Parish church in Bad Gleichenberg

"Church and Monastery in the Spa Resort Bad Gleichenberg

The newly established spa resort Gleichenberg originally belonged to the parish of Trautmannsdorf. To spare the spa guests the arduous journey to Trautmannsdorf to attend church, Count Wickenburg had the Bark Chapel built in the park in 1838. There, guests could attend a mass on Sundays. Soon, the chapel was too small for the many spa guests. Therefore, Count Wickenburg purchased a piece of land on a trachyte hill and planned to build a church with a monastery on it in 1841. The church and monastery were solemnly consecrated in 1845 and entrusted to the care of the Franciscan order. In 1888/1889, the son of the founder, Count Ottokar von Wickenburg, donated the entire area, including the church, monastery, and surrounding properties, to the Franciscan order.

In 1940, Father Fidelius Pfreundtner achieved the founding of a parish for Bad Gleichenberg after the monastery was to be closed by the German Reich. The monastery and church were severely damaged in the spring of 1945. With the help of many donations and the labor of the population, the church and monastery were able to be renovated after the war."  Historical Walk through Bad Gleichenberg - Then & Now