Pfarrkirche Hofkirchen im Traunkreis

The parish church of Hofkirchen im Traunkreis stands in the village of the same name in Upper Austria. It is dedicated to Saint Nicholas and belongs to the Diocese of Linz. The church and its adjoining cemetery are protected as historic monuments. The building began as a church in 1272 and became a parish in 1326. The present late-Gothic hall church was constructed between 1520 and 1524 under the direction of Meister Sigmund and later Meister Stephan of Steyr. The tower at the west end was added in the early 17th century and given its tented roof in 1818. Inside, the two-aisled nave is covered by an eight-part ribbed vault, while the choir has a net-ribbed vault and a five-sided end. The furnishings are mainly neo-Gothic, including a high altar with 17th-century statues and a late-Gothic font. A notable bell dates from 1535. The church’s south and north doors, with their small porches, are fine examples of late-Gothic craftsmanship. The surviving lower part of the original tower in the south choir corner adds to the building’s layered history.