The church hill of Straden
From time immemorial, the four churches of Straden have served to protect the population and ward off enemy troops. That is why Straden is still perceived as a castle by many visitors. The four churches in Straden (Maria am Himmelsberg, Sebastiani, Floriani and Tiefkirche) hold one or the other cultural-historical and art-historical treasure. It is best to take part in a guided church tour to learn all the special features surrounding the four churches.
Straden is the seat of the oldest parish in the Grabenland. As the first parish priest "Henricus de Merin" is mentioned in 1188. The present name of the village is derived from the Stradener Kogel, which is located to the east. According to the legend, a count vowed to build a church on the Stradener Kogel for a miraculous salvation. He had an image erected, but it disappeared three times overnight and was found again on today's Straden church hill.
Maria at the Himmelsberg
The Romanesque church building of the parish church was dedicated to the Mother of God Mary. After a fire around 1460, the church was remodeled in the late Gothic style. The statue of "Maria Himmelsbergerin" on the high altar has been preserved from this time. The interior decoration dates from the time of the priest Georg Cedermann (1759-1783). He set a living monument to himself and his name in the Straden cedar.
In the last days of the war in 1945 the church (tower height: 57.5 meters, five bells) was severely damaged. The parsonage of Straden, which is structurally connected to the parish church, still appears today as a massive building with beautiful arcades in the inner courtyard. The round tower with keyhole embrasure on the southwest corner, which is no longer visible from the outside, served as a defense. To the north and west of the vicarage were the farm buildings, which extended over what is now the church square and formed an enclosed area.
Sebastian Church & Low Church
The construction of the double church of Saint Sebastian - Painful Mother of God, located to the south of the parish church, is probably related to the founding of the Sebastiani Brotherhood in 1517. The church of St. Sebastian (tower height: 26.5 meters) with its lower church is part of the fortified wall, which is up to ten meters high. The core of this double church dates back to the Middle Ages. At that time, the size of the parish made it necessary to build a charnel house including an ossuary, which was used until the 17th century. Later the double church was used for sacral purposes.
Floriani Church
There is no written evidence of what was located at the highest point of the hilltop before the construction of the Floriani Church. It was probably a fortification. In the vernacular the building was called "Buchkirche". According to the legend, a knight who was driven here during an enemy siege vowed to build the church for his lucky escape. He then plunged into the depths on horseback unharmed.
The construction of the choir was started in 1644, and of the nave in 1654, because the parish church did not have enough space. The consecration in honor of St. Florian took place in 1686. The late Baroque interior decoration was completed in 1775. The depiction of the Transfiguration of Jesus on the pulpit, which is said to have taken place on the biblical Mount Tabor, also refers to the fortified character of the place. The tower height of the Floriani Church is 33 meters. Between 1659 and 1800 the cemetery was also located here.
Straden's history
Due to its special location and with its four churches, Straden attracts visitors from near and far at any time of the year, who also like to learn something about the history of the village. With the help of information boards on the geology and history of the village and along a theme trail, visitors can walk through the history of the village up to the present day. Thus, scenes can be "experienced" directly.
Walking tours on the history of Straden: Dr. Christa Schillinger 03473 8261 201 or ch.schillinger@straden.gv.at
Tour of the churches of Straden: Straden parish office 03473 8208 or straden@graz-seckau.at