St. Stephen's Cathedral

Rudolf IV

Duke Rudolf IV began the Gothic cathedral on the ruins of two earlier churches

The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedral was largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first a parish church consecrated in 1147. On 7 April 1359 Rudolf IV laid the cornerstone for a westward Gothic extension.

Older ground

The church was likely built on a cemetery from Roman times

The new parish church was likely built on an ancient cemetery dating to Ancient Roman times. Excavations for a heating system in 2000 revealed graves 2.5 metres below the surface, carbon-dated to the 4th century. A great fire in 1258 destroyed much of the first Romanesque building.

The south tower

The south tower took 65 years to build and stands 136 metres high

The south tower, which the Viennese call Steffl, is the cathedral's highest point. Its construction lasted 65 years, from 1368 to 1433. It served as the main observation and command post in the Siege of Vienna in 1529 and the Battle of Vienna in 1683, and watchmen manned it at night until 1955.

136 metresheight of the south tower, the highest point

The roof

The roof is 111 metres long and covered by 230,000 glazed tiles

The ornately patterned, richly coloured roof is 111 metres long and covered by 230,000 glazed tiles. Above the choir on the south side, the tiles form a mosaic of the double-headed eagle, a symbol of the empire the Habsburg dynasty ruled from Vienna.

230,000glazed tiles cover the roof

1945

A fire in April 1945 brought down the roof, and the great bell shattered

On 12 April 1945, civilian looters lit fires in nearby shops as Soviet Army troops entered the city. The winds carried the fire to the cathedral, which severely damaged the roof and caused it to collapse. The old Pummerin bell crashed through the floors and shattered. The cathedral fully reopened on 23 April 1952.