Michaelerkirche (St. Michael)

St. Michael, also known as Michaelerkirche, is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Steyrdorf district of the Upper Austrian municipality of Steyr.It is a listed building in the Diocese of Linz that belongs to the Deanery of Steyr.The historic Jesuit church stands out in the Steyr cityscape due to its elevated location at the confluence of the Steyr and Enns rivers.

The building style of St. Michael’s Church is comparable to that of the Jesuit Church in Munich.The pillar church, with its main architectural motif of a nave with connected chapel niches, may be encountered for the first time in Munich’s Jesuit Church of St. Michael.In the second half of the 17th century, this architectural style dominated southern Germany.Steyr’s church has a single nave with four bays north-south and lunetted barrel vaults on girders.The southern bay houses a three-axis organ gallery over a groined roof.Three barrel-vaulted side chapels are located in three neighboring bays.On all galleries, richly made wrought-iron spiral grilles from the final quarter of the 17th century form the end of the nave above the side chapels.The church’s vaults are stucco-decorated with palmettes, pearl and egg wands, and angel heads.This stucco was painted over several times during previous repairs.The church’s most recent major refurbishment occurred in 1989, when the original interior architecture was restored.Building-era frescoes depicting the four archangels (Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel) have been unearthed.The Ionic order of enormous pillars distinguishes the church’s interior.

The towering church looms over the bridgehead and dominates the townscape of Steyr.The three-story, two-tower front contains a grand entry portal dated 1677 with the motto HIC DEUM ADORA (Latin for “here worship God”), a figure of the Blessed Mother with the Child Jesus in a niche, flanked by sculptures of the apostles Peter and Paul, and a sculpture of the Blessed Mother with the Child Jesus in a niche.The portal’s design incorporates Prince Eggenberg’s coat of arms.

On the church’s left side, a larger chapel dedicated to St. Francis Xavier may be observed.

The majority of the furniture dates between 1763 and 1771. The interior is designed in late baroque and classical styles.

The huge high altar, which spans the whole choir, was built in 1766/67 and is classically influenced in style.Franz Xaver Gürtler, a Steyr artist, produced the altarpiece depicting the Archangel Michael as the victor of Lucifer in 1769.Saint Raphael Archangel with Tobias on the right and Saint Guardian Angel on the left are shown in the gorgeous statues.The tabernacle at the main altar was built by Richard Jordan.

The pulpit and organ are two of the most essential pieces of furniture in the parish church.The pulpit was erected in 1770 by the Lamberg royal family of Steyr, whose coat of arms appears on the sound cover.A monument of the Good Shepherd dominates the upper end.An beautiful carving depicts the chair cheeks of the pews.