Imperial Crypt
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The Imperial Crypt (german: Kaisergruft), also called the Capuchin Crypt (''Kapuzinergruft''), is a burial chamber beneath the Capuchin Church and monastery 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. It was founded in 1618 and dedicated in 1632, and located on the Neuer Markt square of the Innere Stadt, near the
Hofburg Palace The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn ...
. Since 1633, the Imperial Crypt serves as the principal place of entombment for the members of the
House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
.Beutler 1999, p. 12. The bones of 145 Habsburg
royalty Royalty may refer to: * Any individual monarch, such as a king, queen, emperor, empress, etc. * Royal family, the immediate family of a king or queen regnant, and sometimes his or her extended family * Royalty payment for use of such things as int ...
, plus urns containing the hearts or cremated remains of four others, are here, including 12
emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
s and 18 empresses. The visible 107 metal
sarcophagi A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a cadaver, corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from ...
and five heart urns range in style from puritan plain to exuberant rococo. Some of the dozen resident Capuchin friars continue their customary role as the guardians and caretakers of the crypt, along with their other pastoral work in Vienna. The most recent entombment was in 2011.


History

Anna of Tyrol Anna of Tyrol (4 October 1585 – 14 December 1618) was by birth an Archduchess of Austria and member of the Tyrolean branch of the House of Habsburg and by marriage Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Queen of Bohemia and Queen of Hungary. The ...
, wife of Emperor
Matthias Matthias is a name derived from the Greek Ματθαίος, in origin similar to Matthew. People Notable people named Matthias include the following: In religion: * Saint Matthias, chosen as an apostle in Acts 1:21–26 to replace Judas Iscariot * ...
conceived the idea of a Capuchin cloister and burial crypt for herself and her husband, to be built in the neighborhood of the
Hofburg The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn ...
castle 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 ...
. She provided funds for it in the will she made on 10 November 1617 and died the following year in 1618 which released the funds, allowing for planning and construction to commence. Her spouse died in 1619.Beutler 1999, p. 10. The foundation stone was laid on 8 September 1622 in the presence of Emperor Ferdinand II and after slow progress caused by the distractions of the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
the church was dedicated on 25 July 1632. At Easter the following year, the simple sarcophagi containing the remains of Emperor Matthias and Empress Anna were transferred with great ceremony to what is now called the Founders Vault. Emperor Leopold I enlarged the crypt in 1657 in the area under the nave of the church and his son Emperor
Joseph I Joseph I or Josef I may refer to: *Joseph I of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch in 1266–1275 and 1282–1283 * Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor (1678–1711) *Joseph I (Chaldean Patriarch) (reigned 1681–1696) *Joseph I of Portugal (1750–1777) ...
extended it further westward and built another mausoleum chamber and a chapel to the east in 1710, but awkwardly, beginning the vault that his brother Emperor Charles VI continued westward in 1720 that extends under the chancel and the apse choir above. For the first time, a well-known architect (
Lukas von Hildebrandt Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt (14 November 1668 – 16 November 1745) was an Austrian baroque architect and military engineer who designed stately buildings and churches and whose work had a profound influence on the architecture of the Habsburg mo ...
) was involved with an enlargement of the crypt. In 1754, his daughter Empress Maria Theresa went even further west, completely past the church above, into the monastery garden with her domed addition that admits natural light. The imposing dome and crypt is the work of architect
Jean Jadot de Ville-Issey Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * ...
.Beutler 1999, p. 11. During the reign of her grandson Emperor Francis II architect
Johann Aman Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name '' Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious ...
turned to the north for his addition in 1824. The monastery surrounding the church had fallen into disrepair after 200 years of constant use, so during the reign of Emperor
Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
in 1840 the monastery (but not the church) was torn down and rebuilt. As part of that project, architect
Johann Höhne Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name '' Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious ...
built the Ferdinand Vault and the Tuscan Vault as part of the basement of the new structure. As part of the jubilee celebrating his 60 years on the throne in 1908, Emperor
Franz Joseph Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
had architect Cajo Perisic build another mausoleum chamber and a chapel to the east of Franz II and Ferdinand's vaults. At the same time, new annexes for visitors were created on either side of the church. By 1960 it was obvious from the deteriorating condition of the tombs that the environment of changing heat and humidity needed to be controlled if the historic sarcophagi were to survive for future generations. The New Vault, north of the Tuscan, Ferdinand's and the Franz Joseph Vault, was built by architect
Karl Schwanzer Karl Schwanzer (May 21, 1918 in Vienna – August 20, 1975, Vienna) was an Austrian architect. He was an important figure of post-war architecture. Life As early as high school, the architecture enthusiast Karl Schwanzer and his uncle (a carpen ...
, with metal doors by sculptor Rudolf Hoflehner. It added about 20% to the space of the crypt, and was used as part of a massive rearrangement of the tombs in the vaults. The original small vault had held, besides the tombs of the two founders, those of a dozen children and had been called the Angel's Vault. Those were moved to open niches newly made in the front wall of the Leopold Vault. Selected tombs from various other vaults were moved to the New Vault and grouped in themes such as Bishops, the direct ancestors of the last reigning emperor, and the immediate family of Archduke
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...
the victor of Aspern. Thirty seven other tombs, of some minors and minor members of the ruling family, were walled-up into four piers created in the Ferdinand Vault. Thus about half of all the tombs were moved out of the original vaults to more orderly places as part of that great reorganization. In 2003 another project made the crypt accessible to disabled visitors, and opened previously unused doors so that the visitor route no longer requires the 100% backtracking that was necessary before. The entire crypt was also air conditioned to prevent deterioration of the tombs.


