The Kirche Zur Heiligsten Dreifaltigkeit (), better known as the Wotrubakirche or Wotruba Church, is a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

church located in Liesing,

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. It was built between August 1974 and October 1976, based on a design by Austrian sculptor Fritz Wotruba. The building of the church was initiated by , and designed by Wotruba. The planning architect was . Ottillinger chose the site of former

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

barracks, and wanted the new church to make a bold religious and artistic statement during a time of increasing

secularization In sociology, secularization () is a multilayered concept that generally denotes "a transition from a religious to a more worldly level." There are many types of secularization and most do not lead to atheism or irreligion, nor are they automatica ...

. Wotruba died before the completion of the church, and Mayr oversaw the remaining work. Wotruba's church was inspired by

Chartres Cathedral Chartres Cathedral (, lit. Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres) is a Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France, about southwest of Paris, and is the seat of the List of bishops of Chartres, Bishop of Chartres. Dedicated in honour of the Virgin Mary ( ...

, and built in a

Brutalist Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the b ...

style. Built of 152 concrete blocks, it has no visible symmetry, and makes use of clear glass windows to provide light. The

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

is made of artificial marble. The bronze

crucifix A crucifix (from the Latin meaning '(one) fixed to a cross') is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the (Latin for 'body'). The cru ...

is a copy of one that Wotruba designed for the hofkirche in Bruchsal, Germany. In 2021/2022 Gabriele Stöger-Spevak curated the first exhibition specifically dedicated to the church forty-five years after its

consecration Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

References

External links

Official church website
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Liesing Roman Catholic churches completed in 1976 Roman Catholic church buildings in the Vicariate of Vienna City 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Austria 1976 establishments in Austria Brutalist architecture