Herz-Jesu-Kirche, Roman Catholic church in Gmünd, Austria.
Herz-Jesu-Kirche is a Roman Catholic church in Gmünd-Neustadt, set on elevated ground at the end of the rising Schubertstraße. Its broad double-tower facade has neo-Romanesque echoes, and the portal carries reliefs of Archangels Michael and Gabriel by Adolf Treberer-Treberspurg. The parish house and parish hall adjoin both sides of the building.
The church was built from 1950 to 1953 to plans by architect Josef Friedl, replacing a wooden emergency church erected in the World War I refugee camp that became Gmünd-Neustadt. It was consecrated in October 1953 by coadjutor bishop Franz König. In 1948 it had become a parish expositur entrusted to the Oblati Mariae Immaculatae. The interior was remodelled in 1984 according to the Second Vatican Council.
The dome murals by Lucia Jirgal show the saints gathered around the Lamb of God; in the apse, the artist couple Piffl-Moser painted Christ's dominion over the spiritual and secular estates. Carl Hermann carved the wooden reliefs on the lecterns, and his 1966 sculpture Die Trauernde stands by the church square.
The church stands on elevated ground at the end of the rising Schubertstraße in Gmünd-Neustadt, aligned with the street's sightline. The parish house and parish hall adjoin it on both sides. The town centre of Gmünd lies below, so the approach is uphill on foot.
The dome murals by Lucia Jirgal show the assembly of saints around the Lamb of God, while the apse paintings by the artist couple Piffl-Moser depict Christ's dominion over the spiritual and secular estates. The carved Saint Joseph on the left side altar was made by Othmar Lux in 1957, and the Schutzmantelmadonna on the right by Adolf Treberer-Treberspurg in 1954.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,351 contributors worldwide.