St Martin's Church

The small church to the west of Linz Castle stands on ancient cultural ground. Neolithic scattered finds indicate a prehistoric settlement. Remains of wooden and stone buildings have been found from the Roman Lentia period. A Roman oven has been partially preserved and made accessible under the church floor. Roman gravestones are visible in the wall structure.

A document of Charlemagne mentions a chapel of St. Martin in Linz in 799. Numerous archaeological excavations have provided evidence for the reconstruction of a much more spacious central building corresponding to Carolingian royal palaces, whereby the small church can be assumed to be the chapel mentioned in the document. Another opinion assumes that St. Martin's Church is not identical with the church mentioned in 799, but was only built in 955 by Bishop Pilgrim of Passau.

St. Martin's Church can lay claim to being the oldest early medieval sacred building on Austrian soil.

Under Emperor Leopold, the church was baroqueized in the 17th century, used as a stable by the French occupation in 1741, profaned in 1810 and used as a military depot. It was re-consecrated as a church in 1741 and refurbished in neo-Gothic style.

Major renovations were carried out in 1947 and 1975-1977, during which St. Martin's Church was given its current simple artistic form and medieval wall paintings were uncovered.