Churches & Cathedrals In Klagenfurt
Rich in ecclesiastical and cultural legacy, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee is the capital and biggest city of the Austrian state of Carinthia. Situated on the glan river and the lovely lake Wörthersee, Klagenfurt boasts many churches and cathedrals, some of which have Middle Ages origins.
The eldest and biggest church in Klagenfurt, the St. Egid Parish Church is among the most famous ones there. Built in the Gothic style in the fourteenth century, it was subsequently rebuilt in the Baroque style in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Dedicated to Saint Giles, the St. Egid Parish Church boasts a tall tower and exquisitely painted interior that holds many religious and cultural activities all year long.
The seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt, the bishop resides at the other important church in Klagenfurt, the Klagenfurt Cathedral. Originally constructed in the 16th century as a Protestant church, the Counter-Reformation brought it under conversion to a Catholic church. The cathedral boasts a straightforward, sophisticated façade with a massive organ, stained glass windows, and a high vaulted ceiling inside. It honours Saints Peter and Paul.
Older Lutheran churches in Austria are Christ Church, the principal Protestant church in Klagenfurt. Constructed in the late 16th century, it represents the religious liberty given to Protestants by Emperor Rudolf II. Christ Church is committed to Jesus Christ with its Renaissance form and small inside space.
Built in the 17th century as a pilgrimage place, the little and picturesque Kreuzbergl Church is situated atop the Kreuzbergl hill. Later on it turned into a memorial for the two world war dead. The church presents a sober and comfortable interior and has Baroque architectural design. It honours the Holy Cross.
Built in the 18th century as a chapel for Benedictine monks, Marienkirche is a little and lovely church right in the middle of the city. Later on it evolved into a parish church with a delicate and elegant Rococo design. Comprising Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, the Marienkirche is situated adjacent to the Benedictine market. Among the several religious sites dotting Klagenfurt, a city that deftly blends history, culture, and spirituality, these churches and cathedrals are only a handful.
St. Egid Church
Rich in history going back to the 13th century, the Roman Catholic parish church of Klagenfurt-St. Egid is located in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria. Originally recorded in 1255, the church acquired parish rights in 1303 and its first written reference in 1347. It was rebuilt in 1540; city plans from 1605 and 1649 reflected its original Gothic form.
From 1563 to 1600, the church held Reformation evangelical services. Fires destroyed the parsonage and a Romanesque ossuary in 1636; earthquakes damaged the church in 1571, 1680, and 1688. By 1690 the Romanesque church was finally destroyed.
Rededication of the church resulted from reconstruction activities in 1697. Initiated in 1692, the new tower, with a baroque onion dome and a height of 91.7 meters, was finished in 1709 Again in 1723 the church and tower suffered damage from fire. Designed with stucco Lustro pilasters and baroque windows, the present construction is a four-bay gallery church with a two-bay square chancel.
Among the other noteworthy elements are a baroque pulpit built by Benedikt Bläß in 1740, a high altar rebuilt in 1729 and refurbished in 1780, and ceiling frescoes by Fromiller and Mölckh put in 1760 or 61. The parish consisted in two branch churches: Kreuzbergl (1742) and Holy Spirit (1639). In 1772 the graveyard in front of the church was left deserted.
Rebuilding and renovations defined the early and 19th century. Storm damage resulted in ceiling renovations spanning 1817 and 1827. From 1859 until 1861, the interior was reconstructed; the church tower was rebuilt in 1877. Architect Franz Schachner rebuilt the front in 1893. < Added in 1895 was a monument to Maria Lourdes.
Church bells were destroyed in 1917 during World War I; replacement ones were dedicated in 1924. While National Socialism brought difficulties, the church stayed relatively unscathed during bombings in Klagenfurt.
Founded in 1932, the Church Music Association of St. Egid Built in 1964–1965, the present vicarage underwent renovations between 1969 and 1974 and from 1982 until 1984. In 1989 Ernst Fuchs designed the south sacristy as a chapel. In 1990 the church got fresh bells; in 1992 it acquired a new organ.
2006–07 saw more development including an underground parking facility. Emphasizing the church’s ongoing importance in the society, the lecture ends with a thorough history of repairs, reconstructions, and additions right up to the present.
Klagenfurt Cathedral
Nestled in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, the Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt’s cathedral church is Klagenfurt Cathedral, sometimes known as St. Petrus und Paulus Cathedral. Built originally in 1581 as a Protestant house of prayer honoring the “Most Holy Trinity,” it is the largest Protestant church in Austria. After closing under the Counter-Reformation in 1600, the Jesuits took over and rededicated it to St. Peter and St. Paul. Rising to the level of cathedral in 1787, it saw architectural changes in the 20th century.
