Pfarrkirche Pilgersdorf

The Roman Catholic parish church of Pilgersdorf stands in the centre of the village in Burgenland. It is dedicated to Saint Giles and belongs to the deanery of Oberpullendorf. The site has been a parish since the Middle Ages, though it was once Protestant. The present church was built in 1649 and later placed under the Augustinian priory at Lockenhaus until 1820. In 1975 excavators uncovered the foundations of a pre-Romanesque church near the old school. The building was enlarged in 1783 using masonry from that earlier structure. Between 1970 and 1973 Siegfried A. Mörth directed a restoration and modern extension. The nave follows classical lines with buttresses, while the west tower’s core dates from the Middle Ages. Inside, a modern hall replaces the former sanctuary, and a new people’s altar was installed. A Baroque crucifix from Bubendorf hangs on the east wall, and a Baroque baptismal font stands nearby. Two notable wooden figures, Saint Thomas and Saint Augustine, come from the old high altar and were restored in 1972. The organ was built by Anton Tausz at the end of the 19th century.