Even the church is saving money—places of worship in Austria are becoming real estate

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Membership numbers are falling, buildings are standing empty, and churches are being sold in Lower Austria. The parish of Hirschwang shows how deep the change goes.

The Catholic Church continues to lose ground in Austria. This is not only due to the declining number of believers, as church real estate has also been up for sale for some time now. This is also the case in several parishes in Lower Austria, where churches have been sold in recent years.

Just recently, another place of worship was put up for sale: the Church of St. Joseph the Worker in Hirschwang an der Rax (Neunkirchen district). The trend reflects a profound structural change in the church’s approach to its buildings—and to its self-image.

Background: The Archdiocese of Vienna is trying to streamline its real estate portfolio. The example of the baroque Augustinian Church in Korneuburg shows what this looks like in concrete terms. About two years ago, it was sold, together with the adjacent monastery, for around 300,000 euros to a Viennese real estate company, which wants to convert the entire ensemble into an event and cultural location for public use.

Church sets conditions

However, the historic preservation status must be maintained: the pews may not be removed, the fresco must remain accessible to the public, and rental is only permitted to ecumenical religious communities. At the same time, offices, apartments, a library, and a café are to be built in the adjacent new building planned on the monastery grounds—archaeological excavations will accompany the construction work.

In Mödling, another church property, St. Michael’s Church, went under the hammer in 2024. For Josef Grünwidl, Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Vienna, it is clear that the process is inevitable. He told ORF that Austria is at the beginning of a development that has long been a reality in many parts of Western Europe. According to the Church’s assessment, the infrastructure dates back to a time when the majority of the population regularly attended mass. Today, many of these buildings simply no longer meet real needs.

The example of Hirschwang

This structural change is particularly tangible in Hirschwang an der Rax. The Catholic church there was built in 1958, at a time when the town was flourishing, when there was factory work and over 1,000 people lived in the area. Today, there are only around 200. The paper factory, once an employer and lifeline, has closed down. The sawmill is also history. The church stands empty, with cracks in the outer walls, outdated electrical wiring, and closed doors.

“Not a single person came”

One person who has long resisted the decline is Romeo Reichel. The 75-year-old specialist has been an honorary deacon in Hirschwang for almost 18 years. He speaks openly about what moves him: “I was recently assigned to hold a service, but not a single person came to our church,” says Reichel. Together with Pastor Heimo Sitter and a vicar, he had tried to keep the church alive—in vain, because even the hikers who used to come to mass regularly are staying away. “The building needs renovation, and it is no longer worthwhile for the Archdiocese of Vienna to invest in it,” Reichel summarizes.

The entire area, including the rectory, is expected to cost around 240,000 euros. The archdiocese invites interested parties to coordinate viewing appointments through the Edlach parish. There is one condition: future use must not be contrary to the values and principles of the Roman Catholic Church.

What remains is the impression of a religion in retreat: in 2023, more than 85,000 people left the Catholic Church in Austria, only slightly fewer than in the record year of 2022. In contrast, there were only about 4,500 new or re-entries in the same year. The number of baptisms also declined: there were fewer than 39,500 in 2023. These figures show that not only has society changed, but so has the role of the Church within it.

A question of money

In Vienna-Rudolfsheim, where Reichel once attended the monastery school, the monumental Church of Mary of Victory was handed over to an Orthodox community years ago for a symbolic amount. But even there, the maintenance costs are too high and the façade is crumbling.

The Archdiocese of Vienna is trying to keep church buildings alive wherever possible. But this is only possible where there is an active community, where people participate, celebrate, and believe. Where this is no longer the case, there is often only one option: sale. It is clear that in many places, the church is no longer at the center of life. In some areas, it becomes a property with conditions, steeped in history, but secular.