Gothic architecture
The parish of Murau is characterized by its five historically valuable churches, as well as by its various forms of worship. Around 250 volunteers, who are invited once a year to the staff party, testify to a lively parish life: everyone contributes according to their own talents.
The Murau parish church is one of the earliest and most interesting Gothic sacred buildings in Styria. It goes back to the founding of Otto II of Liechtenstein, the then landlord of Murau. Construction began in 1284 above the city, halfway up the southern slope of the Schlossberg.
In 1296 the consecration in honor of St. Matthew instead, the final completion of the building took a few years. In 1311, the will of the founder reports that at this point in time the building of the church, a cruciform basilica with a towering choir and a heavy stone crossing tower, was not yet fully completed. Late Gothic additions and additions from the first half of the 17th century. - when the rule passed to the house of the later Prince Schwarzenberg after the Liechtenstein-Murau dynasty - are witnesses of building changes and additions, which, however, in no way changed the basic character of the early Gothic building.
From 1939 to 1947 the interior of the church was restored with the uncovering of numerous frescoes. An exterior renovation was carried out in 1971, and in 1985 the restoration of the interior of the church was completed, with the old Liechtenstein crypt under the north transept being uncovered.
In addition, a new stone folk altar was erected at that time. In the course of the 700th anniversary of the church in 1996, the local artist Hans Schattner, in collaboration with the then chaplain Dr. Markus Plöbst created a modern way of the cross for the parish church. In 2006 the outside of the church was renovated again. This gave it its original Gothic color again. Wolfgang Wieland