Christ Church

The Christ Church is an evangelical church in the district of Saggen in the state capital Innsbruck in Tyrol, built from 1905 to 1906. It is the main church of the Evangelical Superintendent of Salzburg and Tyrol and is a listed building. With the Protestant Patent issued in 1861, the evangelical church in the Austrian Empire largely received the same rights as the Catholic Church. In 1869, the "Protestant Congregation in Innsbruck" was constituted. Due to resistance from the state, it was initially only allowed to hold home worship services. In 1875, the ministry permitted the establishment of Protestant congregations in Tyrol, and on January 28, 1876, the "Evangelical Congregation A. and H.B., Innsbruck" was constituted, just a few days before that in Meran. In 1879, the congregation acquired the abandoned k.k. normal school in Kiebachgasse in the old town, where services were now held in its chapel. In the following years, the congregation grew to over 1000 members, prompting plans for a new church building starting in 1895. In 1896, Pastor Arnold Wehrenfennig established a building fund, which was filled through donations, particularly from the Protestant regions of Germany. The city of Innsbruck provided a plot in the newly developed district of Saggen. A competition received 86 designs, among which the design by architects Klemens Kattner and Gustav Knell was selected and implemented by Josef Retter. In the spring of 1905, the first spade was turned, and by July, the roof celebration could be held, with the church being inaugurated with a service on May 20, 1906.

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