Saint Margaret of Antioch Church

The Roman Catholic parish church of Süßenbach stands in the village of Süßenbach, part of the market town of Kirchberg am Walde in Lower Austria. Dedicated to Saint Margaret, it belongs to the Gmünd deanery in the diocese of St Pölten and is protected as a listed monument. The church occupies a quiet corner in the north-east of the settlement, its white walls and red roof visible above the surrounding houses. The building’s history begins in 1495, when a church was first recorded on the site. In 1784 the addition of a choir raised it to parish status, and in 1840–41 the old church became the transept of a new, rotated nave. A tower was added in 1899, along with repairs to the fabric. The architect Josef Furthner created the high altar in 1926, while the organ casing, pulpit and choir stalls date from about 1880–90. Inside, the nave is covered by a low wooden barrel vault and opens to a choir that is slightly recessed. The transepts retain traces of the earlier building, including fragments of a ribbed vault in the west arm and a round-arched niche in the east arm. The ceiling of the choir is painted with a Trinity medallion by Engelbert Daringer, and the stained glass shows Saints John the Evangelist and Peter and Paul. The freestanding altar table of 1840 holds a tabernacle crowned by adorant angels, while the granite font carries a 19th-century cover. Two historic bells, cast in 1585 and 1636, still ring for services.