Votivkirche

In February 1853 a Hungarian nationalist stabbed Franz Joseph in the neck on the Kärntner Bastei; the emperor survived, and his brother Maximilian - later the short-lived emperor of Mexico - launched a public subscription for a church of thanksgiving. Heinrich von Ferstel won the competition at twenty-six and built it between 1856 and 1879 in French-influenced neo-Gothic, with two open-work spires of ninety-nine metres, on ground that was then the glacis outside the walls and became the Ringstrasse. It is one of the earliest and largest of the Ring buildings. Inside are the Renaissance tomb of Niklas Salm, who commanded Vienna's defence in the 1529 siege, and a set of nineteenth-century stained glass, much of it replaced after bomb damage in the war.

History

After Emperor Franz Joseph survived a knife attack on the city bastions on 18 February 1853, his brother Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian started a campaign, funded from across the empire, for a church of thanksgiving. A competition in April 1854 drew 75 entries from the empire, the German lands, England and France, and the jury chose the design of Heinrich von Ferstel, then only 26, a new neo-Gothic design drawn from French cathedrals but built under a single architect; building began in 1856, and the church was dedicated on 24 April 1879, the silver wedding anniversary of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth (Wikipedia, Votivkirche, Vienna).

What you'll find

• Two 99-metre openwork spires - the French-influenced neo-Gothic front on the Ring.
• The Salm tomb - the Renaissance monument to the 1529 siege commander.
• A church of thanksgiving - built after the 1853 attempt on Franz Joseph.
• Nineteenth-century glass - much of it restored after wartime damage.

When to go

All year. An hour.

Before you go

Restoration works have covered parts of the exterior for long stretches. The interior is cold and plainer than the outside suggests. Opening hours are limited and it closes between services.

Nearby

The university, the Rathaus and the Ringstrasse buildings run south from here.

Key facts