Glaubenskirche (St. Johann am Tauern)

The Glaubenskirche stands in Sankt Johann am Tauern, a small village in the Murtal district of Styria. It is an Evangelical parish church built in the late 18th century as one of Austria’s earliest Tolerance churches. The building remains almost unchanged since its construction, apart from a tower added in the 1950s. It was officially named the Glaubenskirche in 1967 by the local presbytery. The church is protected as a listed monument. The church owes its existence to Emperor Joseph II’s Tolerance Patent of 1781, which allowed Evangelical communities to build houses of worship if they met size requirements. After an initial refusal in 1783, the congregation finally secured permission in 1792. The site chosen was remote, near the homes of Evangelical families, to avoid religious conflict. The building was completed by 1794, with the interior finished shortly after. Since 1840, the Stranimaier family has cared for the church and its surroundings. Inside, the church has a classical-style altar and a separate pulpit, an unusual arrangement for Tolerance churches. The altar bears inscriptions and a painting of the Transfiguration of Christ. There is no organ, only a harmonium installed in 1958. The tower, added in the 1950s, houses two bells, one inscribed with a biblical verse. The churchyard has its own wall, partly funded by local Catholics in 1875. Services are held monthly, and the building is also used for weddings and special occasions.