Mostly hidden behind nearby buildings, the front of the cathedral shows a clear west facade with a vestibule tower erected in 1960 and towering roughly 70 meters high. On both flanks of the tower, buildings hosting the Diocesan Museum were erected in 1973. Now a side entry with sandstone saints, the original north-side entrance was Inside is a hall church with lunettes and a barrel-vaulted nave. From several eras, stucco work grorns the walls and vaults; murals depicting biblical events cover them.
An 18-meter-tall wooden pillar-pilaster construction, the high altar features an altarpiece by Daniel Granwas showing the departure of customers Peter and Paul. The inside is covered with stucco and frescoes from many eras, therefore exposing a fusion of artistic expressions. The visual wealth of the cathedral is enhanced by choir stalls, a bishop’s throne, modern additions including the ambo and people’s altar.
Designed between 1725 and 1727, side altars highlight the marble work of Lukas Misli’s workshop, displaying like pairs linked to the Venetian studio of Francesco Robba. Chapels honoring different saints have rich altarpieces, statues, and wrought-iron grilles. Notable chapels with unique architectural characteristics and artwork are those of St. Anne, Christ, St. Joseph, Rosalia, and St. Barbara.
Comprising a replica of the Altötting Madonna, the Aloysius chapel connects to the present sacrament chapel. The altar and niche sculptures credit Christoph Rudolph. Under the sacrament chapel sits the bishop’s crypt, the last resting place for former bishops Adam Hefter, Joseph Köstner, Valentin Wiery, and Stanislaus Cegovnik.
Still a major religious and cultural site in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Klagenfurt Cathedral boasts complex architecture, rich history, and varied artworks.
Marienkirche
Part of the Franciscan monastery built in 1613, the Roman Catholic Marienkirche in Klagenfurt, Austria, consecrated in 1624 Designed the church, dedicated in 1624, architects Adam Kolnig and Johann Baptist Klöpfer. The church was destroyed by fire in 1636 and rebuilt; in 1723 the tower was erected and covered with an onion dome and lantern. Added in 1650 or 1951, the Antonius chapel accentuates the architectural form. From 1613 to 1806, the church changed its ownership from Franciscan to Benedictine; thereafter, Jesuit governance took place from 1909 to 1986. Currently the rector is Pavo Dominkovic OFM.
Comprising a barrel ceiling with lunettes, round-arched windows, and an octagonal tower, the church is a single-nave, unadorned baroque construction. On Benediktinerplatz stands the Antonius chapel with a circular apse. Johann Peter Wittini’s stucco decorations for the triumphal arch and choir feature a magnificent St. Antonius glory in the vault of the Antonius chapel.
Restored by August Veiter in 1900, Baroque murals cover the triumphal arch and show the Emmaus lunch and St. Peter and Paul. St. Antonius is painted in the vault of the Antonius chapel surrounded by angels. From about 1640, the church doorways are distinguished by intricate stucco. Approaching the nave, the three-axle organ gallery to the west links with the basket arch opening.
Originally from the Antonius chapel in 1747, the high altar features twisted and smooth columns as well as a reversed duplicate of an Albrecht Dürer etching showing the Mother of God with the newborn. On the altar are side figures St. Anthony Hermitage and Florian. Made of stucco marble, two side altars from 1738/39 show the Holy Family and a crucifixion scene.
Designed by Josef Stauder in 1851, the great altar of the Antonius chapel features an altarpiece depicting St. Anthony by August Veiter. Franz Xaver Renn of Imst created images of St. Benedict and St. Francis. Originally from about 1760, the pulpit shows prophets and Franciscan saint Johannes Capistran. Made in 1777, the organ case is really remarkable.
The elite society post-Counter-Reformation is shown on many tombstones and memorial stones in the church Fromiller’s school is credited with the Stations of the Cross pictures. Originally on show in the Marienkirche, the Romanesque standing cross housed in the Diocesan Museum
Kreuzberglkirche
St. Egid’s parish church uses the Kreuzberglkirche, sometimes known as the Calvary Church, on the Kreuzberg in Klagenfurt as a rectorate. Built in 1742, the church has historical origins going back to 1692 when Christoph Anton von Leilersperg started the building of a noteworthy Calvary group on the Kreuzberg. In 1737 the Abbot of Viktring offered the ground for the church.
