Pfarrkirche hl. Georg, Nußdorf am Hausberg

The parish church of Nußdorf stands on the slopes of the Haunsberg in Salzburg, dedicated to Saint George. The site has been sacred since the 8th century, though the first building appears in records only in the 13th. The present church was rebuilt in 1476, given a new tower in 1640, and enlarged twice more in the 18th century. After a fire in 1913 it was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style under the direction of Matthäus Schlager, the Linz cathedral master builder. The high altar, created in 1914 by Vinzenz Pezzei, is adorned with statues by Josef Bachlechner and a painted panel by Josef Gold. The church’s most notable feature is its organ, installed in 1913 by Albert Mauracher after the previous one was destroyed. Mauracher’s Opus 116 is a pneumatic instrument with seven registers. In 2015 it was restored by Wolfgang Bodem and blessed by Archbishop Franz Lackner during the harvest festival. The organ was played on that occasion by Heribert Metzger. Three couplers and three fixed combinations allow a range of tonal colours. Visitors step into a single-aisled nave framed by neo-Gothic ribbed vaults. The high altar dominates the east end, its figures and painting catching the light from the stained-glass windows. The organ case stands on the west gallery, its polished wood and gleaming pipes visible from the pews. Outside, the churchyard offers wide views over the Salzach valley and the distant Alps. On 23 April each year the parish celebrates its patronal feast with processions and music.