Kreuzkirche (Cross Church), Graz

The Cross Church (Kreuzkirche) in Graz is a significant landmark representing the Protestant faith in the city's 4th district, Lend. Its history is closely linked with demographic changes at the turn of the 20th century, as the right bank of the Mur River experienced substantial population growth in Graz. This growth led to the need for a new Protestant parish, which resulted in the acquisition and adaptation of the 17th-century Mühl-Schlössl in 1908.

The construction of the Cross Church was funded by a generous donation from an anonymous donor from Mecklenburg, who intended her assets to establish a Lutheran church. Several architects participated in a design competition for the church, including Otto Bartning and the Viennese architectural duo of Siegfried Theiss and Hans Jaksch. However, the plans of Otto Kuhlmann, a professor of architecture from Berlin, were ultimately chosen. The church was built between 1912 and 1914 and consecrated in the same year, shortly before the outbreak of World War I.

Architecturally, the Cross Church is notable for its nave supported by buttresses, an open porch, and a prominent tower, originally featuring an onion dome that was destroyed during World War II. Inside, there are galleries supported by sturdy stone columns and a semicircular apse with a striking blue starry sky. Unlike many Protestant churches, it features decorations including angels and paintings on the gallery parapets, creating a spiritual atmosphere. The altarpiece, a notable work by Graz painter Alfred Schrötter von Kristelli, is a copy of Peter Paul Rubens' Crucifixion.

In 1915, a relief bust of the church's anonymous founder, crafted by Graz sculptor Hans Brandstetter, was placed in the tower room, symbolizing the mysterious donation that led to the church's establishment.