Evangelische Pfarrkirche Linz-Urfahr

The Evangelische Pfarrkirche Linz-Urfahr stands in the Urfahr district of Linz, a city in Upper Austria. Built between 1961 and 1963, it serves the local Protestant community under the Evangelical Church A.B. in Austria. The church is also known as the Gustav-Adolf-Kirche, named after the German Protestant leader whose supporters helped fund its construction. The architect, Hubert Taferner, designed the building to reflect mid-20th-century modernist style. The German Gustav-Adolf-Verein and friends from Sweden contributed significantly to the building costs. In 2004, the interior was redesigned to create a more contemporary worship space. The church’s history reflects the growth of Protestantism in the region after the 1781 Tolerance Patent allowed its practice. Before then, few Protestants lived in Linz or the Mühlviertel area. The nearest Tolerance community was in Thenning. After the Second World War, Urfahr’s Protestants were separated from Linz’s main church by the Soviet occupation zone. Services were held in the Urfahr town hall until a house was rented in 1951 and later purchased in 1954. The parish was officially founded in 1955 and expanded over time. By 1981, the congregation had grown to over 3,200 members, though numbers declined to 1,950 by 2020. Inside, the church features a spacious hall with wooden panelling along the long walls. Above the panelling, glass bands allow light to enter, each inscribed with Bible verses. A tall cross dominates the altar wall, rising nearly to the ceiling. The raised altar area holds the communion table, pulpit, and baptismal font. The surrounding streets of Urfahr lead to the Freistädter Straße, where the church’s entrance stands. Its modern design contrasts with the older buildings nearby, marking it as a key place for worship and community in the district.