The sarcophagi

The free-standing tombs are usually variations of either a flat-topped storage chest, or a tub with sloping sides and a convex lid of tapered decks. Ornamentation ranges from simple to elaborate. Until far in the 18th century, the most common material for a
sarcophagus A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...
here was a bronze-like alloy of
tin Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn (from la, stannum) and atomic number 50. Tin is a silvery-coloured metal. Tin is soft enough to be cut with little force and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, t ...
, coated with
shellac Shellac () is a resin secreted by the female lac bug on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes and dissolved in alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and ...
. The splendid tombs of the
baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
and
rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...
eras are made of true
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
, a nobler and therefore more expensive material. Reforming Emperor
Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 un ...
decreed simplified burial customs for the people, and introduced the use of lighter and cheaper
copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
into the Imperial Crypt, where it was then used into the 19th century. In the later 19th century a mixture of cast
brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...
and bronze as well as silver-bronzed copper was adopted. Other metals were used only rarely, except for
silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
and
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
plating on decorations. Various techniques of metalworking were used: full casting for the sarcophagus;
hollow casting Permanent mold casting is a metal casting process that employs reusable molds ("permanent molds"), usually made from metal. The most common process uses gravity to fill the mold, however gas pressure or a vacuum are also used. A variation on the ...
for decorative sculpture;
carving Carving is the act of using tools to shape something from a material by scraping away portions of that material. The technique can be applied to any material that is solid enough to hold a form even when pieces have been removed from it, and ...
,
engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a Burin (engraving), burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or Glass engraving, glass ...
, and hammered
relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
for surface decoration. The parts for chests and covers are riveted together, ornaments and decorative figures are screwed on. The sculptor responsible for the most elaborate tombs is
Balthasar Ferdinand Moll Balthasar Ferdinand Moll (Innsbruck, Tirol 4 January 1717 – Vienna 3 March 1785) was one of the most famous sculptors in Vienna during the height of the Baroque era (after Georg Raphael Donner and Lorenzo Mattielli) He came from a Tyrolean fa ...
. In order to guarantee the stability of the enormous display tombs, they have
iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...
bracings and
wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...
lining inside. This avoids both cave-ins and a buckling of the side walls from the weight of the cover. The cover of the double tomb of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband alone weighs approximately 1700 kg (3800 lb). Within the outer case lies a wooden coffin that is wrapped in
silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
(black with gold trim for rulers, red with silver trim for others). The coffin usually has two locks, the key to one is kept by the Capuchin Guardian of the crypt, the other is kept in the Schatzkammer of the
Hofburg The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn ...
palace in Vienna. Within the coffin, the body usually has had the
organs In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to act together in a f ...
removed as a necessary part of the
embalming Embalming is the art and science of preserving human remains by treating them (in its modern form with chemicals) to forestall decomposition. This is usually done to make the deceased suitable for public or private viewing as part of the funeral ...
process for its display before the funeral. For about one-third of the bodies, the heart has been placed into a silver
urn An urn is a vase, often with a cover, with a typically narrowed neck above a rounded body and a footed pedestal. Describing a vessel as an "urn", as opposed to a vase or other terms, generally reflects its use rather than any particular shape or ...
and sent elsewhere (usually the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche), and for some the intestines and other organs have been put into a copper urn and deposited in the Dukes Crypt in the catacombs of Vienna's cathedral, 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 cathedral, ...
.


Conservation of the tombs

Over the centuries, constant humidity, variations in temperature, and the host of visitors had taken a great toll on the sarcophagi. Corrosion craters, holes and tears had developed. Layers of the horizontal surfaces had peeled, base plates had broken through, decorative fixtures had been broken or stolen by visitors, the cast metal absorbed too much humidity and puffed up, and heavy covers had caused some sidewalls to bend or cave. The first major restoration effort was undertaken in 1852, but further work was needed by 1956 when the ''Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Kapuzinergruft'' (Association for Saving the Capuchin Crypt) came into being to inform the public of the problem, raise funds, and preserve and restore the tombs. It was first necessary to create additional space and to dehumidify the crypt. After completion of the New Vault in 1960 and the transfer of 26 tombs from the overflowing Tuscan Vault, the work of dehumidification could begin. Also, a workshop was created in the south end of the Tuscan Vault where highly skilled artisans could work on selected tombs temporarily moved there for restoration. In 2003 remodelling of the ground-level visitor facilities took place to create a new visitor entrance and make the crypt accessible to disabled visitors. The visitor route was also changed so that visitors now see the tombs in historical sequence by entering at one end and leaving at the other, instead of both entering and leaving via a single stairway that is in the middle of the route. Most importantly, the entire crypt was air conditioned so that humidity can be controlled. The repair and conservation of the artistic work takes place in close cooperation with the monks, the Association, the Austrian Monument Office and the Vienna Old City Preservation Fund.


People buried here

The bodies of 145 people (mainly members of the ruling line of the House of Habsburg and the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine), plus urns containing the hearts or cremated remains of four others, are deposited in one of the ten interconnected Vaults of the Imperial Crypt. They include 12
Emperors An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...
and 18
Empress An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
es. The most recent entombment, that of
Otto von Habsburg Otto von Habsburg (german: Franz Joseph Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Ludwig Gaetan Pius Ignatius, hu, Ferenc József Ottó Róbert Mária Antal Károly Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Lajos Gaetan ...
, and his wife Regina von Habsburg, was on 16 July 2011. From other families there are 32 spouses, plus four others, who have found their resting place here. The longest-lived person entombed here is
Otto von Habsburg Otto von Habsburg (german: Franz Joseph Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Ludwig Gaetan Pius Ignatius, hu, Ferenc József Ottó Róbert Mária Antal Károly Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Lajos Gaetan ...
, aged 98 years and 7 months. The next longest-lived is his mother, Zita of Bourbon-Parma, the last Austrian empress, at 97 years. Several died at birth and over 25% of those entombed here were five years of age or younger when they died. Emperors buried here: #Emperor Matthias #Emperor Ferdinand III #Emperor Leopold I #Emperor Joseph I #Emperor Charles VI #Emperor Francis I Stephen, husband of Maria Theresa #Emperor Joseph II #Emperor Leopold II #Emperor Francis II #Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria #Emperor Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico #Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria Empresses buried here: #Anna, consort of Emperor Mathias #Maria Anna, consort of Emperor Ferdinand III #Eleonora Magdalena, consort of Emperor Ferdinand III #Maria Leopoldina, consort of Emperor Ferdinand III #Margaret Theresa, consort of Emperor Leopold I #Eleonora Magdalena, consort of Emperor Leopold I #Elisabeth Christina, consort of Emperor Charles VI #Maria Theresa, #Maria Josepha, consort of Emperor Joseph II #Isabella Maria, consort of Emperor Joseph II #Elisabeth Wilhelmine, consort of Emperor Francis II #Maria Teresa Carolina consort of Emperor Franci II #Maria Ludowika, consort of Emperor Francis II #Karolina Augusta, consort of Emperor Francis II #Archduchess Maria Louise, Empress of France #Maria Anna, consort of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria #Elisabeth, consort of Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria #Zita, consort of Emperor Charles of Austria ''(Also, the hearts of Empresses Claudia Felicitas and Amalie Wilhelmine are here, but their bodies are buried elsewhere.)'' All 146 persons buried here (in whole or in part) are shown on the directory charts below, together with links to a detailed text listing. For ease of use, they show the Habsburg family buried here as family trees based upon lines of descent. * Go directly to family of the Founders (c. 1450 – c. 1650) * Go directly to descendants of Emperor Ferdinand III (c. 1600 – c. 1750) * Go directly to descendants of Empress Maria Theresa (c. 1725 – c. 1875) * Go directly to descendants of Emperor Leopold II (c. 1750 – c. 1900) * Go directly to descendants of Emperor Francis II (c. 1775 – end of the monarchy) * Go directly to descendants of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany (c. 1775 – c. 1900).


