Eisenstadt Cathedral, Roman Catholic cathedral in Eisenstadt, Austria.
Eisenstadt Cathedral is a three-aisled late Gothic hall church between Pfarrgasse and Rochusgasse, planned with two west towers: the north tower has five storeys, the south tower only two, and both share a hipped roof with the porch between them. The two-bay choir ends in a five-eighth close, with the former family chapel attached to its north side.
The building is first recorded as a chapel in 1264 and was rebuilt in 1460 as a fortified church under town captain Johann Siebenhirter. The fortified form was a direct response to the military threats facing the town at that time.
The cathedral is known for its church music, and concerts of the annual Haydn Festival take place inside. The organ, built in 1778 by Johann Gottfried Malleck, was installed to instructions from Joseph Haydn. The seven bronze bells in the tower were hung in 2013; the largest is the biggest church bell in Burgenland.
The cathedral is easy to reach on foot from the center of Eisenstadt and sits on a small rise that makes it visible from a distance. Inside, the altarpiece and the windows are best seen in daylight, so a morning or early afternoon visit works well.
The organ was built in 1778 following specifications drawn up by composer Joseph Haydn, who was working at the nearby Esterhazy Palace at the time. This makes it one of the few instruments in the world built to the personal requirements of a major classical composer.
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