Graz celebrates Reading Day: Stars read favorite stories live!

Graz celebrates Reading Day: Stars read favorite stories live!

On March 28, 2025, the Graz parish church will be the scene of a special event: the Austrian Reading Day. Prominent readers, including the Bishop of Graz Wilhelm Krautwaschl, the actress Aglaia Szyszkowitz and the actor Franz Solar, will sit on the bench in front of the church and recite their favorite stories. This initiative, supported by the Ministry of Education and under the motto “My Favorite Stories”, aims to set a strong example for reading and literature and to promote reading skills. Thousands of readers across Austria will take part in this day in public places and educational institutions, highlighting the importance of reading kathpress.at reported.

Cultural background of the city parish church

The Graz City Parish Church, a Gothic hall church, was built between 1484 and 1519 and its baroque facade dates from the 18th century. It is considered one of the most important church buildings in the Styrian capital and attracts numerous visitors with its impressive church tower graz.net explained. Inside the church there is the artistically valuable picture “Assumption of Mary” by the Venetian painter Jacopo Tintoretto, which underlines the beauty of the church. Despite its re-Gothic furnishings in the 19th century, many of the original elements are no longer preserved.

A big plus of the city parish church is its versatility: it not only serves as a place for holy masses, but also for top-class church concerts and artistic events throughout the year. This also points to the church's responsibility for education, as the organizers of the reading day emphasized. This unique combination of education and spirituality makes the parish church a true cultural center in Graz.