Dreieinigkeitskirche

The Dreieinigkeitskirche stands in the small town of Stainach in the Ennstal valley of Upper Styria. It serves as the parish church for the local Protestant congregation and belongs to the Evangelical Superintendentur A. B. Steiermark. The church occupies a quiet corner in the Sonneckgasse, a street lined with modest houses and mature linden trees. The building’s history reflects the struggles of Protestant communities in the region. After an early congregation was founded in the 16th century, its first church at Neuhaus was destroyed during the Counter-Reformation. A new congregation only reappeared around 1900, growing steadily until it gained independence in 1959. The present church was designed by Eduard Praschag and completed in 1956, becoming a landmark of post-war religious architecture in the valley. Inside, the church is a simple rectangular hall with a clear wooden ceiling and large rectangular windows that fill the space with daylight. The most striking feature is the gable-end facade, where a bold cross made of glass-reinforced concrete rises above the entrance. A modern glass porch now shelters the main door, while outside, a low stone wall and a few benches invite quiet reflection. The surrounding residential area, with its single-storey houses and narrow lanes, keeps the church close to everyday life in Stainach.