Holy Cross Church

The parish church in Laxenburg stands in the centre of the village, opposite the Blue Court. Built in the late 17th century, it is the first church north of the Alps to show the flowing lines of High Baroque façades. Emperor Leopold I laid the foundation stone himself in 1693, and the nave was consecrated six years later. The tower was finished only in 1724 under Matthias Steinl, while the choir was added between 1765 and 1770 by Nikolaus von Pacassi. Inside, the ceiling paintings in the nave and choir date from the church’s early years and were uncovered again in 1931. The high altar, designed by Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg around 1784, dominates the sanctuary. The late Baroque pulpit was carved by Johann Baptist Straub between 1730 and 1732, and the organ rebuilt by Franz Ullmann in 1864 reuses an earlier case. Outside, four Evangelists by Julius Trautzl stand on the terrace added at the end of the 19th century. The forecourt was raised and refaced in 1897–99, giving the church a commanding position in the village square.