Parscher Kirche (Parsch Parish Church)

The parish church of the exclusive district of Parsch is a real hidden gem: One of the first modern churches that were built in Austria after WWII. With the end of the war, millions of ethnic Germans were expelled from all over Eastern Europe, many of whom moved to Salzburg. With the economic recovery of the city, additional people were attracted and the city grew rapidly. To keep up with this growth, several modern churches were built in the 1950ies and 1960ies. The one of Parsch was the first.

Its official name is "Pfarrkirche Parsch zum Kostbaren Blut" and was built between 1954 and 1956. It was based on a 19th century farmhouse that had belonged to the monastery of St. Peter. The architects in charge called themselves "Arbeitsgruppe 4" ("working group 4") and comprised of the established architects of Wilhelm Holzbauer, Friedrich Kurrent and Johannes Spalt. The main entrance of the Pfarrkirche Parsch was created by Richard Kurt Fischer following the designs of the famous Austrian expressionist Oskar Kokoschka.

The central room inside the church is dominated by a large, modern marble altar. The architects took great care to take the original use of the site by a farmhouse into consideration with the designs for the church. Note that there are several other churches that followed the Parscher Kirche; in addition to the Baroque churches and the historicist ones of the late 19th century, the 1950ies and 1960ies were the most important period of church construction in Salzburg.

Hidden Treasures of Salzburg

Links

http://www.pfarreparsch.at/
Website of the Parsch parish


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