Evangelisches Diözesanmuseum Fresach

About the museum

Fresach was one of 13 places in Carinthia where a Protestant congregation formed after the Patent of Toleration of 1781. The first, wooden prayer house burned down in 1784; a stone building was erected in the same year, which – as required – looks like a residential house, without a tower, bells or representative portal. Prayer house, pastor's house and charnel house have been preserved almost unchanged, together with the original pulpit altar and wooden pews.

After the congregation moved into a new church in 1951, Superintendent Fritz Zerbst suggested a memorial for the secret Protestants. On 25 September 1960 the first Protestant diocesan museum in Austria was opened in the Toleration prayer house; the driving force for decades was the later bishop Oskar Sakrausky. The collection of Bibles, postils, hymnals, manuscripts and liturgical items grew mainly through donations from Carinthian families and parishes.

For the Carinthian State Exhibition 2011, the Evangelische Diözesanmuseum GmbH built the Neues Museum to plans by marte.marte architekten, a monolithic exposed-concrete building that received, among other awards, the Carinthian State Building Prize and the Austrian Museum Prize 2011. Since then it has housed the permanent exhibition on the history of Protestantism in Carinthia, complemented by the restored pastor's house with a replica printing press and a stele park with 33 sculptures for the Protestant congregations of Carinthia and East Tyrol.

Highlights

• Toleration prayer house of 1784 with original pulpit altar
• Award-winning Neues Museum by marte.marte architekten
• Luther Bible of 1534 and printed works from 1520
• Replica of a functioning historic printing press
• Stele park with 33 sculptures of the Protestant congregations

Permanent exhibition

• EVANGELISCH glauben leben erinnern – The permanent exhibition from the 2011 State Exhibition, extended every year, leads in four sections from the Reformation through the Counter-Reformation and secret Protestantism to toleration and minority issues of the present.

Founded

1960

Operated by

Evangelische Diözesanmuseum GmbH (Evangelische Superintendentur A.B. Kärnten & Osttirol)

Director

Alexander Bach (wissenschaftlicher Leiter)

Admission & discounts

No double reductions. Free admission with the Kulturpass of the state of Carinthia, Museumscard, Millstätter See Card and Kärnten Card, and for coach drivers, tour escorts and certified tour guides.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The upper floor of the Neues Museum with the permanent exhibition can be reached by stairs and lift.

Kids & families

Getting there & parking

By car via the Tauern motorway A10, exit Paternion-Feistritz.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit