Herz-Jesu-Sühnekirche, Romanesque Revival parish church in Dornbach, Hernals, Vienna, Austria.
Herz-Jesu-Sühnekirche is a Roman Catholic church in Dornbach, in Vienna's 17th district, built in 1931/32 to plans by Bruno Buchwieser senior. Its neo-Romanesque basilica form, a deliberate reference to historicism, has a three-aisled nave and a large wheel window above the stepped portal. A concrete relief of the hearts of Jesus and Mary was set into the tympanum around 1960; the vestibule holds the Family Chapel and the Warrior Chapel.
Built in 1931/32 to plans by Bruno Buchwieser senior, the church was commissioned by the Canisiuswerk and handed to the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts in 1933 as a rectoral church. The parish became independent in 1937. The site on the Frauenfeld marks the 1683 breakthrough of King John III Sobieski's troops against the Ottoman siege of Vienna.
The church is dedicated to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. It stands on the Frauenfeld, where in 1683 John III Sobieski's troops broke through the Ottoman siege of Vienna; the king carried an image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, and Pope Innocent XI then made the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary obligatory. Hernals still celebrates it here as its own parish feast.
The church is accessible from the main entrance and welcomes visitors during service times and quiet hours. Check local information beforehand to understand when the building is open to the public for visits.
A mosaic by artist Ernst Bauernfeind added to the apse in 1991 brought contemporary artistic expression into the historic interior. This addition demonstrates how the church balanced preservation of its traditional character with newer artistic contributions.
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