Vaults

The vaults consist of an interconnected series of ten subterranean vaulted rooms, built at various times as more space was needed. The visible 107 metal
sarcophagi A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a cadaver, corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from ...
and five heart urns range in style from puritan plain to exuberant rococo. The bodies of 145
nobles Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...
, plus urns containing the hearts or cremated remains of four others, are deposited here. There is only one space left. They include 12
Emperors An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...
and 18
Empress An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
es. The most recent entombment was in 2011. From other families there are 32 spouses, plus four others, who have found their resting place here. Everyone else in the Imperial Crypt was born with the Habsburgs-only title of Archduke or
Archduchess Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within ...
. In 1960, with the various vaults overcrowded, a major rearrangement project began which resulted in the construction of the Children's Columbarium and the New Vault. At the same time many bodies were moved to those new areas, others were moved from the Tuscan Vault and the Ferdinand Vault and walled up into the corner piers of the Ferdinand Vault.


Founders Vault

The ''Gründergruft'' is the oldest part of the Kaisergruft, dating from the original construction of the church (completed in 1632), and lies under the Emperor Chapel at the left of the nave of the church above. The room is low, plain, and windowless, and visible through baroque gates from the Leopold Vault. Here stand the two plain
sarcophagi A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a cadaver, corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from ...
of the founding couple. ''Looking through the gate, from left to right:'' * Third son of Emperor Maximilian II. Once governor of the
Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands nl, Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; french: Pays-Bas Autrichiens; german: Österreichische Niederlande; la, Belgium Austriacum. was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The p ...
, he wrested power over Austria, Hungary and Moravia from his inept brother Emperor
Rudolf II Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). He was a member of the Hous ...
in 1608 and inherited the rest in 1612. He built the original hunting lodge that became Schönbrunn, and died only three months after his wife Empress Anna. His heart is buried in urn 2 in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. His intestines are buried in urn 18 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Daughter of Ferdinand II, Duke of Tyrol and wife of her cousin Emperor Matthias who was 28 years older than she was. She provided in her will of 1617 for the establishment of a crypt for her and her husband in a Capuchin's Church to be built in Vienna, and died only one year later, at age 33 after seven years of a childless marriage. Her heart is buried in urn 1 in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. Her intestines are buried in urn 17 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
.


Leopold Vault

The ''Leopoldsgruft'' was built under the
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
of the church above, beginning in 1657 by Emperor Leopold I of Austria, following the edict of his father
Emperor Ferdinand III Ferdinand III (Ferdinand Ernest; 13 July 1608, in Graz – 2 April 1657, in Vienna) was from 1621 Archduke of Austria, King of Hungary from 1625, King of Croatia and Bohemia from 1627 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1637 until his death in 1657. ...
that the hereditary burial place of the imperial family would be in this church. Considering that Leopold contributed his three wives and 16 of his children—plus himself—to the population of the crypt, it was inevitable that other vaults would be needed soon.


''Children's Columbarium''

Turning to the left of the gates to the Founders Vault, in the thick east foundation wall of the church are twelve longitudinal recessed niches built in the 1960s containing sarcophagi of 12 children. The coffins had previously been in either the Founders Vault or the main hall of this vault, but were generally in poor condition and have now been placed into identical cases. No markings or documentation identifies which child lies in which coffin, but those buried in these niches are: ''Four children of Emperor Ferdinand III'': * Infant son of Emperor Ferdinand III and Empress Maria Anna. * Two-year-old son of Emperor Ferdinand III and Empress Maria Anna. * Infant daughter of Emperor Ferdinand III and Empress Eleonora. * Infant son of Emperor Ferdinand III and Empress Eleonora. His viscera are buried in urn 22 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. ''Seven children of Emperor Leopold I'': * Infant son of Emperor Leopold I and Empress Margarita Teresa. His intestines are buried in urn 25 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Infant son of Emperor Leopold I and Empress Margarita Teresa. His intestines are buried in urn 27 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Infant daughter of Emperor Leopold I and Empress Margarita Teresa. Her intestines are buried in urn 28 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Infant daughter of Emperor Leopold I and Empress Claudia Felicitas. Her viscera are buried in urn 30 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Infant daughter of Emperor Leopold I and Empress Claudia Felicitas. Her heart is in a gold and silver urn atop her mother's sarcophagus in the Dominican Church. Her viscera are buried in urn 32 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Infant daughter of Emperor Leopold I and Empress Eleonora Magdelena. * Infant daughter of Emperor Leopold I and Empress Eleonora Magdelena. Her heart is buried in urn 34, and her viscera in urn 35, in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. ''Grandson of Emperor Ferdinand III'': * Son of Johann Wilhelm of Pfalz-Neuberg and Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha.


''Main Hall''

