More and more church sales in Lower Austria. Meltdown! In 20 years, there will not be a Conciliar Church for traditionalists to negotiate with.

Several churches have been sold in Lower Austria in recent years. Now another church is up for sale in Hirschwang (Neunkirchen district). Meanwhile, in Korneuburg, a completely new neighborhood is being built around a former church.

It's a completely new task that awaits the deacon of the church in Hirschwang an der Rax in August. He will give potential buyers tours of the church three times. The Archdiocese of Vienna is looking for a new owner for the church. The reason: The congregation is shrinking steadily.

"When this church was built, in 1958, over 1,000 people lived here. Now there are 200. The factory closed, the sawmill closed. There was a migration and an aging population. And unfortunately, there is no local congregation that can keep this going," explains Mang. According to the Archdiocese of Vienna, the church's market value is €240,000. However, the new buyer would likely have to spend at least €120,000 on the church's renovations.

Cracks in the wall

There's a lot of work to be done on the electrical system, but "there are also cracks on the outside that need to be repaired. And it's simply an investment we can no longer make because we don't have the resources," Mang said. He hopes that the sacred space will also be important to the new buyer.

In 2023, the Archdiocese of Vienna sold the Augustinian Church in Korneuburg, and in 2024, St. Michael's Church in Mödling went under the hammer. People will have to get used to the phenomenon of church sales, says the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Vienna, Josef Grünwidl. "Unfortunately, it currently looks as if we are at the beginning of a process where the Church must also consider how we can preserve our many buildings and adapt them to the given requirements," says Grünwidl.

Grünwidl: "Structures no longer fit"

This process is already taking place throughout Western Europe and now also in Austria. The Apostolic Administrator is trying to draw a comparison: "If I weighed 100 kilos and lost 35, I would have to buy a new robe. The structures and the real estate we have simply no longer fit," says Grünwidl. They date back to a time when almost 100 percent of the Austrian population was Catholic and almost everyone went to church every Sunday.

Lower Austria today

Wherever possible, the archdiocese would strive to ensure that churches remain in the village. "If things are to remain this way, the best solution would actually be for everyone to work and participate in the parish, and to visit and use the church on Sundays. Where there is a vibrant congregation and where the space is actually used and not gathering dust, I'm not really too worried about church buildings," says Grünwidl.

€300,000 for church in Korneuburg

The Augustinian Church in Korneuburg was sold by the Archdiocese of Vienna to a real estate developer back in 2023. The purchase price at the time was around €300,000. However, the developer was subject to certain conditions, as managing director Gernot Schubert explains. "We had to commit to considering the dignity and history of the building in its future use. For example, we are only allowed to rent it to ecumenical religious communities. We also committed to giving the public the opportunity to view the fresco at certain times. And we committed to leaving the movable, listed objects here on the property, such as the pews," Schubert explains.

A completely new neighborhood is now to be built around the Augustinian Church and the adjacent former monastery. "There will be commercial space, offices, and apartments. A small café will also be built in the new building. And the city library will also occupy two floors of the new building," says Melanie Lopin, Head of Cultural Management.

Archaeologists in action

Construction work on the historic site is quite challenging. Due to plans for an underground parking garage behind the church, numerous archaeologists are currently working to secure historical artifacts. The final costs for the project have therefore not yet been determined.

The entire construction project is scheduled to be completed by 2028. "Not much will change" in the church itself. "It's intended to be converted into an event space, where we'll also install technical equipment," explains project manager Christoph Frühwirt. Apart from that, only minor renovations are planned for the church itself.

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