The baroque form calls for a square nave, a retractable single-bay choir with a three-eighth end, and extra smaller additions on the north and south sides. The church stands out with two towers featuring baroque onion domes; the east facade shows a simple pilaster construction.
Inside, a sharply profiled entablature and marbles pilasters define the center nave. Josef Ferdinand Fromiller painted a false dome with an architectural vista and Christ’s veil in the domed barrel vault including lunettes in the nave. The chancel features a barrel vault with lunettes, most likely decorated with high-quality stucco work by Anton Gigl in 1740.
Designed from stucco marble with smooth, twisted columns, the high altar highlights the altarpiece showing Christ’s Lamentation. Saints Francis Xavier and Johannes Nepomuk are flanked by sculptures Fromiller painted extra images of Joseph’s death and Mary’s coronation during the building of the chapel.
Fromiller’s paintings depicting Peter after the betrayal and Mary Magdalene balance the three altars in the cathedral. Additional pieces of art show Christ’s sufferings, mid-18th century St. Notburga portraits, a charity seat from 1741, and a baroque monument of Johannes Nepomuk on the south side of the choir.
The Kreuzberglkirche’s architectural and artistic features accentuate its baroque style and the contributions of eminent painters of the day. From the beginnings of the Calvary group in 1692 until the consecration of the church in 1742, the paper describes the historical evolution and artistic elements defining this important religious construction in Klagenfurt.
Kapuzinerkirche
Originating in the middle of the 17th century, the Roman Catholic Kapuzinerkirche, sometimes known as Capuchin Church, sits in downtown Klagenfurt am Wörthersee. Built between 1646 and 1649, the church was dedicated to St. Mary and accompanied by a small Capuchin order four-winged monastery complex. Originally situated next to the church, this monastery’s southern end marked the northern end of the modern Bahnhofstrasse.
Since its founding, the Capuchin Church’s outside has mostly kept its original appearance. Especially, the southern portal—which features early Baroque architecture—is covered with a canopy raised on columns. The doorway has round arched windows on either side; a round window rests somewhat higher in the middle. An octagonal turret with a tiny light and a curved pointed helmet caps the high gable.
The nave is internally devoid of windows and features a barrel vault with lunettes, a pattern reflected in the lately closed chancel. Via pointed arched openings, two almost square-plan chapels on the east side of the church link to the nave. The architectural intricacy is enhanced by the choir room of the monastery brothers on the north side of the choir, previously featuring an altarpiece by August Veiter.
There are three frameless constructions on the dark wood altars of the church, with sparse gilding. Originating in the middle of the 18th century, the great altarpiece on the high altar shows the Mother of God with St. Francis surrounded by angels. Comprising two side altars spanning thin strips delineated by the triumphal arch, they show a cedarwood image of Fatima on the left and a portrait of St. Joseph with the Child on the right. Especially, a K. Campidell 1965 Sacred Heart monument graces the restaurant, and another of Loretto Maria is housed in the southern church.
1970 saw major changes to the ancient monastery building that produced a new flat-roofed construction east of the church. The old monastic building was then destroyed in 1979. Linking Klagenfurt’s rich cultural legacy, the Capuchin Church and its surrounds give a window into the architectural and historical development of this religious monument.
Johanneskirche
Along the Lend Canal, west of the Carinthia regional headquarters, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, the Johanneskirche, sometimes known as Evangelical Church of St. John, sits. Originally established as an autonomous parish in 1864, it covers the western portion of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, south to the Loibl Pass, and west to Maria Wörth with a current membership of about 4370.
Designed the north-facing neo-Gothic church, finished between 1864 and 1866, architect Anton Bierbaum Showing tracery windows and buttresses, it has a low recessed chancel and a southern polygonal facade tower with a pointed helmet. The interior of the nave and chancel is enhanced by a colored open roof truss; wall paintings from the building era abound there. Supported on two columns is a wooden gallery featuring a straight parapet.
During major renovations in 1967, restorer Lukas Arnold Elder added a cross to the neo-Gothic altar. The chancel received two-stage renovations in 2009–2010, resulting in a new altarpiece by Carinthian artist Valentin Oman working with the Sanktmauritius glass studio. The new altarpiece is a glass artwork; a new altar table was placed in June 2010.
Part of the church’s legacy are three bells Albert Samassa cast in Ljubljana in 1866. With a diameter of 85 cm and weight of 375 kg, the smallest still in service now About August 1916, the middle and big bells were taken for military purpose. A second bell was bought in 1926 to honor war dead, but it was removed in 1940 and melted under WWII. Added in 2006 by the Perner company in Schärding, two new bells were first run for couple on October 31, 2006.