''In front of the Children's Columbarium:'' * Daughter of Emperor Leopold I. Her body is in the
Monastery of São Vicente de Fora The Church and Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, meaning "Monastery of St. Vincent Outside the Walls", is a 17th-century church and monastery in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. It is one of the most important monasteries and mannerist buildings in ...
in
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
, beside her husband
John V of Portugal Dom John V ( pt, João Francisco António José Bento Bernardo; 22 October 1689 – 31 July 1750), known as the Magnanimous (''o Magnânimo'') and the Portuguese Sun King (''o Rei-Sol Português''), was King of Portugal from 9 December 17 ...
. ''Proceeding along the north wall, east-to-west:'' * Sixteen-year-old daughter of Emperor Leopold I. Her heart is buried in urn 10 the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche, and her viscera are buried in urn 40 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Daughter of Emperor Ferdinand III. Wife of
Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine Johann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine (''"Jan Wellem"'' in Low German, English: ''"John William"''; 19 April 1658 – 8 June 1716) of the Wittelsbach dynasty was Elector Palatine (1690–1716), Duke of Neuburg (1690–1716), Duke of Jülich ...
. * Daughter of Emperor Ferdinand III. Wife of
Michael Korybut Wiśniowiecki Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
, King of Poland, then of
Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine Charles IV (5 April 1604, Nancy – 18 September 1675, Allenbach) was Duke of Lorraine from 1624 until his death in 1675, with a brief interruption in 1634, when he abdicated under French pressure in favor of his younger brother, Nicholas Franc ...
, by whom she became grandmother of the two brothers who married Empress Maria Theresia and her sister. * Third wife of Emperor Ferdinand III. Foundress of the
Order of the Starry Cross The Order of the Starry Cross (or Order of the Star Cross/Star Cross Order; German: ''Sternkreuz-Orden'') is an imperial Austrian dynastic order for Catholic noble ladies, founded in 1668. The order still exists under the House of Habsburg-Lorrain ...
(the Sternkreuzorden). Her heart is buried in urn 7 in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche and her viscera are buried in urn 33 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Niece and first wife of Emperor Leopold I at age 15. She is the blonde princess depicted in the Spanish painter
Diego Velázquez Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptized June 6, 1599August 6, 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He was an individualistic artist of th ...
' masterpiece ''
Las Meninas ''Las Meninas'' (; ) is a 1656 painting in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, by Diego Velázquez, the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age. It has become one of the most widely analyzed works in Western painting, due to the way its complex an ...
'' ("The Maids of Honor", 1656), where she is surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting and other persons of the Spanish court. Her 21-year-old heart is buried in urn 6 the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche and her viscera are buried in urn 29 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Second wife of Emperor Ferdinand III. Married at age 16, died in childbirth of Archduke Karl Joseph the next year. * Born Infanta of Spain, first wife of Emperor Ferdinand III. * Six-year-old youngest daughter of Emperor Charles VI. Her viscera are buried in urn 45 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Second wife of Emperor Leopold I. Her body, by her own request, is dressed in the habit of a Dominican nun and is entombed beside her mother in the Dominican Church. Her viscera are buried in urn 31 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. ''Proceeding along the south wall, east-to-west:'' * Twelve-year-old daughter of Emperor Leopold I. Her heart is buried in urn 9 in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche and her viscera are buried in urn 37 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Son of Emperor Leopold I. His sarcophagus is normal sized although he was only two years old when he died. * Third son of Emperor Ferdinand II. →Family Tree Nine of his children are buried here. His viscera are buried in urn 21 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Daughter of Emperor Leopold I and wife of
Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria Maximilian, Maximillian or Maximiliaan (Maximilien in French) is a male given name. The name " Max" is considered a shortening of "Maximilian" as well as of several other names. List of people Monarchs *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1459 ...
. Her heart is buried in urn 8 in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche and her viscera are buried in urn 36 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Eldest son of Emperor Ferdinand III. His heart is buried in urn 4 in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche and his viscera are buried in urn 20 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. He established the tradition of burial of different parts in three separate Vienna churches. * Six-month-old only son of Emperor Charles VI. His death later led to the
War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...
because his father had no other male heirs. His heart is buried in urn 43, and his viscera in urn 44, in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Daughter of Emperor Leopold I. * Third wife of Emperor Leopold I.


Charles Vault

The first part of the Charles Vault (''Karlsgruft'') was built in 1710 by Emperor Joseph I. In 1720 it was extended by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt on the orders of Emperor Charles VI and shelters 8 containers: ''Proceeding along the south wall, from left to right:'' * Second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and father of Emperors Joseph I and Charles VI. He repelled an effort by the Muslims to conquer Europe at the Second Siege of Vienna. He built the Leopold's Wing of the
Hofburg The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn ...
, used today as the offices of the president of Austria. He can be seen sculpted, kneeling prayer for the end of the plague epidemic, on the
plague column Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...
''( Pestsäule)'' in Vienna. Died at age 65 after a reign of 48 years. His three wives and 16 of his children are buried here. His heart is buried in urn 11 the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche and his
viscera In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to act together in a ...
are in urn 41 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Daughter of Emperor Leopold I. Unmarried, she was appointed governor of the
Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands nl, Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; french: Pays-Bas Autrichiens; german: Österreichische Niederlande; la, Belgium Austriacum. was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The p ...
in her own right and when she died at age 69, was originally buried in Brussels but was transferred here 8 years later. Her heart is buried in urn 14 in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche and her viscera are in urn 51 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Daughter of Emperor Charles VI. and sister of Empress Maria Theresia. She married Charles of Lorraine, brother of Maria Theresia's husband, Emperor Franz I Stephen. They were joint governors of the
Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands nl, Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; french: Pays-Bas Autrichiens; german: Österreichische Niederlande; la, Belgium Austriacum. was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The p ...
. She died in Brussels at age 24 whence her body was transferred at her sister's order. Her heart is buried in urn 15 in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche and her viscera are in urn 52 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Younger son of Emperor Leopold I. Raised in Spain in preparation to inherit the Spanish throne upon the death of his childless cousin, the
War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...
ended when Charles unexpectedly inherited the
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
upon his brother Joseph's early death and no one wanted to allow the dominance that would come from empowering Charles with both realms. Moving to Vienna, he brought the
Spanish Riding School The Spanish Riding School (german: Spanische Hofreitschule) is an Austrian institution dedicated to the preservation of classical dressage and the training of Lipizzaner horses, based in Vienna, Austria, whose performances in the Hofburg are also ...
with him and built the magnificent hall it uses today. Because he had no surviving male heirs, he negotiated the
Pragmatic Sanction A pragmatic sanction is a sovereign's solemn decree on a matter of primary importance and has the force of fundamental law. In the late history of the Holy Roman Empire, it referred more specifically to an edict issued by the Emperor. When used ...
to assure that his daughter Maria Theresa would succeed him, going so far as to pre-bribe the nine Electors but, of course, once he died they ignored their promises but kept the money, resulting in the
War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...
. He died after a reign of 29 years, at age 55 after catching a cold while hunting. His heart is buried in urn 13 the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche and his viscera are in urn 48 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. His tomb is one of the most remarkable, with a death's head at each corner wearing one of the distinctive crowns of his major realms (the Empire, Bohemia, Hungary, and Austria). ''The empty plaza at the west third of this vault was used as the area for reception ceremonies when new bodies were brought in after the funeral ceremonies upstairs.'' ''Returning along the north wall, from left to right:'' * Wife (1708) of Emperor Charles VI and mother of Empress Maria Theresa. Died at age 59 of heart failure brought on by corpulence and rheumatism. Her sarcophagus is the earliest by
Balthasar Ferdinand Moll Balthasar Ferdinand Moll (Innsbruck, Tirol 4 January 1717 – Vienna 3 March 1785) was one of the most famous sculptors in Vienna during the height of the Baroque era (after Georg Raphael Donner and Lorenzo Mattielli) He came from a Tyrolean fa ...
. Her heart is buried in urn 17 the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche and her viscera are buried in urn 53 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Son of Emperor Leopold I. Allied with the British during the
War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...
where his great general
Eugene of Savoy Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy–Carignano, (18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736) better known as Prince Eugene, was a field marshal in the army of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty during the 17th and 18th centuries. He ...
worked with the
Duke of Marlborough General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 O.S.) was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reign ...
to prevent the throne of Spain going to the French. With no surviving son, he died of the
black pox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) cer ...
at age 33 after a reign of 6 years. The heart of his wife is nearby. His heart is buried in urn 12 the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche and his viscera are buried separately in urn 42 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Wife (1699) of Emperor Joseph I. The wing of the
Hofburg The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn ...
in which she had living space during her widowhood is named after her, but she founded the Salesian Cloister in Vienna 1712 to educate young women and spent much of her time there. She died of edema at age 69. Her body lies dressed in a nun's habit entombed in a simple stone sarcophagus below the high altar in the
Salesian , image = File:Stemma big.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms , abbreviation = SDB , formation = , founder = John Bosco , founding_location = Valdocco, Turin ...
Cloister in Vienna. * Infant son of Emperor Joseph I. Died of hydrocephalus. His viscera are buried in urn 38 in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
.


