Doesn’t Herz-Mariä-Kirche look like it’s part of the apartment building? The Herz-Mariä-Kirche or Herz-Maria-Kirche, as some call it, is a Roman Catholic church in Vienna’s 15th district, Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus. It’s dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The church belongs to the Pfarre Hildegard Burjan.
Let’s dive into its interesting past. Bombs fell on the houses in Winckelmannstraße during World War II. The owner of the ruined house at number 34 donated the land to the church. This aligned with Cardinal Theodor Innitzer’s vow to build a new church after the war.
The story of the Herz-Mariä-Kirche really begins in 1947. Kaplan Georg Springer, later known as the “Schuttkaplan” or rubble chaplain, cleared the rubble with volunteers. They worked over 16,000 hours to salvage materials. They recovered 150,000 bricks and 200 cubic meters of sand.
Kaplan Springer and a construction company used these materials to build the “Schuttkirche”. It was consecrated on July 10, 1949, and dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The municipality granted a permit for 10 years.
Planning for a new, permanent church took many years. The temporary church served the parish until August 1969.
Construction on the present-day Herz-Mariä-Kirche began in autumn 1969. Josef Vytiska designed it. The church integrates into a residential building. The entrance, rear, and chancel are part of the building. The altar area extends into the courtyard.
Archbishop Franz Jachym consecrated the Herz-Mariä-Kirche on October 8, 1972. A large parish hall opened under the church in January 1973. In 1995, the large chancel was separated from the church for parish use.
A bell house was built on the roof. In 1973, three bells were consecrated. Noise complaints led to a ban on ringing them. In 1996, an agreement was reached with St. Paul’s parish in Favoriten. The bells were moved to a freestanding bell tower there.
Initially a pastoral care station, it became the Pfarre Schönbrunn-Vorpark in 1955. Kaplan Springer became the pastor. Several pastors followed.
In 2000, a parish association was formed with the Reindorf parish. This association dissolved in 2008. In 2017, the Pfarre Schönbrunn-Vorpark was dissolved. It merged with the Pfarren Rudolfsheim and Neufünfhaus. Together they formed the Pfarre Hildegard Burjan. The Herz-Mariä-Kirche became a subsidiary church.
The Herz-Mariä-Kirche stands as a testament to faith. It rose from the rubble of war. It serves as a reminder of community and dedication.