Auferstehungskirche

The Auferstehungskirche stands in Rudersdorf, a village in the municipality of Ferndorf in the Villach-Land district of Carinthia. It serves as the main Protestant church for the area and belongs to the Evangelical Superintendentur A. B. Kärnten und Osttirol. The church sits on a hilltop above the Drau Valley, offering wide views over the surrounding landscape.

The building was designed by architects Heinrich Burgstaller and Hannes Walder and completed in 2000 after the congregation became independent in 1959. Its circular design, unusual for Austria outside burial chapels, reflects the form of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The interior centres on a large mural of the prophet Jonah, whose story is linked to the theme of resurrection. The four Evangelist symbols by Alois Köchl stand outside, each made from different materials.

Inside, the church combines two half-circles to form its floor plan, topped by a tiered lantern. The windows follow medieval biforium style with columns dividing each opening. The altar area features stained-glass works by Walburga Michenthaler. From the hilltop site, visitors can see the Drau Valley and the distant mountains beyond.