from Flavia Solva near Wagna to Poedicum, which is now Bruck a der Mur, and then to Stiriate, which is now Liezen.
The bridge was identified as a Roman building in 1993 after a survey conducted by Australian engineer O’Connor. The exact construction period of the bridge is yet unclear. In implying the bridge’s historic beginnings, O’Connor cites an earlier 1960s article. An additional level of complication to the bridge’s historical categorization is that it is not listed in Galliazzo’s more thorough 1994 inventory.
The preservation of a portion of this road’s path at Badl emphasizes the connection of the bridge with a Roman route. This connection to a larger Roman infrastructure network deepens the historical background of the Roman bridge at St. Dionysen.
Church Of St. George At Pöglhof
Perched on a northern slope of the city, the St. George Church at the Pöglhof is an example of late Gothic architecture. At first recognized as the proprietary church of the Eppensteiners in 1066, it was transferred to the Pögl family of Brucker in 1531. Known as the Pöglhof chapel ever since, the church has kept its ancestorical and familial name.
The church has a hexagonal tower, a hipped roof, and a simple façade that defy ornate decoration. Remarkable is the sacristy extension inside the chancel, which houses a crucifix from the eighteenth century and gives the building more theological and historical meaning.
Rich tendril paintings within the St. George Church, which date back to about 1520–30, add to its visual appeal. The inside of the church is made more visually appealing by these elaborate representations, which are typical of the creative style of the time. A unique element inside the cathedral, a depiction of the 14 Holy Helpers from about 1511, also gives its artistic and historical significance a theological component.
Stadtsaal Bruck an der Mur
Bruck a der Mur’s Stadtsaal is a multifunctional cultural center made to host a variety of community events and activities. Built as a worker’s dorm in the 1920s, the town hall has evolved into a contemporary, technologically advanced space used for a variety of cultural, educational, and recreational activities.
The Stadtsaal is now a state-of-the-art venue for conferences, trade exhibitions, cabarets, exhibits, concerts, theatrical productions, and balls. With its sophisticated technology setup, the location offers all the components needed to host a variety of events, such as balls, seminars, readings, exhibits, and cabaret acts. This flexibility allows the community to be engaged by providing a rich and varied cultural experience.
Holding up to its origins as a social meeting spot, Bruck a der Mur locals still rely heavily on the Stadtsaal. It provides a wide range of interests with cultural events, entertainment, and educational possibilities. The town hall is still a crucial part of the social and cultural life of the community whether it be during festivals, festivities, times of cultural appreciation, or knowledge-seeking activities.
The layout of the Stadtsaal guarantees variety and adaptability of usage by offering enough of room for different kinds of activities. A balcony with an extra 170 chairs and a main hall with a parquet floor of 545 m² can hold 420 people. To the venue’s adaptability is added a 350 m² gallery with 150 seats. For more exclusive events, the 95 m² Schlossberg Hall offers 90 seats. The 300 m² cinema and lecture hall in the Stadtsaal further add to the venue’s versatility for holding a variety of events.
Bürgerspitalskirche St. Martin
A church built in the 14th and 15th centuries is part of the Bürgerspital, a complex with recorded history going back to the early 14th century. With the Martin chapel constructed in 1331, the building’s core began to take shape in the 15th and 16th centuries. On the north side are two panels of fish bladder tracery and a late Gothic pointed arch doorway. Beside the entrance is a fresco that shows a female saint.
Two double-lane tracery windows embellish the choir of the Bürgerspitalskirche. An architecturally rich feature of the nave is a ribbed ceiling from the later half of the 15th century. A 14th-century ribbed ceiling that culminates in a keystone depicting the Lamb of God sets apart the choir.
One famous item connected to the Bürgerspital is the Martinstafel, which was made in 1518 by an unidentified artist. Known as one of Styria’s most famous late Gothic buildings, this masterpiece is presently on loan to the Landesmuseum Joanneum. Presently located in Bruck’s school center in the Federal Forester’s School, the Martinstafel is historically significant and provides a backdrop for school activities.
The Baderhaus - The Former Bathhouse From The 16th Century
Two well-preserved boiler foundations, traces of a central heating system, a water pipe, a house well and the remains of an oven were discovered in the ancient 16th-century bathhouse during restoration work in 2000. Partly visible in the dining room, these features shed light on the building’s historical purpose and importance.
Historical research shows that, especially in connection to the Mur River port, the house, which was positioned strategically at the city’s outermost wall, was important to both health and economy. Probably serving as a hostel, tavern, bathing place, and transshipment location for items handled by moored boatmen, the bathhouse was a multipurpose building.
Records mentioning the Murbad go back to its restoration in 1613, indicating that it was there before to this period of time being recorded. Barbershop duties in the past included cutting, cleaning, mending wounds, and bloodletting.
Layers to the site’s historical strata are added by the foundations of a previous medieval building that are evident inside the showroom. The old bathhouse is now a restaurant that has been restored to its original design while accommodating modern usage.
The Marian Column On Brucker's Main Square
The Marian column in the main square was ordered to be built in 1710 by the people of Brucker in reaction to the general risks of plague, fire, and floods. Aiming to make peace with God, this monument also functioned as a pilgrimage starting point. Situated on a polished shaft with the municipal coat of arms gracing the plinth, the baroque statue of Maria Immaculata by Josef Wolff is the focal point of the column.
Six saints, Florian, Sebastian, Joseph, Johann Nepomuk, Rochus, and Antonius, are also depicted on either side of the Marian column, which was created by the local sculptor Ignaz Marxer. The column has religious and symbolic value because of these sculptures.
The Marian column changed after the 1792 town fire, when a fountain took its position and it was moved to the southern end of the square. In 1796 the column had more repairs. Following painstaking repair work in 1961, the Marian column was relocated to the main plaza in 2006.
The Iron Fountain On Brucker's Main Square
Among the most famous works of wrought iron art in Styria is the Iron Fountain. For those without easy access to the Mur River, the fountain has been a lifeline for Bruck’s citizens since the 12th century.
Strategically built, the Iron Fountain tapped into the groundwater level of the Mur, therefore removing the need for locals to walk down to its banks for water. Once the fountain was built, this guaranteed the locals a handy and nearby water source.
Created in 1626, the well arbor is a stunning example of Renaissance style craftsmanship with its spindle flowers and wrought iron tendrils. A 1693 enclosing grate on the parapet and an 1883 flywheel provide even more visual appeal to the fountain, which is topped with a little statue of Saint George.
Placed conspicuously on the main square of the city since the early 17th century, the Iron Fountain has become a Bruck icon. Being the second-largest inner city square in Austria, the main plaza alone is 13,000 m². The fountain is still a draw for people in Bruck, especially at night, even though it is no longer used as a water supply.
