March 11, 2011

The Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria is below the Capuchin Church and Monastery founded in 1618 and consecrated in 1632. He is at the Neue Markt in the Innere Stadt, near the Hofburg Imperial Palace. Since 1633 has been the main burial place for members of the Habsburg dynasty.

In 2009, the bodies of 143 rights of the Habsburgs, in addition to the urns containing the cremated remains of four or more hearts, are deposited here, including 12 emperors and empresses of 18. The most recent was in 2008 entombment148. The visible 104 metal sarcophagi and 5 heart urns range in style from puritan plain to exuberant rococo style. The Imperial Crypt is one of the main attractions of Vienna.

To date, some residents continued dozen Capuchin Friars of their usual role as guardians and caretakers of the crypt and their pastoral work in Vienna.

Tyrolean Anna, wife of Emperor Matthias had an idea for a Capuchin monastery and the burial crypt for her and her husband to be built near the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. It has provided funds for her, she made 10 November 1617 and soon made available by dying a year later. Her husband followed a year later.

The first stone was laid on September 8, 1622 in the presence of Emperor Ferdinand IIx578 and after the slow progress because of the distractions of the Thirty Years War, the church was dedicated July 25, 1632 and Easter of Next year, the simple coffins containing the remains of the Emperor and Empress Mathias Anna1 were transferred with great ceremony in what is now called the Founder’s Vault.

The Emperor Leopold I37 enlarged crypt in 1657 in the area below the ship in the church, and her son Emperor Joseph I35 extended further west in 1710, but awkward, from the vault, her brother Emperor Charles VI40 continued westward in 1720, which extends under the apse and chancel choir above. For the first time, was a renowned architect who is involved with an expansion of the crypt.

In 1754, the daughter of Empress Maria Theresa56 was further west, completely passed by the church in the monastery garden with its dome, which allows more natural light. The imposing dome and the crypt is the work of architect Jean Jadot de Ville-Issey.

During the reign of his grandson, son of Emperor Franz Aman II57 architect Johann north to its largest in 1824.

The monastery around the church had fallen into disuse after 200 years of constant use, during the reign of Emperor Ferdinand, in 1840, the monastery (but not the church) was demolished and rebuilt. Under this project, the architect Johann Fernando Höhne built vault and the Bank of Tuscany in the basement of the new structure.

As part of the jubilee year to celebrate 60 years on the throne in 1908, Emperor Franz Joseph was the architect Cajo Perisic build another mausoleum in the room and the chapel to the east of Franz Ferdinand and II57 of times. Meanwhile, visitors to new annexes have been created on both sides of the church.

In 1960, it was a clear deterioration of the tombs that the changing environment of heat and humidity must be controlled if the historic sarcophagi survive for future generations. The Bank of Nova, northern Tuscany, Fernando and José Francisco domes, was built by the architect Karl Schwanzer metal doors by sculptor Rudolf Höflehner. He said that about 20 percent of the area of ​​the crypt, and was used as part of a massive reorganization of the tombs in the vaults.

The original dome was little consideration, in addition to the tombs of the two founders, a dozen children and was called the Dome of Angel. They move to open new niches in the wall before the Dome of Leopold.

Featured tombs of various other arcs have moved to New Vault and grouped by themes such as bishops, the direct ancestors of the last reigning emperor, and the immediate family Archduke Karl victor of Aspern.

Thirty-seven other graves, some of the minor children and members of the ruling family, was built on four pillars, created by Ferdinand Vault.

Thus, about half of all graves were moved from the original vault for a more orderly in the large part of the reorganization.

In 2003, another project created in the crypt accessible to persons with disabilities and has opened doors for previously non-guided tour that requires more walking back to 100% was necessary before. Whole crypt also has air conditioning to prevent deterioration of the tombs.

The graves are usually variations of either a self-storage locker flat top, or a bowl with sloping sides and a convex deck lid conical. Ornamentation ranging from simple to complex.

Until the 18th century date, the most common material in this tomb was a bronze-like alloy of tin, covered with shellac. Magnificent tombs Baroque and Rococo periods are actually bronze, nobler, and therefore more expensive material. Reformation of Emperor Joseph II ordered the burial customs of the people easier and the introduction of copper lighter and less expensive in the Imperial Crypt, which was then used in the 19th century. Later in the 19th century by a mixture of brass and bronze and a silver-copper-brown approved. Other metals have been used only rarely, with the exception of silver plating and gold decorations.

Only a sarcophagus that Emperor Francis Joseph is made of stone instead of metal.

Different techniques of metal were used: a coffin full cast, casting a blank decorative sculpture, carving, surface decoration and hammered in relief. shares chests and lids are riveted together, the decorative and ornamental figures attached.

The sculptor responsible for the more elaborate tombs, Balthasar Ferdinand Moll.

To ensure the stability of the tombs huge screen, which prepared iron and wooden floors inside. This prevents both the collapse and buckling of the sidewalls of the cover weight. The lid of the tomb of Empress Marie double Theresa56 and her husband of 55 years only weighs about 1700 kg.

The outer case provides a wooden coffin wrapped in silk (black with gold trim for officers, red with silver trim for others). The coffin was usually two locks, one key is kept by the Keeper of the Crypt of the Capuchins, the other remains in the Schatzkammer the Hofburg in Vienna.

Before the coffin, often the body had organs removed as a necessary part of the embalming process for display before burial. For about one third of the agencies has the heart is placed in a silver urn and sent elsewhere (usually in Herzgruft Augustinerkirche), and some intestines and other organs were placed in a copper urn and deposited in the crypt in the catacombs of dukes Vienna cathedral, the Stephansdom.