Many deconsecrations

How Styrian churches became secular buildings

The baroque Stiegenkirche in Graz's Sporgasse changed hands in the summer.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Wulf Scherbichler)

The church is constantly changing, being renovated, converted and extended. Some sacred buildings also have to be sold, such as the Stiegenkirche in Graz recently. Are there more sales on the horizon? Which secular buildings used to be places of worship?

When buildings change hands, the public usually barely notices. But this sale caused a stir: In the summer, the baroque Stiegenkirche church in the heart of Graz's old town passed into private ownership and the noble Goëss-Saurau family, whose palace adjoins the church, struck a deal. The fact that the church continues to open its doors to worshippers on selected holidays and that the family takes on the costly upkeep was "a stroke of luck" for the diocese, as they say.