Heilandskirche (Church of Our Saviour), Graz

The Church of Our Saviour (Heilandskirche) is an important landmark for the Protestant community in Graz. It is one of five Protestant churches in Graz, serving as the main church for the Protestant parish A.u.H.B. Graz-Church of the Holy Saviour. Built during the Biedermeier period, it reflects the Historicist architectural style and sits in Emperor-Josef square in Graz's 2nd district, Saint Leonhard.

Its history dates back to Emperor Joseph II's Toleration Patent in 1824, allowing for the establishment of a Protestant place of worship outside the old town of Graz. Originally a woodyard, the site saw the construction of a modest prayer house due to the small number of believers at the time. This prayer house, resembling a residential building, also housed a school and rectory. With political changes in 1848, plans for a proper church emerged, leading to its reconstruction by 1853 in the Romantic Historicism style, based on designs by Franz Zehengruber.

The church's interior, while modified over time, still retains elements of the original prayer house. Notable additions include a church tower, stained-glass windows, and a portal facing Kaiser-Josef-Platz. Key features like the Classicist high altar and pulpit have been preserved. In 1992, the church underwent a comprehensive refurbishment under architect Werner Hollomey, enhancing its spiritual and architectural atmosphere with colored glass windows, a new altar, ambo, and baptismal font.

Today, with around 6,400 parishioners, the Heilandskirche is the largest Protestant congregation in Austria, symbolizing faith and heritage in Graz.