Stadtpfarrkirche Steyr

The Stadtpfarrkirche Steyr, dedicated to Saint Giles and Saint Coloman, stands as a magnificent testament to Gothic architecture and religious heritage in the charming town of Steyr, Austria. This Roman Catholic parish church, with its soaring spire and intricate designs, is not only the most significant sacred building in Steyr but also a beacon of the town's rich history and cultural evolution.

The History of Stadtpfarrkirche Steyr

The origins of Stadtpfarrkirche Steyr can be traced back to around 1100, with its first documented mention in 1275 amidst a property dispute. The church faced significant damage during a town fire in 1303, but it was elevated to parish status around the same time, indicating its growing importance within the community.

By the 15th century, Steyr experienced an economic boom, leading to a rapidly expanding population and the need for a larger church. The renowned Viennese master builder Hans Puchsbaum was commissioned in 1443 to oversee the construction of a new, grander church in the late Gothic style. Under his guidance, the choir's rough construction was completed, and after his death, Laurenz Spenning took over in 1456, adding the vaulting and the initially unplanned tower.

The construction journey was fraught with challenges, including accusations of embezzlement against Mert Kranschach in 1482, leading to Wolfgang Tenk from the Admont construction lodge taking over. The church was not completed until 1522, 79 years after the choir's construction began. Unfortunately, that same year, another devastating fire broke out, destroying much of the unfinished church.

In the latter half of the 16th century, the church saw a brief period of Protestant influence, with evangelical preachers taking the pulpit. However, by the turn of the 17th century, Benedictine monks from Garsten Abbey began the process of baroquizing the church, adding elements such as a stuccoed west section in 1630 and new church pews in 1655. The high altar painting by Carl Ritter von Reslfeld was added in 1688. The 19th century saw a return to Gothic influences under the guidance of Adalbert Stifter, who oversaw the removal of Baroque elements to restore the church's original Gothic character.

Exploring Stadtpfarrkirche Steyr

As you step into Stadtpfarrkirche Steyr, you'll be greeted by the dark vestibule, which opens up into the grand, expansive Gothic interior. The church's architectural and artistic wealth becomes immediately apparent, with the design of the altar area by Hans Puchsbaum standing out as particularly impressive.

The church is a three-aisled hall church with almost equally wide side aisles and no transept. The four-bay nave, with a western gallery bay in the central nave, is topped with a pointed barrel vault, while the side aisles feature cross vaults. The nave seamlessly transitions into the three-aisled, three-bay choir, adorned with a rich net rib vault. The choir terminations are executed with a 5/8 closure in the central nave and a 3/8 closure in the side aisles. Continuous bundle pillars with statue consoles support the vaulting of the house.

The 80-meter-high hexagonal north tower, connecting the nave and choir, features a neo-Gothic spire and rises from a star-ribbed vaulted tower hall. The choir's rich stepped buttresses form a static framework. The transverse western structure houses the broad passage hall, built in 1522, from which two entrance gates lead into the church space with the organ gallery on the upper floor. The entrance gates are framed by curtain arches inscribed in round arches. In the two western bays of the northern side aisle, consoles support a gallery.

On the northern exterior of the church, facing Pfarrgasse, lies a five-sided vestibule with a double portal featuring a net-ribbed vaulted canopy porch. The richly profiled pointed arch portals are framed by curtain arch door frames. Above the left portal is a tympanum relief from around 1526, depicting the death and coronation of Mary. The space above the right portal is empty. In the canopy-crowned niches stand sandstone figures of Saint Agnes, Saint James, and Saint Dorothy, attributed to the Master of Großlobming around 1410. The figure of Saint John is a neo-Gothic work by Franz Erler from 1900. Additional entrances are formed by two Gothic south doors, one located in a net-ribbed vaulted vestibule and the other leading to the choir with its own vestibule.

The Rich Artistic Treasures

The Stadtpfarrkirche Steyr is a treasure trove of artistic riches, from the remarkable stained glass windows and the elaborately decorated sacrament house to the valuable ironworks and the baptismal font. The altar, pulpit, side altars, and pillar statues date from the period of regotization between 1854 and 1857, designed and executed by artists such as Engelbert Westreicher.

The neo-Gothic high altar by Fidelis Schönlaub from Munich was consecrated in 1856. The new altar design incorporated the Gothic sacrament house on the left side of the central apse, notable for its door adorned with six different openwork whirl patterns. Opposite stands the priest's bench with a Gothic canopy. The West Gallery housed an organ built by Franz Xaver Krismann, on which Anton Bruckner also played. In the left side aisle, a painting of Saint Sebastian by Carl Ritter von Reslfeld adorns the back wall. Above the baptismal chapel hangs an altarpiece by the same artist, depicting the Adoration of the Magi. The centerpiece of the baptismal chapel in the tower hall is the baptismal font, crafted from tin plates over a wooden core with relief and rich ornamentation. The sacristy door, dating from 1470, is a work from Nuremberg featuring the city's coat of arms with the imperial eagle and crowned lion.

A unique feature is the late Baroque iron sunflower epitaph, which originally stood in the west crypt and commemorates the victims of the 1703 smallpox epidemic.

The Organ

The church's first major organ, built by Hans Lauss in 1478, remained until the 1522 fire. Its successor, created by the imperial organ builder Jacob in 1544, underwent several modifications before being replaced by Franz Xaver Krismann's organ in 1774-1778. The current organ, crafted by J. Pircher from Steinach/Brenner in 1962, incorporates the pipework and neo-Gothic case of its predecessor, which was a reconstruction by Mauracher in 1893 of the Baroque Krismann organ.

In conclusion, Stadtpfarrkirche Steyr is not just a place of worship; it is a living museum of Gothic architecture and religious art, reflecting the town's historical and cultural journey. Its towering spire and intricate designs continue to inspire awe and reverence, making it an unmissable destination for visitors to Steyr.