Parish church Graz-Münzgraben

The Münzgrabenkirche, also known as the Fatimakirche zum Immaculate Heart of Mary or the parish church Graz-Münzgraben, is a Catholic church located in Graz. It was constructed between 1952 and 1960 based on the designs of the Austrian architect Georg Lippert.

The name of the site is derived from the renowned Portuguese pilgrimage destination of Fátima.The building is situated on Münzgrabenstraße in the Jakomini district of Graz, specifically in the sixth district.The church is known as the parish church of the Graz-Münzgraben parish, located in the Graz-South deanery of the Graz city church. It used to serve as the headquarters for the Dominican convent on the Immaculate Heart of Mary until 2013. This convent was a part of the Dominican OP in the southern German province of the order.

The site of today’s church building originally housed an Augustinian barefoot monastery and a church dedicated to St. Anna. This dates back to the 17th century and was also a place where the clergyman and writer Abraham a Sancta Clara worked.During Emperor Joseph II’s reign, the monastery complex was acquired by the Dominicans in 1807. Prior to this, the Dominicans had been residing at the parish church from 1466 to 1585, and then at St. Andräkirche from 1586 to 1807.In 1832, the parish and monastery were handed over to the Jesuits.After a period of 16 years, the priests were expelled from the convent house. Subsequently, the military took over the premises and established a military hospital as well as a cholera hospital, renting the space for this purpose.The Dominicans returned in 1867.St. Anna’s Church was completely destroyed in a bomb attack on November 1, 1944.

The new building of the Fatima Church and the Convent of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was constructed slightly south of the original church’s location.The Münzgrabenkirche was constructed based on the architectural plans created by Viennese architect Georg Lippert. It is comprised of a nave, a distinct choir, and a bell tower located on the side. The religious services are held in the side wings of the church.There is a chapel dedicated to Anne on the south side of the church, serving as a memorial to the old church that was destroyed during World War II.Construction on the project commenced in 1952, and the official inauguration was held on October 31 and November 1, 1960.

Following that, Graz was home to only a small number of Dominican priests. Their primary responsibility was to take care of the parish, which involved providing a priest and chaplain, as well as offering pastoral support at the LKH Graz hospital and for the elderly population.The convent also housed a well-stocked historical library and operated the small Fatima publishing house, which was affiliated with the Dominican convent.

Following the tragic car accident involving Father Max Svoboda, who was serving as the pastor at the time, on February 17, 2012, the Dominicans in the Southern German province made the decision to close both the Graz monastery and the Munich monastery of St. Catherine of Siena. In August 2013, the Münzgraben – St. Josef parish association was transferred to the diocese for management. There is currently only one priest serving as a hospital chaplain in Graz.

The sacred building, constructed in 1952, exhibits historicist features. However, due to its simplified forms, it aligns with the functional and practical post-war architecture. As a result, it can be regarded as one of Lippert’s early works in the postmodernist style.

The south-facing gable of the nave features a statue of St. Michael, created by Josef Troyer in 1954. Additionally, in the choir, there is a depiction of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.The center of the choir wall fresco in the interior features an image of the Holy Trinity.The gallery reliefs and lower window pictures depict the saints of the Dominican order.In 1997, the glass church windows were redesigned by visual artists Gunter Damisch and Fritz Panzer.The rosarium, which is located to the north of the tower, features a circular spiral aisle and the charming Fatima chapel.