Gerhard Schmid replaced a 1925 pneumatic cone chest instrument with a new organ installed in the current neo-Gothic organ case in 1987. Nine registers from the old organ are included into the Schmid organ, which has thirty registers and 1764 pipes on three manuals and the pedal. The sliding chest device uses mechanical motions. Slovenian organ builder Toma Monik undertook a thorough rebuild of the instrument in 2014/5.
Holy Spirit Church Klagenfurt
Rising boldly on Heiligengeistplatz, the western edge of the town, the Holy Spirit Church in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee is connected with the Roman Catholic parish of St. Egid. Its rich past begins in 1355 and first became well-known in 1381 when a hospital and cemetery were added. Originally restored in 1582, it functioned as a Protestant house of prayer during the 16th century’s theological upheavals.
Master builder Adam Kolerig started major modifications in the early 17th century, leaving a clearly Baroque impact on an enduring Gothic core. Resilient, the church survived events including a tower fire in 1681, a disastrous town fire in 1723, and damage during World War II. Still, the spirit persisted; restoration efforts in 1886, 1928, 1932, and 1960.
Architecturally, the western tower of the church grabs attention with its complex onion helmet. Later added in the Baroque period, Gothic windows punctuate the southern facade facing Heiligengeistplatz. Werner Hofmeister painstakingly rebuilt the main entry, a classic porch with double columns constructed in 1800, in 2014.
Once across the threshold, the inside opens out as a four-bayed hall with a lunetted barrel ceiling held aloft by pilasters. Rising over the area is a masterwork with acanthus motifs, the 1710 organ loft. Slightly recessed toward the nave, the chancel features a ribbed vault held up by round services.
Two enormous paintings by Josef and August Veiter, brilliantly depicting the Nativity and the Ascension of Christ, are housed in the vault of the nave While spandrels exhibit pictures of prophets and church leaders, the wall of the triumphal arch reflects events from the creation story.
One shining example of artistic ability is the great altar, a 1776 masterwork. Supporting the altar, stucco lustro columns and pilasters harmonize with the Pentecost miracle shown in the altarpiece from 1635. Aesthetically combining late rococo and neo-baroque features, the gold design of the altar radiates grace and is covered with rocaille and hanging flowers.
Two late 18th-century side altars from a shrine respectfully showing the Sacred Heart and Mary flank the nave. A monument to skill, the rococo-style pulpit uses minute details to tell biblical stories.
A refuge of contemplation, the cross chapel in the tower has a simple but exquisitely decorated altar with a crucifixion picture by Josef Ferdinand Fromiller. From 1740, the walls come alive with distinct Baroque figures—Archangel Raphael, St. Michael, and St. John Nepomuk—whose presence echoes the church’s ongoing tradition.
Church St. Elisabeth
Standing on Völkermarkter Straße in Klagenfurt is the old parish church of St. Lorenzen, now the Rector’s Church of St. Elisabeth. Originally built for the Elisabethinenkloster between 1720 and 1732 as a convent church, Archduchess Marianne provided financial support from her residence in the current episcopal house from 1768 until her death in 1789. The church changed its location to a suburban one in 1784, then acquired autonomous parish status in 1853. But Bishop Alois Schwarz later broke it up in 2010, combining with the cathedral parish.
Architecturally, the church shows as a north-facing central baroque construction with a cross-shaped floor plan and a longitudinal axis. Rising majestically with a curving pointed spire, the steeple rules the front. The old south-facing entrance portal in the gable features an intriguing rocaille with the year 1730. The bigger organ gallery with a flat barrel ceiling and a three-bay choir stretched by two bays in 1962 has changed the original well-proportioned interior.
The inside of the church has a barrel vault with lunettes towards the organ gallery and in the chancel. The domed Patzl vault in the center square graced by Josef Veiter’s paintings of the Coronation of the Virgin Mary and the four Evangelists The walls are arranged visually richly by pilasters, blind arcades, and wall recesses. The nave is lit from tall arched windows and lunette windows.
From 1784, the high altar, a flat wall-filling construction, displays a top painting of Saint Laurentius’s martyrdom corrected by Josef Veiter and a Crucifixion painting by Knoller (1778). Notable is the late Baroque tabernacle including a relief illustrating the Descent from the Cross. Two reliquaries from about 1700, each with a little image of apostles Peter and Paul, accentuate the majesty of the altar. Michael Zill designed two large kneeling angels for the altar in 1786.
