St. Rupert's Church (german: Ruprechtskirche) is a Romanesque church in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Austria. Traditionally considered to be the oldest church in the city, St. Rupert's Church is dedicated to Saint Rupert of Salzburg, patron saint of the salt merchants of Vienna. The church is located in one of the oldest parts of the city, the section of the Roman

Vindobona Vindobona (from Gaulish ''windo-'' "white" and ''bona'' "base/bottom") was a Roman military camp on the site of the modern city of Vienna in Austria. The settlement area took on a new name in the 13th century, being changed to Berghof, or now si ...

.Brook 2012, p. 81. There is currently some debate whether the Ruprechtskirche is truly the oldest church in Vienna. Discoveries of old foundations under the St. Peter's Church and old graves under the St. Stephen's Cathedral have disputed the certainty of this label.

History

According to legend, it was founded by Cunald and Gisalrich, companions of Rupert during his occupation of the seat of bishop of

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label= Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...

. However, because Salzburg had influence over religious issues in Vienna between 796 and 829, it is more probable that it was founded in this period. The first reference in historical documentation is in a document of 1200 when Duke Heinrich II Jasomirgott describes a gift to the

Schottenstift The Schottenstift ( en, Scottish Abbey), formally called Benediktinerabtei unserer Lieben Frau zu den Schotten ( en, Benedictine Abbey of Our Dear Lady of the Scots), is a Catholic monastery founded in Vienna in 1155 when Henry II of Austria brou ...

church. The document also mentions the Ruprechtskirche, which is labeled the oldest in the city. After the destruction of the Roman settlement, the core part of the city grew in the area near the church. It was the seat of the religious administration before that function was transferred to the

Stephansdom St. Stephen's Cathedral (german: Stephansdom) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, OP. The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedra ...

in 1147. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, the church was the seat of the ''Salt Office'' (Salzamt), which distributed salt to individual buyers and ensured its quality. The church overlooks the jetty of the salt merchants on the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...

channel. The ivy-covered church has been rebuilt and altered many times in its history. In 1276, it was damaged by fire and modified. The choir dates from the 13th century, while the southern nave dates from the 15th century. In 1622, it was redecorated in Baroque style. It was also somewhat damaged by shellfire during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and affected by the demolition of the nearby ruins of another building. In the middle of the apse, there are two Romanesque stained-glass windows.

Other features

The oldest bells in Vienna are located in the church, dating from around 1280. The oldest glass window panes (dating from approximately 1370) can be found in the church. They depict a crucified Christ and the Madonna with baby. A statue of Saint Rupert is located in the north part of the main tower. The arch on the western gallery has a plaque with the label “AEIOU 1439”, an undecyphered motto of Emperor Frederick III. The plaque was designed to commemorate the entrance of the emperor to Vienna on December 6, 1439. According to tradition, AEIOU stands for (in Latin) "AUSTRIAE EST IMPERARE ORBI UNIVERSO" or in German "ALLES ERDREICH IST OESTERREICH UNTERTAN", both meaning "The whole world is subject to Austria" A relic of the sarcophagus of Saint Vitalis is located in the church containing the remains of a claimed Christian victim from the Roman catacombs. This memorial of victimization has special meaning in modern times because the

Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one orga ...

headquarters, which was used for torture and the organization of Jewish deportations, was located nearby in the Morzinplatz square.

Gallery

St Rupert's.jpeg, St Rupert's Wien - Ruprechtskirche, innen.JPG, Interior Innenansicht Ruprechtskirche 4.jpg, Altar Innenansicht Ruprechtskirche 3.jpg, Interior Glasmalerei Ruprechtskirche.jpg, Stained glass window Glasmalerei Ruprechtskirche 2.jpg, Stained glass window Glasmalerei Ruprechtskirche 3.jpg, Stained glass window Heilige Rupert Ruprechtskirche.jpg, Statue of St. Rupert Ruprechtsstiege Wien 2.jpg, The Ruprecht staircase connects the Morzinplatz with the Ruprechtsplatz Judenviertel Wien.JPG, The little squares and lanes surrounding the Ruprechtskirche belong to the oldest part of Vienna Wien - Morzinplatz, Mahnmal.JPG, Remembrance of the victims of the Gestapo

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * * *

External links

{{Commons, Ruprechtskirche (Wien)
Official website
Buildings and structures in Innere Stadt Rupert 9th-century churches Romanesque architecture in Austria