Pfarrkirche Damtschach

The parish church of Damtschach stands in the small village of Damtschach, which lies between the Ossiacher See and Wörthersee lakes in the district of Villach-Land, Carinthia. It belongs to the Rosegg deanery in the Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt and is dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ. Before its construction, services were held in the nearby castle chapel until 2003. The church was designed by architect Gernot Kulterer, who won a commission in 1995. Construction began in 2001 and the new building was consecrated on 4 May 2003 by Bishop Egon Kapellari. The interior is shaped by three smooth white concrete walls and a wooden structure housing side rooms and a stepped gallery above. A broad roof canopy rests on twenty wooden columns, giving the space a light, open feel. Inside, two blocks of pews face the central altar area, which includes the altar, ambo and tabernacle, with a baptismal font beside it. A free-standing staircase on the south wall leads up to the organ gallery. The artist Karl Vouk created the interior theme based on the Emmaus disciples meeting the risen Christ. He carved simple Christian symbols into a steel frieze, including an image of Christ’s body and the broken bread.