Designed about 1730, side altars show images of the Descent from the Cross, Saint Joseph, and figures of several saints. St. Clare’s bones survive in a glass shrine from 1749. The 1884 altarpiece on the right side altar by Josef Veiter shows Saint Elisabeth’s alms-giving. Altar figures show King David, St. Leonhard, St. Monica, Clare, and an angel.
St. John of Nepomuk is represented in a 1729 baroque console figure on the east wall. Designed by Archduchess Marianne in 1786, the neoclassical wooden-topped baptismal font and four-figure crucifixion group housed in the crypt date back to around 1780 and are credited to Balthasar Ferdinand Moll.
Parish Church of Klagenfurt-St. Rupert
Located in the 11th district of St. Ruprecht within the Carinthian municipality of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, the Roman Catholic parish church of Klagenfurt-St. Ruprecht exhibits great architectural and historical prominence. This church is especially close to the Christian cemetery of St. Ruprecht, sharing boundaries with the Israelite cemetery on the south side as part of the deanery of Klagenfurt-Stadt in the Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt.
The St. Ruprecht neighborhood began in 1213, with reference to the church itself noted in 1283. After demolition of the original medieval construction in 1847, the present church was built and dedicated. Architect Helmut Klimpfinger was involved in the church’s expansion on the east side, more especially in the choir section, 1956.
Particularly on the north façade and the western gable facade with a tower covered with a pointed helmet and gable wreath, architectural details exhibit late classical influences. The south gained a new sacristy. The nave has a barrel vault held up by belt arches and pilasters. The 1956 round-arched apse shows a flat ceiling and smooth walls with a raised band of windows.
With 22 glass windows placed in 1972 showing saints and evangelical themes, eminent artist Karl Bauer added to the church’s architectural appeal. The arresting iron crucifix created by Jan Milan Krkoka in 1972, depicting the Crucified as Christ the King, dominates the sanctuary.
Ignaz Preisegger’s mid-nineteenth century work, the high altar, shows the baptism of a Bavarian duke by St. Ruprecht. Framed in stucco and set on the south wall of the nave, it gives the church artistic and historical richness. Specifically, the holy water font was created in 1629 by talented mason and stonemason Mathias Niger.
Klagenfurt-Annabichl Church
Dedicated to Christ’s valuable blood, the Roman Catholic parish church of Klagenfurt-Annabichl is on Thomas-Schmid-Gesse in the Annabichl district of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee. It serves in the Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt under the deanery of Klagenfurt-Stadt. The history of the church begins with Precious Blood missionaries establishing an emergency church in 1928, first situated in a run-down barn. It acquired parish church status in 1947, and between 1964 and 1965 the current church building was built.
The rectangular church’s architectural plan calls for a tower on the southeast corner. The chancel shows an aesthetically harmonic equilibrium with its short, recessed form with straight end and high windows. The church has sacristy additions on the east and the west sides.
Under a level roof, the church has a nave and chancel inside that are lit by round-arched nave windows, therefore improving the whole spatial environment. One particularly noteworthy interior feature is a large 17th-century crucifix hanging on the chancel wall, therefore giving the holy area a major historical and religious impact. The lateral walls of the nave are ornamented with Baroque images of Archangel Michael and Raphael with Tobias, therefore enhancing the visual richness of the cathedral.
Designed by Anton Artl in 1760, a carving group known as “Maria and Annunciation Angel” is evidence of the deft artistic talent found within the church, therefore augmenting its cultural and theological value.
On the triumphal arch’s right wall, goldsmith Julius Wantsch Vienna’s contemporary embossed tabernacle—made in 1971—is placed This modern addition captures the changing character of religious activities and artistic expression by reflecting a flawless combination of traditional religious aspects with modern craftsmanship.
Don Bosco Church
Built in the 1980s, the Roman Catholic Don Bosco Church in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee is architecturally significant and has a special background. Father Franz Penz SDB, the then-pastor of Klagenfurt-Sieben Hügel, started the church’s foundation and the Diocese of Gurk bought the land on Hirschenwirtstrasse in 1959. It first served as a parish governed under St. Josef-Sieben Hügel.
Thirteen years later, a turning point in the development of the Don Bosco Church came when an apartment on Schmelzhüttenstraße was momentarily converted into a pastoral care center for Don Bosco. Church events held in this temporary structure between 1972 and 1983 laid a basis for the final building of the committed Don Bosco Church.
