Josefskirche Schwanberg, Steiermark

The Josefikirche stands on a hill above Bad Schwanberg in the Deutschlandsberg district of Styria. It serves as a landmark for the market town and belongs to the parish church of Schwanberg. The church is dedicated to Saint Joseph and is protected as a monument. The church was built in 1685 using remains of an old watchtower. After the Second World War, the building fell into disrepair until parish priest Alois Polaschek began restoration work. The interior was painted by Jakob Laub, who started at the age of twenty-five in 1957. Later, parish priest Josef Almer completed two more vaults, and the ceiling painting was consecrated in 1960. Further work resumed in the 1980s under parish priest Anton Lierzer and was finished in 1995. The church has a three-bay nave with a slightly recessed chancel arch. The roof above the chancel features a small dome. The west portal bears the date 1685. Inside, the chancel has a ribbed vault on double pilasters, while the nave has a flat-panel vault on sturdy wall pillars. Jakob Laub painted frescoes depicting the life of Saint Joseph on the vault and side walls. Outside, a rosary path leads from the village to the church, lined with baroque Passion figures from the early 18th century.