Gurk Cathedral

Gurk Cathedral is located in Gurk in Carinthia. The building is a pillar basilica built between 1140 and 1200 in the High Romanesque style, which is one of the most important Romanesque buildings in Europe thanks to the few structural alterations. The elongated basilica has a double-towered west façade, a gallery, a crypt and three apses. The crypt, designed with 100 columns, is the oldest part of the church. In the year of its consecration in 1174, the tomb of St. Hemma of Gurk was moved there.

In 1922, the Redemptorists bought the buildings of the monastery from the Benedictine nuns, and in 1924 the last of the 28 nuns left Gurk. In 1923, the Redemptorists took over the monastery building and cathedral and carried out extensive restoration work over the next few years. They also moved their theological school there from Mautern (Styria). The most important priest was Josef Löw, who made a great contribution to the canonization of Hemma von Gurk (1938).The Salvatorians took over the monastery and parish in 1932. Salvatorian nuns have also lived in Gurk since the opening of the St. Hemma guest house in 1988. The Salvatorians left Gurk at the end of August 2008. Since then, pastoral care has been provided by diocesan priests from the Gurk-Klagenfurt diocese. There are also two Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood from Wernberg Monastery working in Gurk.