On May 9, 1981, when the foundation stone for the new Don Bosco Church was placed, the path to realization of the church reached a turning point. Vicar General Franz Kirchner led this important event. Officially dedicated on May 6, 1984, the church underwent an intense building phase spanning over three years under the direction of Diocesan Bishop Egon Kapellari.
Linked with the parish church of Klagenfurt-St. Josef-Siebenhügel, the Don Bosco Church runs as a rectorate in line with canon law. This organizational framework emphasizes the interdependence of the Catholic community inside the more general framework of ecclesiastical government.
Built in the 1980s, the Don Bosco Church shows the architectural ideas and trends of that day. The study offers a historical background and specifics on the founding of the church, but it does not explore the particular architectural aspects or artistic nuances defining its inside and outside.
Christkönigskirche
Built under the design of Karl Holey in 1931–1932 under the affiliation of the parish of St. Egid, the Christkönigskirche in Klagenfurt was dedicated by Bishop Hefter in 1932. Now closing its east side, this single-nave church—which lacks a tower—is connected into the diocesan residence building complex. Built with green chlorite slate masonry, the west facade shows three small high windows with round arches and a straight termination. Tomas Hoke erected a stainless steel angel before the main door in 1993–1995.
Hans Fischer’s paintings on the birth of Christ, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and angels find home on the soffit ceiling inside. In 1991, Heinrich Tahedl’s daughter Ernestine dismantled and rebuilt the original stained glass windows he had installed on the entrance front.
Originating from 1675 and moved from the former St. Veiter Bürgerspitalskirche, the high altar exhibits great intricacy. It shows outward-facing volutes, a tiny aedicule attachment, massive triumphal arch construction, twisted column shafts decorated with pearl threads and cartilaginous fittings. The main artwork shows the mercies throne with sculptures of John the Evangelist and John the Baptist next by. On the altar sits a Hans Fischer picture depicting Christ’s royal crown on top of the Book of the Seven Sealed. Wilhelm Bormann designed the brass embossed tabernacle to go with the altar. Original from the Maria Bichl church, a Lenten cloth from the second part of the 16th century covers the altar.
Built by Wilhelm Bormann and demolished in 1971, four side altars honoring Emma, the Virgin Mary, the Evangelists, and Carinthian saints were on the side walls of the nave. Made in the Wienerberger brick plant, relief sculptures based on designs by Karl Holey were created from fired and glazed clay. Furthermore improving the artistic aspects of the chapel are four baroque apostle sculptures on consoles from the parish church of Lieseregg.
Designed by the Krenn organ building company, the organ with 26 registers spanning two manuals and a pedal in 1981 is Mechanical motions of the instrument help to create the Christkönigskirche’s acoustic mood.
Bürgerspitalskirche
Built in 1663/64 close to Klagenfurt Cathedral, the little baroque church known as Benefiziatskirche St. Sebastian was formerly Bürgerspitalskirche. Starting as the third hospital church in the city, it superseded earlier buildings because of relocation and fire. Still standing now is the third structure, dedicated to Saint Sebastian.
Early in the 18th century, notable interior decorations like Josef Ferdinand Fromiller’s creations were added. The church functioned as a grain store under the French rule in the early 19th century, which resulted in white-based repairs including applied oil paint on altar buildings and covering of statues in white. Later major renovations took place in 1967 and the front was rebuilt in 2007–2008 eliminating a wooden gateway and covering the entry with a glass roof.
Remarkably on the east side of the church, the old building of the adjacent hospital complex still has pilasters, cornices, arched windows, and a tower with an onion dome. Christoph Puerkher planned the hall, split in four bays with an entrance on the north side and a semicircular chancel on the east side. On the south side, singers’ gallery and oratorio windows let hospital patients take part in events.
Designed in 1741 by Christian Prießniger, the great altar is a golden tabernacle covered with sculptures showing Christ on the crucifixion, Mary, and Joseph. Surrounded by monuments of Saints Januarius, Rochus, Sebastian, Judas Thaddeus, Barbara, and Gertrude of Nivelles, the altarpiece shows St. Sebastian (Fromiller, dated 1738).
Two other altars are the left wall altar honoring St. Elizabeth (Fromiller, 1739) and the right altar showing “The Rest on the Flight of the Holy Family.” Designed about 1735, the lofty pulpit has four evangelist images and elaborate ornamentation but is exclusively accessible from the outside.
In 1794 Martin Pucher created the church bell. Rich history, architectural features, and artistic decorations of the church help to explain its importance as a historical and cultural monument in Klagenfurt.
