Dominikanerkirche, Friesach, Gothic church in Friesach, Austria

The Dominikanerkirche is a Gothic church in Friesach featuring a large-scale structure organized into a central nave with side aisles and a spacious choir section. The building's interior layout guides visitors through distinct architectural zones, each with its own proportions and visual character.

The church was founded in 1217 as the first Dominican monastery in German-speaking lands, marking an important moment in regional religious development. Construction of the main structure took place over several decades in the 13th century, establishing the Gothic style that defined it.

The Friesacher Madonna, a sculpture of the Virgin and Child, stands at the southern triumphal arch pier; the work that gave its name to the Master of the Friesacher Madonna was made around 1340. The church also holds the Johannes altar, made 1500–1512 in the older Sankt Veit workshop, with figures of Christ as the Man of Sorrows, Saint Florian and Saint George in the shrine.

The church stands north of Friesach's town moat. Entry is through the pointed west portal, whose tympanum relief was carved around 1890 by Rochus Haas. The choir floor lies three steps above the eastern nave bay, and that bay is itself raised above the western nave, so expect level changes underfoot inside.

The wooden door painted with Saint Nicholas, kept here until 1937, is now held by the Joanneum in Graz; the tympanum relief of around 1890 by the Styrian sculptor Rochus Haas shows Mary as Queen of the Rosary with Saint Dominic and Pope Pius V.