Church becomes CityLoftArt venue
Archdiocese of Vienna: Future of the Church in Hirschwang decided
Subsidiary church sold to CityLoftArt GmbH and will become a cultural venue - Final service on March 8 - Small chapel to remain open for personal prayer.
The Archdiocese of Vienna and the parish of Edlach have found a buyer for the subsidiary church in Hirschwang. In the future, the buildings will be used as a cultural venue. The Archdiocese announced this in a press release on Thursday. The purchase agreement was signed last week. The new owner, CityLoftArt GmbH, will use the church building and the former rectory as the RaxworX cultural venue, it was stated. A space for personal prayer will continue to be available in the church. A small chapel will be accessible to everyone during the day, independent of the cultural activities.
An opportunity to bid farewell to the church will be offered at the final Stations of the Cross service in Hirschwang on Friday, March 6, at 3 p.m. The final service will be held on Sunday, March 8, at 5:15 p.m.
According to a press release, the Archdiocese of Vienna and the parish of Edlach, to which the Hirschwang subsidiary church belongs, are in close consultation with the new owner, "who values a smooth transition." The church building and the adjacent building (the former rectory) in Hirschwang will be preserved in their new function and, after the necessary renovations, will only be slightly adapted for cultural use.
Since it was no longer financially viable for the Edlach parish to maintain the church and the former rectory, and Sunday services had recently become sparsely attended, the Archdiocese of Vienna and the parish decided to sell the property. Hirschwang, which belongs to the Municipality of Reichenau an der Rax, has undergone significant changes in the last 30 years: the cardboard factory and the sawmill, as well as shops and restaurants, have closed. Hirschwang used to be home to around 1,800 people; today, the population is only about 300.
Deacon Norbert Mang of the Edlach parish was most recently active in pastoral care at the subsidiary church in Hirschwang: "The sale is a painful decision we made. Nevertheless, I believe the church is in good hands, and the chapel is a ray of hope for me," said Mang.
CityLoftArt GmbH, a special project developer, became known in the cultural sector for projects such as the Expedithalle at the Ankerbrot factory in Vienna. "After historic industrial buildings, adapting this church is a particularly rewarding project for us," Managing Director Walter Asmus is quoted as saying in the press release.
RaxworX will open at the end of June 2026 and will offer events featuring contemporary art—from exhibitions to theater, dance, music, and literature. "The innovative concept for this special space is intended to complement the existing, rich cultural offerings in the Reichenau region and surrounding area and aims to appeal to all interested parties, especially younger audiences," said artistic director Maria Rennhofer.
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