The little known cultural jewel is the unchanged village church from the 15th century. in the tiny village of St. Stefan, which still existed in the 18th century. was a much-visited place of pilgrimage. During interior renovations, Gothic wandering frescoes were uncovered, which are extremely rare in Eastern Styria. The Last Judgment fresco is divided into three floors: Above Christ on the rainbow, below St. Mary and John the Baptist in the midst of angels. The twelve apostles gather on the floor below. John and Peter sit inside. This is followed by the compartment of the Earthlings, they come from all sides to a state church.
In the municipality of Hofkirchen Hofkirchen, Styria, the astonishingly large Gothic Church of St. Stefan rises away from any major settlement concentration between fields and forest zones on a low ridge in the Saifenbach Valley, the neighborhood of which consists of only a few rural objects. As a branch church, it belongs to the Kaindorf parish today. The Gothic building was built in 1384 from unplastered rubble stones. The former scaffolding holes can still be seen today. A baroque sacristy, which was added later, sets itself apart formally with its plastered architecture. The roof turret from the late 19th century is also plastered. In 1958, during renovation work inside, frescos with depictions of the Last Judgment were found. The high altar with figures by Johannes Feiner from 1647, the slender tracery windows, the high half-columns on the inner walls and the cross and ribbed vaults give the sacred building an almost urban appearance Character. The plastering of the sacristy, roof turrets and the eaves area of the church urgently needed to be renovated; Furthermore, repairs in the roof area could not be postponed. An association for the preservation of the Church of St. Stefan and the local cultural association tried to renovate it. The repair work could only be carried out with funding from the Federal Monuments Office and the Styrian Revitalization Fund. Today St. Stefan is again a jewel in the Hartberg area.
Take the opportunity and travel by public transport:
If you want to connect the visit of this sight with an overnight stay – here you can get to the landlords in the region.
Only by appointment with the parish office: Parish office Kaindorf 8224 Kaindorf 1 Phone: +433334 2258