Oswaldikirche, Eisenerz

The Roman Catholic parish church of St. Oswald in Eisenerz, popularly known as Oswaldikirche, together with the Tabor complex surrounding it, is the largest and most important fortified church complex in Styria and one of the few completely preserved in Austria. As such, it has recently been referred to as the fortified church of St. Oswald.

The parish church belongs to the deanery of Leoben in the diocese of Graz-Seckau, the patronage is held by the municipality of Eisenerz. The church, dedicated to St. Oswald, was built in the 15th and 16th centuries in late Gothic style. It is considered to be a major work of the Admont building workshop and was built on a northern spur of the Erzberg, the so-called Vogelbichl. Together with the Schichtturm and the Erzberg, the Oswaldi Church is one of the landmarks that most strongly characterizes the Eisenerz townscape. According to recent research conducted in 2010, it is the only remaining sacred monument of Protestantism in Styria. The fortified church was restored from 2004 to 2014 and further developed for tourism.