The parish of Aichkirchen recently invited the population to find out more about this extensive project. Pastor Father Lukas, parish council chairman Hannes Pupeter and finance committee chairman Fritz Schiller showed the sad condition of the Art Nouveau building from 1907. This cultural monument was planned at the time by cathedral master builder Matthäus Schlager, who was also the construction manager of the Linz Mariendom.
Two years ago, a burst pipe made the pastor’s apartment uninhabitable and only shortly before All Saints’ Day did another burst pipe on the water supply necessitate rapid action. The rooms for the youth group had to be closed this year because of mold on the walls. Like the façade, the possible uses seem to be crumbling away more and more.
Renovation is inevitable and urgently needed. Various groups and associations were asked in advance whether and how they would like to use the building in the future. The result was unanimous: “The building must be preserved and made ready for the future.” The parish council then got down to planning. In addition to being used by the parish for choir rehearsals, altar server hours, etc., the premises can also be rented for lectures, readings, seminars and private meetings in the future. An open house for Aichkirchen should be created.
The costs for the entire general renovation are estimated at 720,000 euros, the construction time at four years. In order to be able to master this Herculean task, the project is divided into four construction stages. The first phase of construction is scheduled to begin in 2023. It includes the necessary structural work to protect the building from water and weather.
In the second and third stage, the interior renovation and thus the use for the parish population should be made possible again. As a final step, the facade and the exterior of the building will be renewed.
The redevelopment is co-financed by the Diocese of Linz, the Lambach Abbey, the Federal Monuments Office, the state of Upper Austria and the municipality of Aichkirchen. Furthermore, the construction costs for the parish can be reduced through robot services and donations of money and materials. The parish is therefore asking for the help of the population and hopes for a lot of support.
Source: Nachrichten