Maria Theresa Vault

The three vaults of the Imperial Crypt held 44 bodies plus urns containing the hearts of two other persons when Empress Maria Theresa started construction of the ''Maria Theresien Gruft '' in 1754. It is behind the church above, with its dome rising into the monastery courtyard and contains the tombs of 16 persons: ''In the entrance archway:'' * Son of Empress Maria Theresa. A populist who became known as "the people's emperor," he initiated many reforms (including a prohibition on embalming and elaborate burials), many of which he repudiated in disillusionment shortly before his death. In keeping with his edict, his body is unembalmed and intact within a simple copper tomb. He died shortly before his 49th birthday after an official reign of 10 years. His equestrian statue in the
Josefsplatz Josefsplatz ( en, Joseph's Square) is a public square located at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Named after Emperor Joseph II, Josefsplatz is considered one of the finest courtyards in Vienna.Schulte-Peevers 2007, p. 359. Description Josef ...
of the
Hofburg The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn ...
palace is where Harry Lime's auto accident occurs in
The Third Man ''The Third Man'' is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Set in postwar Vienna, the film centres on American Holly Martins (Cotten ...
. His two wives and two children are buried in this vault. ''In the small chamber immediately north of Emperor Joseph II:'' * Long-time family retainer and governess to Empress Maria Theresia, her sisters and her children. The inscription of gratitude on the lid of her sarcophagus is signed by Empress Maria Theresa, who ordered her burial with the imperial family (although she had no direct blood or matrimonial connection to the Habsburgs) when she died at age 73. ''In the center of the vault, from left to right:'' * Eldest surviving descendant of Emperor Charles VI, →Family Tree her ascension was contested and officially the crown of the Empire went to her husband (1736) Emperor Franz I Stephen. Dying at age 63, her forty years' reign is thought of by the Austrians as the British think of
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
: the golden years of power, prestige and empire. A prominent statue of her enthroned and surrounded by her ministers is a landmark at the entrance to the Museumsplatz. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Duke of Lorraine and Grand Duke of Tuscany. Husband of Empress Maria Theresa, he died at age 56 after nominally being Emperor for 25 years. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. This double tomb of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I Stephen, sculpted by
Balthasar Ferdinand Moll Balthasar Ferdinand Moll (Innsbruck, Tirol 4 January 1717 – Vienna 3 March 1785) was one of the most famous sculptors in Vienna during the height of the Baroque era (after Georg Raphael Donner and Lorenzo Mattielli) He came from a Tyrolean fa ...
is of particular artistic merit and is probably the most glorious in terms of design. ''In the small chamber immediately south of Emperor Joseph II:'' * Still-born daughter of Emperor Franz I Stephen and Empress Maria Theresa. ''Along the south wall, young children of Emperor Franz I Stephen and Empress Maria Theresa. From left to right:'' * Second son of Emperor Franz I Stephen and Empress Maria Theresa. Died of smallpox shortly before his 16th birthday. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Eighth daughter of Emperor Franz I Stephen and Empress Maria Theresa. Died of smallpox at age 12. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Ninth daughter of Emperor Franz I and Empress Maria Theresa. Unhappy with the marriage arranged for her, she died of smallpox the day before her wedding, at age 16. ''At the southwest bend:'' * Daughter of Prince Charles of Lorraine and Archduchess Maria Anna (sister of Empress Maria Theresa). ''Along the west wall, mainly the family of Emperor Joseph II. From left to right:'' * Three-years old, eldest daughter of Emperor Franz I Stephen and Empress Maria Theresa. Her intestines are buried separately in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Second wife (1765) of Emperor Joseph II. She was the daughter of the only non-Habsburg Emperor since 1438, Karl VII of Bavaria and his wife, a daughter of Emperor Joseph I. Especially because of the unusually potent form of smallpox of which she died at age 28, her body was not embalmed but immediately placed intact into her coffin. Her husband of 2 years had not developed a regard for her, and did not attend her funeral. * First wife (1760) of Emperor Joseph II. Daughter of Philip, Duke of Parma (1720–1765) (brother of King
Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mon ...
) and Princess Marie Louise Élisabeth of France (14 August 1727 – 6 December 1759) (daughter of King
Louis XV of France Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...
). Greatly beloved by her husband, at age 21 she contracted smallpox during her second pregnancy and died 5 days after giving birth to a still born daughter. Under her husband's orders, her body was buried whole and unembalmed. * Still-born second daughter of Emperor Joseph II and his first wife Archduchess Isabella. Her tomb rests beneath that of her mother. * Eldest daughter of Emperor Joseph II and his first wife Archduchess Isabella. Died at almost 8 years of age. * Third daughter of Emperor Francis I Stephen and Empress Maria Theresa. Died at age 1-year. Her intestines are buried separately in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. ''Beside the entrance to the Franz Vault on the north wall:'' * Infant, only child of Duke Albert of Saxony-Teschen and Archduchess Maria Christina.


