The Peace Stupa at Wagram, also known as the Grafenwörth Stupa, is an impressive Buddhist peace monument in Lower Austria. It is located on a hill near Feuersbrunn in the Tulln district and was built between 2016 and 2019. The official inauguration took place on June 4, 2023. Designed by the Austrian architect Matthias Rainer, the stupa is one of the largest Buddhist stupas in Europe, with a height of 32.5 meters and a diameter of approximately 30 meters. Of particular note is the accessible interior, designed as a place for meditation and encounters – a truly unique feature of this size.
The project was privately funded by the Stupa Institute of the Austrian Buddhist Religious Society, under the spiritual guidance of the Buddhist monk Bop Jon Sunim (Tenzin Tharchin), who also contributed to the Peace Stupa in Zalaszántó, Hungary. However, the construction was not without controversy, as it encroached on an ecologically sensitive area with nesting sites for the hoopoe, which led to protests and delays. Inside the stupa are relics of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, presented by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. At the top is a gilded Buddha statue weighing approximately 700 kilograms, donated from South Korea. A large peace bell is also part of the inventory.
The surrounding garden is designed as a place of peace and spiritual contemplation, with meditation paths, sculptures, and prayer flags. The stupa symbolizes peace, compassion, and tolerance and is open to people of all faiths who seek peace and encounter here.