Josefskirche, Graz

The Josefskirche stands at the crossing of Schönaugürtel and Schönaugasse in Graz’s sixth district, Jakomini. A Catholic parish church dedicated to Saint Joseph, it also carries the titles Stadtpfarr-, Votiv- and Jubiläumskirche. Completed in 1908, the building is the last major sacral work of Historicism in the city and is listed as a protected monument. Its Florentine-Renaissance style draws directly on Rome’s Sacro Cuore di Gesù. Rising 80.3 metres, the east tower is Graz’s second-tallest structure, while the nave soars 32 metres to share the title of Austria’s highest church interior. The church was conceived by Leopold Schuster, Prince-Bishop of Seckau, as a jubilee project marking the restoration of Catholic unity in Styria. A relic stone from Roman catacombs, blessed by Pope Leo XIII, was laid in the foundation in 1903. The interior centres on a high altarpiece by Josef Kastner the Younger showing Saint Joseph holding the Christ Child above a crowd that includes Bishop Schuster himself. The 1909 organ by Matthäus Mauracher remains one of the largest romantic instruments in Styria, though later alterations altered its original sound. Five original bells cast from 18th-century Spanish cannon metal were lost in the First World War and replaced in 1922. Inside, the three-aisled basilica presents a vaulted choir and richly painted side altars. The 2008 Volksaltar by Christian Andexer uses 1.5 tonnes of Brazilian porphyry supported by an intricate web of steel struts that deliberately block direct sightlines. The evangelary-side altar depicts the Virgin and Child, while the epistolar-side shows the Fourteen Holy Helpers. The surrounding district of Jakomini offers quiet streets and small cafés, giving visitors a chance to walk the length of the church and then continue toward the Mur river.