Franz Vault

In 1824 the four vaults of the Imperial Crypt held 78 bodies and urns containing the hearts of three other persons. In that year Emperor Franz II built the octagonal ''Franzensgruft,'' attaching it to the right wing of the Maria Theresa Vault. It is in the Biedermeier style, as are the five tombs within it. ''In the center:'' Eldest son of Emperor Leopold II. →Family Tree He was emperor during the times of
Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and
Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
. He changed crowns from Franz II of the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
to Franz I of the
Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...
in mid-reign, and thus is often denoted as Franz II/I. The full-size crown atop his tomb is that of the Austrian Empire. He died at age 67 after a reign of 43 years. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. His statue, dressed as a Roman emperor, stands in the main courtyard of the
Hofburg The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn ...
palace. ''In the corners, clockwise starting from the near left (south west) corner: * First wife (1788) of Emperor Franz II. She died at age 22 a day after giving birth to Ludovika Elisabeth Franziska. *Second wife (1790) at age 18 of Emperor Franz II. Mother of Empress Maria Louise (second wife of Napoleon), Emperor Ferdinand, and all subsequent children of her husband. Because her mother was a sister of her husband's father the couple were first cousins. →Family Tree (ancestors) She died at age 34 of tubercular
pleurisy Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs and line the chest cavity (pleurae). This can result in a sharp chest pain while breathing. Occasionally the pain may be a constant dull ache. Other sy ...
just days after giving premature birth to Amalia Therese. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Fourth wife (1816) of Emperor Franz II. Died the day after her 81st birthday, having survived her husband by 38 years and two reigns. * Third wife (1808) at age 20 of 40-year-old cousin Emperor Franz II, she contracted
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
shortly after their wedding, suffering from it for the eight years of marriage before dying at age 28. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. Until 1940, this vault also held the body of a grandson of Emperor Franz II, Franz Joseph Karl, Duke of Reichstadt (1811–1832). →Family Tree
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
ordered that the body be sent to France where it now rests in Les Invalides in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
near the body of his father,
Napoléon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
. His heart is still buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. Through the doorway in the west wall to the left is the south part of the Tuscan Vault. In the east wall is the west entrance to the Crypt Chapel. The north wall opens into the Ferdinand Vault.


Ferdinand Vault

The ''Ferdinandsgruft'' was built in 1842, along with the Tuscan Vault, in conjunction with the reconstruction of the monastery above. Although the visitor sees an almost-empty room with only two sarcophagi, this vault actually contains one-fourth of the Imperial Crypt's entire population, walled-up into the corner piers. ''Skip ahead to tombs:'' 64–72, 73–79, 80–87, 88–100


''Main Hall''

* Son of Emperor Franz II. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Born Princess of Savoy, wife of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria.


''Within the southwest pier''

''Nine tombs, mostly of youths:'' * Fourth son of Emperor Leopold II and Empress Maria Ludovika. Died at 22. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Daughter of Emperor Leopold II and Empress Maria Ludovika. Died at 18. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Infant first daughter of Emperor Franz II and Archduchess Elisabeth Wilhelmine von Württemberg. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Infant second daughter of Archduke Karl Ferdinand. * Infant first son of Archduke Karl Ferdinand. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Second son of Emperor Franz II and Empress Maria Theresia. Died at 8. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * First son of Archduke Rainer and Elisabeth of Savoy. Died at 75. * Fourth son of Emperor Franz II and Empress Maria Theresia. Died at 4. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Ten-years old, last of the 11 children of Grand Duke Ferdinand IV of Tuscany and Alicia Bourbon-Parma.


''Within the southeast pier''

* Daughter of Grand Duke Ferdinand IV of Tuscany. Died at 25. * Daughter of Archduke Franz Karl and Sophie of Bavaria, sister of Emperor Franz Joseph Died at 5. * Daughter of Archduke Rainer and Princess Elisabeth of Savoy. Died at 23. * Son of Archduke Karl Salvator and Maria Immakulata. Died at 3. * Son of Archduke Karl Salvator and Maria Immakulata. Died at 9. * Daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) Died at 2. * Daughter of
Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
and Luisa Maria Amelia Teresa of Naples. Died at 9. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche.


''Within the northwest pier''

''Eight tombs, containing 9 bodies:'' * Fourth daughter of Archduke Friedrich of Teschen (second son of Archduke Karl Ferdinand) and Princess Isabella of Croy-Dülmen. Died at 14. * Fifth daughter of Archduke Friedrich of Teschen (second son of Archduke Karl Ferdinand) and Princess Isabella von Croy-Dülmen. Died at 4. * Unmarried 54-year-old daughter of Emperor Franz II and Maria Teresia. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Daughter of Archduke Karl. Wife (21 February 1852) of Archduke Ranier. Died at age 89. * Died in childbirth at 29. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. Daughter of Queen Maria Karolina of Naples and Sicily. First wife (1790) of
Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
. →Family Tree :* Infant son of Maria Luisa. Both died during his birth and are buried in the same coffin. * Second wife (1833) of Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Died shortly before her 84th birthday. * Second wife (6 May 1821) of
Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
. Died at age 68. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Fourth daughter of Emperor Franz II and Maria Theresia. Died at 4. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche.


''Within the northeast pier''

