Bürgerspitalkirche (Community Hospital Church), Graz

The Community Hospital Church (Bürgerspitalkirche), located in Graz, is a Roman Catholic church situated in the 5th district of Gries. It serves as a benefice attached to the Church of the Holy Spirit within the Community Hospital (Bürgerspital).

This church has strong historical ties to Graz's social and medical progress. In response to city overcrowding, the Murvorstadt neighborhood was established on the Mur River's right bank, now comprising the Gries and Lend districts, historically housing workers, the poor, and those needing medical aid. Unlike typical religious-run care institutions of the Middle Ages, the Hospital of the Holy Spirit notably operated under secular management, overseen by a hospital master, a dairyman, and assistants. Operating from the 14th century until Emperor Joseph II's closure, it stood as one of Graz's oldest hospitals.

The Community Hospital building, alongside the church and its furnishings, is recognized as a listed building due to its historical and architectural importance. The church itself was granted a building site by Emperor Friedrich III in 1461 and consecrated in 1498. Originally featuring a wooden roof turret that was later replaced with a stone tower designed by Josef Carlone, the church displays late Gothic architecture complemented by Baroque furnishings and a Rococo period tabernacle.

Referred to fondly as the "small cathedral" due to its resemblance to the high altar in Graz Cathedral, the Community Hospital Church houses notable artistic works including a late Gothic carving depicting Saint Bernard of Clairvaux's vision, a Gothic Madonna sculpted in natural stone, and a distinctive box-shaped pulpit adorned with symbolic gold balls, pictograms, and depictions relevant to biblical narratives.