Stadtpfarrkirche Gleisdorf

The parish church "St. Laurenzius" dates back to the year 1500. Originally built in the late Gothic style, the building was significantly expanded in the 17th century and especially at the end of the 19th century. During restoration work, a Gothic portal was uncovered in the wall to the right of the side entrance.

Until 1875, the Gleisdorf church was adorned with a baroque onion dome, but during the optimistic mood of the Gründerzeit era, a pointed neo-Gothic tower, 73 meters high, was added. Previously, a cemetery surrounded by a wall was located around the church, forming what was known as a "Tabor," a refuge fortress with the church at its center. Nothing of this Tabor remains today, as the wall was demolished at the beginning of the 19th century. The Gleisdorf Tabor faced a severe test in 1532 when a Turkish army of 200,000 men approached. Although the residents were able to seek safety behind the walls, all the houses in the market town of Gleisdorf were burned down by the Turks. Inside, the church is decorated in the Nazarene style of the late 19th century.

The church is dedicated to Saint Lawrence, a martyr. The altarpiece depicts him with the gridiron on which he was tortured to death.

During the church renovation in 1997, a walk-in baptismal font was installed in the altar area. Since then, baptizees can once again be fully immersed in water, following the early Christian tradition. Near the exit, one can see an impressive baroque gravestone on the right pillar under the organ gallery. It depicts Death as a Grim Reaper. Here rests Catharina Burtschacherin, who died in 1677 at the age of 18.