St. Markus

St. Markus is a Roman Catholic parish church in Linz’s Gründberg district, beside the road towards Bad Leonfelden. White roughcast walls, a flat roof and green-framed doors give the building a clear modern presence. The church complex gathers around a circular enclosed courtyard with a parish hall and rectory. A copper-clad lantern rises above the hexagonal structure over the altar, carrying light strips and a cross.

The present church was built between 1979 and 1981 from designs by Erich Scheichl and Franz Treml. Its origins reach back to 1941, when Bishop Josephus Calasanz Fließer established the Gründberg chaplaincy. Regular services returned in 1970, before construction began with the groundbreaking in November 1979. Inside, three round pillars support the dark wooden roof structure above a diagonal main space. Stone marks the raised altar area, while grey carpet covers the rest of the floor. Erich Wulz shaped the interior furnishings and artistic elements with Josef Fischnaller, Robert Himmelbauer and Anton Reinthaler.

Semicircular seating directs attention towards the altar and creates a close setting for services and performances. Since 2007, KulturKirche St. Markus has brought concerts, readings and theatre to the church. Each year, a mountain mass takes place on Gründberg hill. After cultural events, people meet in the parish centre, sometimes sharing a glass of wine.