Pfarrkirche Bad Gastein

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Bad Gastein

The parish church of Saints Primus and Felician in Bad Gastein

The church is currently closed due to construction work. Services are taking place in the Nikolaus Church.

Construction History and Architectural Style
The first reliable mention of a church at this site dates back to the year 1333. In 1617, the medieval building had to be demolished due to structural instability, and a complete new construction took place from 1636 to 1638, for which the plans were provided by cathedral builder Santino Solari. Since the church is located on a landslide slope of the Graukogel, larger renovation works were repeatedly necessary, such as in 1699, 1723 (new construction), and 1824.

In 1866, work began on the construction of a new church. The Viennese cathedral builder Friedrich von Schmidt created the designs, which were significantly modified by the executing builder, the Salzburgian Valentin Ceconi. On November 27, 1876, after ten years of construction, the parish church was consecrated. From 1990 to 1995, it had to be technically secured again in an elaborate manner.

Externally, the Bad Gastein parish church presents itself as an unplastered block building. The nave consists of four aisles and is vaulted with cross ribbed vaults. The northern aisle is expanded like a transept and supports ribbed vaults. The choir features a five-eighths closure. In the southern aisle, there is a three-aisle gallery with tracery railing.

The High Altar
The high altar was created in 1954 by the sculptor Jakob Adlhart from Hallein according to the specifications of Pastor Gottfried Schwarzenbacher. The centerpiece is a high-quality, colorfully painted late Gothic figure of the Mother of God with the Child Jesus (1450/70), surrounded by a halo of rays. The two early Baroque statues of Saints Rupert (with the salt barrel) and Virgil (with the cathedral model) originally come from the Nicholas Church.

The silvered relief panels of Adlhart combine the historically transmitted martyrdom of the two church patrons Primus and Felizianus with the Bad Gastein founding legend.

The ambon (birth of Jesus) and the celebration altar (removal of Jesus from the cross) are also adorned with reliefs from the school of Master Adlhart.

The Side Altars
In 1953/54, the neo-Gothic side altars were dismantled except for the marble mensas. Two Baroque figures from outside were placed against simple background panels, with the sorrowing man on the left attributed to Meinrad Guggenbichler (1649-1723), and on the right, Saint Joseph with the Child Jesus by an anonymous Baroque sculptor of the 18th century from the southern German-Austrian region.

Further Furnishings
The windows in the choir were designed in 1953 by Josef Widmoser. They depict biblical "water scenes." The left window shows Jesus healing the paralyzed man at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem (John 5:1-9), while the right shows the calling of the first disciples at the Sea of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1-11).

The Stations of the Cross reliefs date back to the time of construction.

Above the marble baptismal font from the year 1876, located at the entrance to the altar area, hangs an icon of the two church patrons since 2007.

The organ is a work by the Salzburg organ builder Matthäus Mauracher senior from 1874.

Under the organ gallery, there are paintings of "Maria von der immerwährenden Hilfe" (19th century) and "St. Theresia von Lisieux" (20th century) as well as sculptures of St. Anthony of Padua (20th century) and St. Jude Thaddeus (18th century).

In the tower vestibule, memorial plaques commemorate the benefactors of the church reconstruction from 1866 to 1876.

Opening Hours

The church is closed due to construction work.

The mass ist taking place in the St. Nicholas Church

Links

Website

Addresses

Pfarrkirche Bad Gastein

Bismarckstraße 14
5640 Bad Gastein, AT

pfarre.badgastein@pfarre.kirchen.net
http://www.pfarrebadgastein.at/
+43 0643 4207 743
+43 6434 2077

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Pfarrkirche Bad Gastein

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Gastein Valley