Holy Spirit Chapel Bruck an der Mur

The Holy Spirit Chapel is a place of worship. Bruck a der Mur, originally known as Trinity Church, is situated in the city of Bruck a der Mur, in the federal state of Styria, Austria.The unique architectural monument of Austrian Gothic is characterized by its unusual triangular shape and the presence of a six-pointed star vault. This structure holds great national importance.

The chapel, currently designated as a listed monument, was constructed to replace a chapel that was part of the plague hospital (infirmary) built in 1422. The original chapel was situated on the southern outskirts of the city.The structure was constructed as a gesture of gratitude and remembrance for the individuals who endured the hardships of the plague, famine, and war.The year 1480 marked a significant event in which the structure suffered severe damage due to a Turkish invasion.From 1495 to 1497, six prominent and affluent individuals from the city generously financed the restoration of the church.The builders of the town, such as the Kornmesser, Pögl, and Holzapfel families, belonged to a prosperous merchant class that had risen to prominence in the late 15th century. Their efforts revitalized the once modest trading town of Bruck, ushering in a period of prosperity.

Services were conducted at this location until 1783. Subsequently, the building remained vacant and deteriorated over time.On August 9, 1794, an application was submitted to the diocese of Leoben requesting the desecration (exsecration) of a certain individual. The city pastor, acting on behalf of the bishop, performed the desecration on October 7 of that same year.Afterward, the defiled church was sold at an auction to Ignaz Weigel, the postmaster of Brucker. Initially, he repurposed it as a stable for horses and a storage space for hay.

In 1817, Franz Oberländer was granted permission to convert the building into an inn, complete with guest rooms.In 1921, additional renovations took place, during which the tracery windows were unfortunately removed.Since 1955, this building has been owned by the municipality and is currently being used as a residential facility for city employees.During the process, false ceilings and walls were installed to divide the interior.During the construction of the motorway junction, there were plans to demolish the church as well. However, the church was ultimately not demolished.Due to the unfavorable location at the intersection of multiple expressways, the building has remained unoccupied since 1999.

In 2011, Philipp Harnoncourt and his five siblings initiated an appeal to the city of Bruck. Their goal was to preserve and restore the Holy Spirit Chapel.The building has been repurposed as a distinctive monument.One of its purposes is to serve as a memorial to the responsibility of safeguarding the environment, among other things.

The sacred building is a distinctive characteristic of late Gothic architecture in Austria.The unusual shape of the building suggests that it was originally dedicated as a Trinity Church.Your plan is to create an equilateral triangle with a side length of 20 fathoms and 60 feet (1 fathom = 1.88 m). The corners of the triangle will be beveled, and the interior will be divided by arcades into three trapezoidal altar niches.The central room, which has a hexagonal shape, is divided into thirds on each side, measuring 20 feet. Additionally, it is topped with a ribbed vault, completing its construction.The church is designed with three portals that are equal in size, each of which has windows positioned above them.The original shoulder arch portal on the southwest side is still recognizable beneath the three-part tracery window.The church maintains the traditional division into a nave and choir. The central room serves as the nave, while the trapezoidal altar niches feature choir-like triumphal portals.One of the altar niches is oriented almost directly towards the north, while the other apse faces in the directions of southeast and southwest.In a conversation between Marianne Kohler-Schneider from Boku Vienna and Erwin Reidinger regarding the Erzberg, it was observed that there was a deforested area to the east of the church where the rising sun appeared beyond the actual horizon. This deforested area was believed to have existed in the past, as the current forest cover consists of spruce trees from the 19th century. and dates from the 20th century.On February 12, 1494, Ash Wednesday, the sunrise aligns with the SO axis.The positioning of the church on Ash Wednesday indicates a subsequent positioning of the SO choir. This alignment occurs four days later, coinciding with the first Sunday of Lent on February 16, 1494, which typically sees an increase.The absence of altars, lack of evidence for an east window, and the short chancel niche make it challenging to determine the exact measurements. As a result, the 1st Sunday of Lent is currently without a clear celestial reference, although it is likely that one exists.

The investigation of architectural history in 2013 revealed previously undiscovered decorative elements.On the wall, there is a mutilated foundation inscription from 1497 that can still be seen. This inscription names four Brucker citizens and displays their coats of arms. The individuals mentioned in the inscription are Pankraz Kornmess, Michael Holzapfel, Leonhard Schierling, and Albrecht Dyem.

Bruck a der Mur, Austria
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