Latest News #294 – Austria
December 9, 2004

New Bible Centre takes God’s Word onto Vienna’s streets

Passers-by look at the multimedia display in the window of the Austrian Bible Society's Bible centre in the museum area of Vienna. The centre will be officially opened in March 2005. Photo: Austrian Bible Society/medienring (AUT04DJ-21.JPG)

VIENNA, Austria — Just down the road from Vienna's traditional Christmas market, the Austrian Bible Society has opened a facility which, in sharp contrast, adopts a very up-to-date approach to bringing God's Word to the city. Shoppers and others who pass the Society's new Bible Centre, located in the heart of Vienna in the museum area, will encounter an eye-catching interactive multimedia display which offers them a 'personalised' message from the Bible.

"We want to develop new ways of taking the Bible to people," explained General Secretary Dr Jutta Henner at the 'pre-opening' of the Bible Centre on November 26. Here, in an architecturally innovative building set amidst attractions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Fine Art Museum and the Museum Leopold, the Society decided to focus on art as a means of communicating God's Word. It called on the services of Richart Schneider and Wolfgang Hilbert, who designed a multimedia display which, located behind glass at street level, interacts with passers-by.

Using computer-controlled multicoloured lighting, the display offers a 'personalised' Scripture quotation to each person who comes within range of special cameras. Those who linger in front of the display will experience how the text seems to react directly to them and will see further quotations connected with the same topic. In total, Bible Society staff chose 22 topics – among them 'Peace', 'Love' and 'Promises' – and quotations to illustrate them. Operating continuously, the display is particularly effective at night, when many people are still walking around the area.

The multimedia display in the window of the Austrian Bible Society's Bible centre in the museum area of Vienna. The centre will be officially opened in March 2005. Photo: Austrian Bible Society/medienring (AUT04DJ-24.JPG)

Inside, the building has loft-style office space for Bible Society staff and also houses the Society's 2,000-volume collection of Bibles in around 500 languages. Although the formal opening is not taking place until March 2005, many school and church groups have already made a booking to visit, and it is anticipated that the Bible Centre will attract at least 2,000 to 2,500 people each year. Facilities from which visitors will benefit in the future will include an audio zone, a reading corner and the Bible on computer.