Filialkirche

The Roman Catholic parish church of Zwerndorf stands in the village of Zwerndorf in the municipality of Weiden an der March in the district of Gänserndorf, Lower Austria. It is dedicated to Saint Pankratius and belongs to the deanery of Gänserndorf within the vicariate of the Archdiocese of Vienna. The building is protected as a listed monument. Originally a fortified church, it once formed a single defensive complex with the vicarage, known as the ‘Melkerhof’. The medieval structure retains its 14th-century defensive tower above the choir, while the nave dates from the 13th century. In 1783 the church became a parish and was placed under the authority of Melk Abbey. A major renovation in 1858–59 gave it its present early historicist appearance. The west front is broad and plain, with a stepped gable above the round-arched portal. The nave has round-arched windows on both sides, and the massive early-Gothic tower at the east end still shows its original arrowslits and high entrance. Inside, the three-aisled nave is rib-vaulted on square piers, and the low, round-arched chancel arch leads to the tower’s ground floor, which is vaulted in early-Gothic rib style. The neo-Gothic high altar of the 1850s shows scenes of the Annunciation and the Last Supper, while side altars and statues from the same period add to the church’s furnishings.