Autobahnkirche Haid, Modern Catholic parish church in Haid, Ansfelden, Austria
Autobahnkirche Haid is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Haid district of Ansfelden, Upper Austria. Its 42-metre tower is 2.5 metres wide and 6 metres long and holds four bells tuned to E-flat, G-flat, A-flat and G-flat. The interior was redesigned in the mid-1990s by architect Helmut Werthgarner, with bright ceiling panels and pews arranged in three circular blocks around a central altar.
The building was inaugurated in August 1964 and was Austria's first motorway church, created through a competition organized by the city of Linz. This design marked a turning point in sacred architecture, showing how modern churches could integrate into transportation landscapes.
The church is dedicated to Saint Paul and the Assumption of Mary, serving as a gathering place for both residents and travelers passing through the region. Its name reflects its special role as a spiritual center alongside one of Austria's main transportation routes.
The church stands in the Haid district of Ansfelden, close to the West Autobahn A1, but housing built around it now hides it from the motorway, so drivers must leave the highway to find it. The 42-metre tower, 2.5 metres wide and 6 metres long, is the landmark to aim for. The interior was redesigned in the mid-1990s by architect Helmut Werthgarner, with seating arranged in three circular blocks around a central altar.
Before the new sacred building was constructed, worshippers held services between 1947 and 1961 in a former dining hall of a displaced persons camp. This unusual connection shows how the community maintained continuity of faith at this site for more than a decade.
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