This is us
Bibelwelt Salzburg sees itself as an adventure museum where biblical stories can be experienced with all of your senses. It is supported by the ecumenically run association “Bibelwelt” with the support of the parish of St. Elisabeth and the Pastoral Office of the Archdiocese of Salzburg.
The association aims as a museum of experience with means of biblically related art
- To foster interest in the Old and New Testaments with special attention to a holistic experiential approach,
- awaken and deepen personal experiences of faith,
- to mediate an encounter with Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the context of modernity, and
- to promote mutual respect and understanding among these three monotheistic religions.
The Bibelwelt Association (ZVR number: 547155927) operates exclusively on a non-profit basis. Its activity is not aimed at profit. Donations can be made in Austria at Erste Bank Österreich | IBAN AT35 2011 18454 2070 4900 | BIC GIBAATWWXXX, marked “Bibelwelt” and in Germany at the Deutsche Skatbank IBAN DE31 8306 5408 0004 1538 04 | BIC GENO DEF1 SLR, reading: “Deutscher Förderverein der Bibelwelt in Salzburg e.V.” can also be claimed for tax purposes.
HISTORY
The idea of building a Bible house in the form of an experience house was casually expressed in a meeting of the Bible advisors of the Catholic dioceses of Austria. Pastor Heinrich Wagner heard them there, since he is a member as a Bible consultant of the Archdiocese of Salzburg. He did not give importance to this idea at first, but …
A strange thought that Pr. Heinrich Wagner persistently pursued
After the idea of a walk-in Bible world in the manner of an adventure landscape “knocked” on Pastor Heinrich Wagner’s door again and again, he realized over time that this was a mission for him. The success of a traveling exhibition he developed with the Diocese of Linz, “Expedition Bible,” also contributed to this. It turned out that a Bible presented in an exciting way for all the senses attracts interest.
A team gets excited about the idea of a bible house
To implement this idea, Pr. Wagner, a project team consisting of artists, theater and museum educators, and theologians. In the more than 50 creative workshops that were lasting several days, the concept and plans of their own house in the form of a large ark were developed. For the realization the association “Bibelhaus” (since 28.5.2013 “Bibelwelt”) was founded on 2.11.2004, which informed the public about this ambitious plan.
An incidental thought: a smaller implementation is realized as a “Bibelwelt”
Despite great efforts, this idea could not be realized for cost reasons. The budget was € 8 million and this sum was nowhere to be found. The idea seemed to fall apart when the acting Archbishop of Salzburg Dr. Alois Kothgasser – rather casually during a conversation on March 24, 2010 – made the suggestion to incorporate the Bibelwelt into the St. Elisabeth Church, which had become much too large for the parish. In 2012, the parish council and parish council of the parish of Salzburg St. Elisabeth dealt with this proposal, which was then unanimously approved by both bodies.
In December 2012, the remodeling of the parish church began. In the process, 600 m² of the rear church space was initially adapted for the Bibelwelt. This reconstruction became possible because the church was taken out of the monument protection. It is a replica of a church already built in Rome by Bruno Apolonj-Ghetti. On 10.4.2015 the Bibelwelt was opened by Archbishop Dr. Franz Lackner.
In 2020, generous donations enabled the room structures in the rear organ loft area to be enlarged by an additional 400 square feet. For the full expansion of the exhibition space to 1000m ² are still looking for more generous donors.
AMIRI Motahar
BARANEK Peter
BATHORY Stefan
CITIZEN Balázs
EBNER Hemma
GALLE Stefan
GOGOTA Victor
GÖPFERT Claus
GRABLER Karl-Heinz
GRUBER Gerti
HELPER Michaela
HOFER Rupert
KLEINBERGER Thomas
HEAD Norbert
LATZENHOFER Inge
LIMMERT Waltraud
MAURER Markus
MITTENDORFER Raffaela
NEUTZNER Anette
OBERMEIER Elias
OTT Rosmarie
PABST Ingrid
PETEKKAYA Mehmet
PETZ Franz, DI
POTT-SCHLAGER Christine
PROSSER Martha
REINTHALER Günther
RITTER-VELTMANN Irene
SANTHA Imre
SCHATZMANN Alexander
SCHINAGL Susanne
SPINDLER Peter
THAUSING Albrecht, DI
TIEBER Tünde
TÜCHY Alfred
UNTERRAINER Magdalena
WAWRA Peter
SUGAR STATION Norbert
