Story
A path between stone and crystal
The Thaler Jakobuskirche is located in Thal near Graz and was built between 1992 and 1994. Due to the listed status of the existing old church, a new, larger building was built that integrates the old structure; the tower of the original church was preserved and connects the past with the present.
The church is dedicated to St. James - a pilgrim. The West Styrian Way of St. James begins from here, which is part of a larger European pilgrim route network to Santiago de Compostela. The artistic design comes from Prof. Ernst Fuchs and is based on fantastic realism; The central theme is the Heavenly Jerusalem, implemented in an abstract, crystalline formal language.
The idea for this church came about during the artist's meditation at the Sea of Galilee; the stones and waves seen there became design inspiration. The construction was supported by thousands of hours of voluntary work by the people of Thaler, who, among other things, sorted the stones according to size, shape and color.
The church is dedicated to St. James - a pilgrim. The West Styrian Way of St. James begins from here, which is part of a larger European pilgrim route network to Santiago de Compostela. The artistic design comes from Prof. Ernst Fuchs and is based on fantastic realism; The central theme is the Heavenly Jerusalem, implemented in an abstract, crystalline formal language.
The idea for this church came about during the artist's meditation at the Sea of Galilee; the stones and waves seen there became design inspiration. The construction was supported by thousands of hours of voluntary work by the people of Thaler, who, among other things, sorted the stones according to size, shape and color.