Votive Church, Gothic Revival church in Alsergrund, Austria
Two slender towers rise to a height of 325 feet (99 meters) and frame the main facade with three gabled portals adorned with white sandstone decorations. The structure extends over a length of 279 feet (85 meters) with a width of 180 feet (55 meters) and forms with its three-aisled basilica one of the largest religious buildings of this architectural style in the entire German-speaking region.
After a failed assassination attempt on Emperor Franz Joseph in 1853, Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian initiated the church construction as a sign of gratitude for his brother's rescue. Architect Heinrich von Ferstel won the 1854 competition with his design and directed construction until consecration in 1879. Severe damage from bombing raids in April 1945 led to extensive restoration work in the postwar decades.
The church serves multiple Christian communities as a gathering place with services held in German, Italian, Spanish, French, English and Polish every Sunday. This linguistic diversity reflects the international composition of Vienna's Catholics and makes the building a central meeting point for believers of different backgrounds in the Austrian capital.
The building houses a museum with historical artworks, including the Antwerp Altar from the 15th century, which can only be visited by prior appointment. Tram lines 1, 37, 38, 40, 41 and 42 as well as subway line U2 with Schottentor station provide convenient access to the location, which sits just a few minutes' walk from the main building of the University of Vienna.
As Vienna's second tallest church building, the structure contains 78 stained glass windows, some of which were fitted with modern motifs during renovation work in the 1970s. The interior also holds the sarcophagus cenotaph of Count Niklas Salm, who defended the city during the first Turkish siege in 1529, which gives the site an additional layer of national meaning.
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