Evangelical Parish Church of Braunau am Inn

The Evangelical Parish Church of Braunau am Inn is situated in the municipality of Braunau am Inn in Upper Austria. It was constructed between 1862 and 1866 by converting a pre-existing building that was originally built in 1624.The parish is associated with the Evangelical Church AB in Austria and is under the authority of the Evangelical Superintendency of Upper Austria.The Church of Gratitude, located in Braunau, is a well-known house of worship.

The edifice was built in 1624 to function as a granary for the Capuchin monastery. The dissolution of the Braunau monastery took place in 1784 as a result of Emperor Joseph II’s monastery reform. In 1862, the merchant Jakob Schönthaler acquired the property and later transformed it into a Protestant church by 1866. The Gratitude Church was dedicated in 1866. The building underwent a comprehensive renovation in 1970 and 1971.

Over the course of its 150-year history, the Gratitude Church has witnessed numerous conversions. The worship room is currently situated on the first floor. This location is home to a collection of Passion paintings by the late Prof. Johannes Schreiber (1922-2010), an artist from Linz.Walter Riemer’s modern glass windows provide a fresh perspective on the Pauline analogy of “Adam – Christ” found in Romans 5:12-21 of the Lutheran Bible. The staircase displays a relief depicting the motif of “The Prodigal Son,” which was expertly crafted by the renowned sculptor from Innviertel, Rupert Rothböck. The copper portal at the entrance was skillfully crafted by the artist Resl Schröder-Lechner from Braunau. The Schönthalersaal can be found on the ground floor. The parish organizes a variety of community festivals, evening meals, school events, and evening services. The Jakob-Stüberl is a versatile venue that hosts a variety of groups, such as the presbytery, a discussion group, the women’s club, the children’s church, and a self-help group.

After Martin Luther’s 95 theses were widely circulated, the Protestant faith quickly gained traction in the Innviertel region, which was then under Bavarian jurisdiction. The municipal government of Braunau hired evangelical preachers to provide their services. This phenomenon is especially noticeable during the practice of communion “in both forms.” This practice involves distributing both the host and wine to all congregants. It is also evident during masses that are conducted partially in the German language. Additionally, the educators were instructed in accordance with Luther’s catechism. The Wittelsbach monarchs demonstrated a long-lasting period of tolerance regarding this issue. Braunau underwent a conversion to Roman Catholicism during the Counter-Reformation period, specifically around 1570.The Innviertel region, along with the town of Braunau, became part of Austria in 1779. This occurred in accordance with the Peace Treaty of Teschen, which was signed on May 13, 1779.

In 1781, Emperor Joseph II issued the Tolerance Patent, which permitted the restoration of Protestant parishes in the Habsburg territories.By 1795, a total of 48 tolerance communities had been established within the borders of present-day Austria.The congregation in Braunau was not large enough to establish a church. Emperor Joseph II dissolved the Capuchin monastery in Braunau in 1784. Afterwards, the main building went through a transformation and was repurposed as the municipal theater. In addition, the granary next to it was converted and repurposed as a Protestant church in 1862. In 1863, Braunau was relieved of its pastoral duties in Attersee as they were now being administered from Salzburg. The consecration of the Gratitude Church in 1866 was a momentous occasion for the church community, symbolizing a significant milestone in their history. The survey of pastors was first initiated in 1899. In 1900, Braunau achieved the status of an autonomous parish.

The demand for pastoral care services has significantly increased since 1944 due to the influx of war refugees. Within a few weeks, the number of Protestants in the parish saw a substantial rise, going from 500 to around 10,000 individuals. In the coming years, the majority of refugees will be relocated. The territorial jurisdiction of the parish of Braunau was reduced as a result of subsequent parish surveys. Furthermore, the parishes of Schärding, Ried im Innkreis, and Mattighofen were established as independent entities in 1952, 1953, and 1961, respectively. In the year 2000, the parish celebrated its centennial anniversary. In the same year, the Württemberg regional church faced financial constraints and made the decision to stop funding the vicar position in Mauerkirchen. This decision was made despite the fact that the position had been endowed for a long time. In 2016, the Protestant community celebrated the 150th festival of The Gratitude Church.

The Braunau parish consists of several churches, including the Braunau Gratitude Church, Mauerkirchen Church of the Redeemer, Hochburg-Ach Church of Mercy, and Riedersbach Resurrection Church. In addition, there are church service halls available in Altheim and in the house for the elderly in Mauerkirchen.