''Thirteen tombs, principally members of the Tuscan line:'' * Son of Archduke Karl Salvator and Maria Immakulata. Died at 24. * Wife of Archduke Karl Salvator. Died at age 54. * Son of Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany. Among his sons was Franz Salvator, who married Marie Valerie, a daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph. Died at 52. * Second son of Archduke Leopold Salvator. Naturalized in the US as Leopold Lorraine in 1953. Died at 61. Married morganatically. * Daughter of Archduke Karl Salvator and Maria Immakulata. * Son of Archduke Rainer and Princess Elisabeth of Savoy. Married
morganatically Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spou ...
and his children bore the surname ''von Wallburg''. * Wife of Archduke Franz V of Austria-Este, Duke of Modena. Daughter of
Ludwig I of Bavaria en, Louis Charles Augustus , image = Joseph Karl Stieler - King Ludwig I in his Coronation Robes - WGA21796.jpg , caption = Portrait by Joseph Stieler, 1825 , succession=King of Bavaria , reign = , coronation ...
and sister of Hildegard of Bavaria. * Daughter of Emperor Franz II and Maria Theresia. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * One-day-old daughter of Emperor Franz II and Maria Theresia. * Daughter of Archduke Karl Salvator and Maria Immakulata. * Son of Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany. Sociologist and traveler of the Mediterranean. * At age 18 she became the third wife (1873) of the twice-widowed Archduke Karl Ludwig who was 22 years older, and she survived him by 48 years. For the seven years after the death of Crown Prince Rudolf her husband was the heir-apparent and she undertook many of the representational duties neglected by the ever-travelling Empress Elisabeth ''("Sissi")'' until her married stepson Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este became the heir-apparent. During
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
she worked as a nurse, and accompanied the last emperor, Karl I into exile on
Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...
but returned to spend her old age in Vienna. * Second son of Archduke Ferdinand IV of Tuscany. Like his cousin Archduke Leopold Salvator he had an interest in ballooning, and once flew his balloon from
Linz Linz ( , ; cs, Linec) is the capital of Upper Austria and third-largest city in Austria. In the north of the country, it is on the Danube south of the Czech border. In 2018, the population was 204,846. In 2009, it was a European Capital of ...
to
Dieppe Dieppe (; Norman: ''Dgieppe'') is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to N ...
in only 16 hours. His interest in things aeronautical had brought him into contact with the future head of the German air force,
Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...
, who later used his influence to free the Archduke from the German concentration camp at Dachau in 1938 after only 80 days there. Had issue from two morganatic marriages.


Tuscan Vault

The ''Toscanagruft'' was built in 1842, along with the Ferdinand Vault. At that time there were 85 bodies plus the heart urns of three other persons in the five vaults of the crypt. The Tuscan Vault once held many more than the present 14 tombs, but most were moved to the New Vault or enclosed within the piers of the Ferdinand Vault during the major rearrangement of 1960. The 5-meter wide vault is very large, being 21 meters long, and extends along the entire western lengths of both the Ferdinand Vault and the Franz Vault, ending only when it meets the outside wall of the west transept of the Maria Theresia Vault. This vault takes its name from the many descendants of the younger sons of Emperor Leopold II, as
Grand Duke of Tuscany The rulers of Tuscany varied over time, sometimes being margraves, the rulers of handfuls of border counties and sometimes the heads of the most important family of the region. Margraves of Tuscany, 812–1197 House of Boniface :These were origin ...
, who are entombed here. ''Note: the arrangement of tombs listed below was accurate before the 2003 renovation, but they have been rearranged since then.'' ''In the archway from the Ferdinand Vault, from left to right:'' * Husband of Archduchess Maria Christina. The
Albertina The Albertina is a museum in the Innere Stadt (First District) of Vienna, Austria. It houses one of the largest and most important print rooms in the world with approximately 65,000 drawings and approximately 1 million old master prints, as well ...
museum, in his former palace, is named for him because his collection of paintings formed the nucleus of the museum. After the early death of their only child, the couple became the adoptive parents of Archduke Karl, the victor of Aspern. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Favorite daughter of Empress Maria Theresa. Her mother stalled arranged marriages until after the death of her father, Emperor Franz I Stephen, so that Maria Christina could marry for love instead of reasons of state—the only child allowed to do so. She chose Duke Albert of Teschen. The famous and moving monument he erected to her memory is in the Augustinerkirche. She died of Typhus at age 56. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Third son of Empress Maria Theresa. →Family Tree Most of his career was spent in Florence, reforming the governance there as Grand Duke of Tuscany, and only his final two years were as Emperor. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Originally contracted to marry Empress Maria Theresa's second son, Archduke Karl Joseph, his early death diverted her instead to the third son, who later became Emperor Leopold II. In the course of 21 years, she bore her not-always-faithful husband 16 children, among them Emperor Francis II, and Archduke Karl the victor of Aspern. Grieving for her husband, she outlived him by only two months leaving many small children. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. ''Behind them, from left to right:'' * Fourth son of Empress Maria Theresa. Governor of Lombardy and, later, the
Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands nl, Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; french: Pays-Bas Autrichiens; german: Österreichische Niederlande; la, Belgium Austriacum. was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The p ...
. Founder of the House of Austria-Este., His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Wife of Archduke Ferdinand Karl Anton. * Daughter of Empress Maria Theresa. Wife of King
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand I (12 January 1751 – 4 January 1825) was the King of the Two Sicilies from 1816, after his restoration following victory in the Napoleonic Wars. Before that he had been, since 1759, Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinand I ...
. Almost everyone buried in the Imperial Crypt who was born after 1765 is a descendant of her or her brother Emperor Leopold II. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. ''To the right of the archway, along the north wall, from left to right:'' * Son of Archduke Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Married (1856) Anne of Saxony (Dresden 4 January 1836 – Naples 10 February 1859), then (1868) Alicia of Bourbon-Parma (Parma 27 December 1849 – Schwertberg 16 January 1935). Lost his throne, nine months after his father had abdicated it to him, when Tuscany was annexed to Italy in 1860. * Son of
Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
. Abdicated his throne in 1859 in favor of his son. * Son of Archduke Rainer. Married Archduchess Marie Karoline. A major ancient manuscript collector, his 100,000-piece collection is the nucleus of the Papyrus Museum of the
Austrian National Library The Austrian National Library (german: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek) is the largest library in Austria, with more than 12 million items in its various collections. The library is located in the Neue Burg Wing of the Hofburg in center of V ...
. ''To the left of the archway, along the west wall, from left to right:'' * Son of Archduke Ferdinand Karl Anton. Military commander during the Napoleonic Wars. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Eighth son of Emperor Leopold II. Last Grand Master of the
Order of Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in ...
before Napoleon suppressed it outside of the Habsburg lands. It still functions today, as a religious order operating charitable hospitals in Europe. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Eleventh son of Emperor Leopold II. Promoter of industrialization in Austria after studying its success in England. Member of the Council of State that exercised power during the reign of the feeble-minded Emperor Ferdinand of Austria. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. ''In front of them, along the east wall:'' * Son of Franz IV of Austria-Este. After the death of his mother Maria Beatrice of Savoy in 1840, he was considered the legitimate heir to the British throne by
Jacobites Jacobite means follower of Jacob or James. Jacobite may refer to: Religion * Jacobites, followers of Saint Jacob Baradaeus (died 578). Churches in the Jacobite tradition and sometimes called Jacobite include: ** Syriac Orthodox Church, sometime ...
. He was the last reigning Duke of Modena, which was forcibly incorporated into the new
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
in 1860. Having no surviving descendant, he left most of his huge estate to his ill-fated cousin Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who subsequently used the title Archduke of Austria-Este. The art collection of his now-extinct branch, accumulated over centuries, is now in the
Kunsthistorisches Museum The Kunsthistorisches Museum ( "Museum of Art History", often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on the Vienna Ring Road, it is crowned with an octagonal do ...
.


