Klagenfurt war memorial faces restoration after years of closure

A memorial in Klagenfurt for Carinthian victims of the two world wars has been closed for years and is at risk of falling into disrepair, ORF reported on Wednesday. Plans now call for the historic complex on Kreuzbergl to be restored and redesigned.

The work is expected to include structural repairs, a modern historical reassessment and new educational materials. The Kreuzbergl Church and the Stations of the Cross below it are among Klagenfurt’s best-known landmarks, although many walkers and hikers are unaware that the state memorial is also located there.

The Calvary complex, including the Stations of the Cross, was built in the mid-18th century. In 1955, a memorial and chapel for the victims of the world wars were added. Repairs have been needed repeatedly in recent decades, most recently in 2010, but little work has been carried out since then.

The complex has suffered extensive damage, particularly from moisture. Its stairways deteriorated so severely that the site had to be closed. Herbert Bauer, the new chairman of the Friends of the State Memorial association, wants to prevent the historic site from falling further into disrepair. His father, artist Karl Bauer, created the mosaic images there 70 years ago.

“I crawled around here as a small boy and have very strong memories because my father made this, and I was practically at home here,” Bauer said.

In addition to repairing the complex, Bauer wants to make its history accessible online, potentially using 3D glasses. He said the historical material had not yet been properly developed and that he wanted a modern approach.

The Federal Monuments Office supports the plans. Gorazd Živkovič said the meaning of the Stations of the Cross should be communicated more clearly so that visitors would not come only for a walk, and so that the site could also be used for educational work with schools.

Talks on the restoration are already under way, but its financing has not yet been settled.