Imagine, if you will, a humble yet dignified building conceived not as a monument to power, but as a sanctuary for remembrance: the Christkönigskirche. This Roman Catholic parish church in Vienna’s 15th district started as a memorial. It honored the deceased.
The Christkönigskirche stands as a testament to a specific moment in Austrian history. It began with the passing of Prelate Doctor Ignaz Seipel in 1932. Hildegard Burjan, founder of Caritas Socialis, initiated the memorial church.
Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß formed a committee. Burjan and Clemens Holzmeister joined it. By February 1933, financing and location were secured. The Schmelz was chosen because Ignaz Seipel was born nearby.
The Ständestaat wanted to develop pastoral care in underserved working-class districts. Holzmeister’s plans included a church with a memorial tower and crypt. A “Volksfürsorgehaus” or public welfare building was planned. A park would surround the complex.
In spring 1933, an invitation-only competition took place. Clemens Holzmeister, Alexander Popp, Robert Kramreiter, and Karl Holey participated. No jury was appointed to decide the winner.
Clemens Holzmeister’s initial design was complex with a high tower. Critics scorned the design. They mocked the high tower. They called it a “Paternoster-Garage”. The longhouse’s side walls would use openwork concrete bricks. This would illuminate the interior. A crucifixion group would decorate the choir’s back.
The crypt would have niches in opposing walls. Indirect light would illuminate it. Sarcophagi would fill these niches. Doctor Seipel’s sarcophagus would stand in the room’s center. The monumental tower suggests Holzmeister planned a tomb for other Ständestaat leaders.
Rudolf Perco, uninvited, also submitted a design. He gave his study to Karl Holey. Holey gave positive feedback. Perco didn’t reach his goal. The design showed a lying cuboid church. Smooth outer walls were divided by flat pilasters. The front was more ornate with the number three dominant. The vestibule’s height was one-third of the church’s total height. Above were three rows of three porthole-shaped windows. Inside, columns would create separate space for the sarcophagus. Perco’s design did not meet Holzmeister’s specifications for a parish center.
In May 1933, Clemens Holzmeister was commissioned to realize his project. The cornerstone was laid in July. The church was consecrated as Christ the King Church on September 29, 1934. Since 1935, the Christkönigskirche has served as a parish church.
The simple, towerless church and former welfare building were built around a courtyard. The rectory stands freely to the east. Inside, the church is a rectangular hall with a crypt descent. Many artists from the construction period contributed.
Gudrun Baudisch and Carl Jamöck created stucco work. Karl Hauk designed the stained glass, executed by the Tiroler Glasmalereianstalt. Karl Sterrer created the Christ the King mosaic in 1936. Albert Bechtold designed Hildegard Burjan’s memorial plaque. J. Dobner created the Stations of the Cross bronze reliefs. J. Meindl in Vienna cast them. Benito Mussolini donated them.
Ignaz Seipel and Engelbert Dollfuß were buried in the crypt. The National Socialists moved their remains. Hildegard Burjan also didn’t live to see the church completed. Today, the crypt hosts weekday masses. Outside, in a small park, are gravestones from the former Schmelzer Friedhof.
Johann M. Kauffmann built the Neufünfhaus parish church’s pneumatic organ. It has two manuals and pedals. A fountain stands in the Christkönigskirche’s forecourt. The Christkönigskirche stands as a serene landmark. It embodies memory, faith, and artistic collaboration.