Description of the attraction
The Leechkirche Church is the oldest religious building in the city of Graz. It is located in the central area, less than a kilometer from the Schlossberg Palace. In the immediate vicinity of the temple, there is a large city university named after Karl and Franz.
Officially, the church was consecrated in honor of the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but for almost a thousand years it was known as Leechkirche. The word "leech" itself dates back to the ancient German language and is translated as "burial mound" or "burial mound". In fact, this is how this area has been used since the 9th century BC, but the first Christian sacred buildings appeared here in the 10th century. The modern church is built on ancient Romanesque foundations, and, surprisingly, the Leechkirche church is the only religious building in the city of Graz that has a circular shape.
The new church building, which has survived to this day, was erected at the end of the 13th century in the early Gothic style. The solemn lighting of the temple took place in 1293. It is worth noting that the Leechkirche church belongs to the German Order, also known as the Teutonic Order. Since 1985, the church has officially served as a chapel at the Karl and Franz University.
In the external appearance of the church, it is necessary to note its decorated tympanum, in which a Gothic sculpture of the Madonna and Child, dating from 1290, is installed. The interior of the temple also retains many ancient decorative elements, including similar statues of various saints.
The stained-glass windows of the church, made in the XIV-XV centuries, have remained surprisingly intact. The main altar was completed already in 1780, but there is another sculpture of the Virgin Mary installed in it, this time dating back to the 15th century. As for the church bell tower, it was completed later than the church itself - in 1500.
