Pfarrkirche Oberlaa

The parish church of Oberlaa stands on Oberlaaer Platz in Vienna’s 10th district, Favoriten. It is dedicated to Saint Giles and has served as the local parish church since 1324. The present baroque building replaced an earlier structure destroyed during the 1683 Turkish siege. Mathias Gerl designed the church between 1744 and 1746, giving it a distinctive curved façade and a tower topped with an onion dome. Inside, the church holds a main altar by Sebastian Haupt from about 1759. The high-altar painting of Saint Giles is by Johann Ignaz Cimbal, who also decorated the side altars. The pulpit, carved around 1760 by Johann Tabotta, features gilded figures and a crowned eagle. Baroque statues of saints line the walls, and the 1849 Stations of the Cross were painted by Anton Böhm. The communion rail and pews date from the church’s construction, preserving its original character. Outside, the churchyard is framed by a park-like square. A baroque statue of Saint John of Nepomuk stands on a stone pedestal, restored in 1978. Nearby, a war memorial lists the fallen from both world wars. Opposite the church, the parish house combines two 17th- and 18th-century buildings with painted façades and rounded doorways. Each spring, the Markus procession winds through the surrounding streets, returning to the church after visiting wayside shrines.