Dreifaltigkeitskirche

Built 1714-1717 by Johann M. Prunner from Linz, based on an idea by Lambach abbot Maximilian Pagl; artistic furnishings 1718-1725. The occasion for the church's construction was the plague of 1713, during which Pagl had vowed to build the church. The abbot wanted a house of God that, in its layout and artistic furnishings, would symbolize the One and Triune God. The circle and the equilateral triangle enclosing it are the symbols through which the builder expressed his grandiose idea already in the church's ground plan: the circle as a symbol of the one, infinite, eternal God and the equilateral triangle as a symbol of the Trinity. The special nature of the ground plan, which reflects unity in trinity and trinity in unity through the triangle and inscribed circle, makes it possible to combine three identical churches into one, to glorify the One God who reigns in 3 persons. In the middle of each leg of the triangle, a gate invites entry into the church. From the three gates, one reaches the three altars, each along the extended axis, which stand in semicircular apses at the apex of the triangle defined by the ground plan. Each altar is assigned an organ on the gallery above the entrance, in honor of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The God-Father-Altar has as its theme the story of creation and the divine virtue of faith; the God-Son-Altar shows redemption and the virtue of hope; at the Holy-Spirit-Altar, the miracle of Pentecost and love are depicted. Pagl aimed for a building of the highest quality in architecture and furnishings and achieved this goal by commissioning first-class artists. The Paurakirche is an attempt to illustrate the deep mystery of God's essence, which eludes all imagination and cannot be depicted – an extremely successful attempt that evokes astonishment. The church is a self-contained, first-rate total work of art, theologically programmatic and stylistically, representing the dogma of the Most Holy Trinity in the highest perfection and artistically unique completion. Our church is open between Easter and All Saints' Day from 7:00 to 19:00. Telephone pre-registration is recommended. Guided tours can be arranged by phone.