Evangelical Christ Church
The Evangelical Christ Church is located at Martin-Luther-Straße 1 and serves as the Protestant parish church of St Veit. Together with the daughter church in Eggen am Kraigerberg, it forms the centre of Protestant life in the area. The tall church tower is a prominent landmark.
History of St. Veit’s Protestant Parish
The Protestant parish of St. Veit was established around 1904 during the “Los-von-Rom” (Away from Rome) movement. Initially a branch of the parish in Klagenfurt (1907–1909), it became an independent parish in 1920. It currently serves around 1,300 to 1,600 members, including those from its daughter congregation in Eggen am Kraigerberg.
Architecture, Exterior
Design and Construction
The church was designed in 1907/1908 by Julius Schulte, a pupil of Friedrich Ohmann. It was his first architectural commission. The construction of the church and the south-side parsonage (Pfarrhaus) took place between 1910 and 1912.
Architectural Style
The Evangelical Christ Church is designed in the Late Jugendstil style. It is a hall-style church with a hipped roof and a west tower.
Church Tower
The church tower is integrated into the west facade (westwork). The lower section of the tower is cuboidal. The upper section becomes octagonal at the belfry. The tower is crowned with an onion-shaped dome.
West Portal
The west portal exhibits Jugendstil symmetry and proportion.
Side Facades
The side facades of the church are structured by pilasters.
Late Jugendstil Details
The facade and windows display Late Jugendstil details.
Parsonage
The adjoining parsonage on the south side has a Baroque-revival appearance with a mansard roof and sweeping gable (curved gable).
Architecture, Interior
The church interior features a four-bay nave covered by a barrel vault.
The seating is arranged as a single block without a middle aisle, directing focus on the pulpit-altar combination (Kanzelaltar). This is a feature of the Wiesbadener Programme that unites altar, pulpit and often organ in one centralised liturgical axis.
Fittings
The central feature is a pulpit-altar.
Above the altar, a majolica relief of the “Teaching Christ” is set into a wall niche.
The organ gallery is at the west end.
The overall interior presents a clear and minimalist aesthetic aligned with Reformed principles.
Restoration and Refurbishment
A restoration in 1987 reinstated the original colour scheme from 1914. The church tower interior was also refurbished in 1994.
Today the Evangelical Christ Church and Parsonage (Pfarrhaus) are protected as listed monuments.
History of the Evangelical Community in St. Veit
After its early years as a branch of Klagenfurt (1907–1909), the St. Veit parish became fully independent in 1920. It currently serves around 1,300 to 1,600 members, including those from its daughter congregation in Eggen am Kraigerberg.
Historical Photograph
Image Source: Archive of the Municipal Authority of St. Veit an der Glan
Evangelical Church, designed by the Linz-based architect Julius Schulte
Photograph taken around 1965
The Evangelical Church is the first work of Julius Schulte, who designed it in 1907–1908 as a student project under Friedrich Ohmann in the late Art Nouveau style with Secessionist details and Baroque elements. The church was subsequently built circa 1910–1912.