New Vault

The ''Neue Gruft'' was built between 1960 and 1962 under the monastery grounds as a 280 square meter enlargement to eliminate the overcrowded jumble of 140 bodies (plus cremation and heart urns of four other persons) in the other nine vaults, and to provide a climate-controlled environment to protect the metal sarcophagi from further deterioration. Its stark concrete walls evoke the solemnity of death. The New Vault is entered from the Ferdinand Vault, and exits into the back of the Franz Joseph Vault. It contains 26 sarcophagi: ''Skip ahead to tombs:'' 115–119, 120–126, 127, 128–134, 135–141


''West Wall''

''To the left of the entrance, proceeding along the west wall from south to north, the "Bishops Row":'' * Son of Emperor Ferdinand II. Named at age 13 to take over his uncle Leopold's renounced see at Halberstaedt (when he became 22, this was confirmed by the Pope) and later became also Bishop of Olomouc, Bishop of Breslau, and Grand Master of the
Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche and his intestines are buried separately in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Son of Emperor Ferdinand III and Empress Maria Leopoldina, who died during his birth. Bishop of Olomouc and Grand Master of the
Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
at age 13 as heir to his uncle, Archduke Leopold Wilhelm. The art collection he inherited from Archduke Leopold Wilhelm became the foundation of the
Kunsthistorisches Museum The Kunsthistorisches Museum ( "Museum of Art History", often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on the Vienna Ring Road, it is crowned with an octagonal do ...
. Died at age 15. His intestines are buried separately in the Ducal Crypt of 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 cathedral, ...
. * Son of Archduchess Eleonora Maria and
Charles V, Duke of Lorraine Charles V, Duke of Lorraine and Bar (french: Charles Léopold Nicolas Sixte; german: Karl V Leopold; 3 April 1643 – 18 April 1690) succeeded his uncle Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine as titular Duke of Lorraine and Bar in 1675; both duchies wer ...
. Archbishop of Trier. Uncle of Emperor Franz I Stephen, the husband of Empress Maria Theresia. He died unexpectedly of smallpox while visiting Vienna and, not being a Habsburg in the male line nor married to one, was originally buried in the Minoritenkirche but was brought here the next year. :*Urn containing heart of Archbishop Karl Joseph of Lorraine, placed atop his sarcophagus. * Youngest son of Empress Maria Theresia. Archbishop of Cologne. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Youngest son of Emperor Leopold II. Cardinal and Archbishop of Olomouc. A piano pupil of
Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
, Beethoven dedicated 14 compositions to him, including the
Archduke Trio Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank withi ...
and his great
Missa Solemnis {{Audio, De-Missa solemnis.ogg, Missa solemnis is Latin for Solemn Mass, and is a genre of musical settings of the Mass Ordinary, which are festively scored and render the Latin text extensively, opposed to the more modest Missa brevis. In French ...
. He, in turn, dedicated one of his own compositions to Beethoven.


''South Wall''

''Along the south wall:'' * Daughter of Emperor Franz II. Empress of France as second wife of
Napoléon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
, later Duchess of Parma in her own right.


''North Wall''

''Proceeding along the north wall, from west to east, the first ledge contains the immediate family of Archduke Karl the victor of Aspern:'' * Youngest son of Archduke Karl. Became Grand Master of the
Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
. * Son of Archduke Karl. * Duke of Teschen, third son of Emperor Leopold II. He was adopted by the childless Albert of Saxony-Teschen and Archduchess Maria Christina. A statue of him on horseback, holding the regimental colors aloft to rally his troops against Napoleon, stands in the
Heldenplatz Heldenplatz (german: Heroes' Square) is a public space in front of the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Located in the Innere Stadt borough, the President of Austria resides in the adjoining Hofburg wing, while the Federal Chancellery is on adj ...
in Vienna. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Wife of Archduke Karl. She is the only
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
buried here, after Emperor Franz II overrode the resistance of the resident clergy. :*Urn with heart and entrails of Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg. * Infant son of Archduke Karl. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. ''On its own pedestal, directly across from the tomb of Empress Maria Louise:'' * Second son of Archduke Franz Karl and brother of Emperor Franz Joseph. Created
Emperor of Mexico The Emperor of Mexico ( Spanish: ''Emperador de México'') was the head of state and ruler of Mexico on two non-consecutive occasions in the 19th century. With the Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire from Spain in 1821, Mexico b ...
by France and the Mexican Conservative rival government, he was overthrown and executed by forces of the warring Mexican Liberals, who would go on to restore the Republic.
''The next ledge along the north wall, from left to right, mostly contains the family of Archduke Albrecht a great military commander of the following generation:'' * Eldest son of Archduke Karl. Because of a distinguished military career, an equestrian statue of him was erected on the ramp outside of his former home, the
Albertina The Albertina is a museum in the Innere Stadt (First District) of Vienna, Austria. It houses one of the largest and most important print rooms in the world with approximately 65,000 drawings and approximately 1 million old master prints, as well ...
in Vienna. * Wife of Archduke Albrecht. Sister of Adelgunde of Bavaria. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Daughter of Archduke Albrecht. At age 18, trying to hide a burning cigarette behind her back, she set her clothes afire and died from her injuries. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Infant son of Archduke Albrecht. * Eldest son of Archduke Karl Salvator. During a brilliant military career, he reorganized and modernized the Austrian artillery, becoming Inspector General in 1908. He flew hot air balloons and work on the development of
airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...
s. He grew rich from his inventions such as all-wheel drive and half-track trucks for the army. Married (1889) Blanca Infanta of Spain (Graz 7 Sep 1868-Viareggio 25 Oct 1949). * First son of Archduke Leopold Salvator. Unmarried. * First wife (1856) of her mother's nephew, Archduke Karl Ludwig. The marriage had not yet produced any children when she fell ill of typhus while on holiday in
Monza Monza (, ; lmo, label=Lombard language, Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po River, Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capit ...
and died at age 18. Her heart is buried in the Hofkapelle in
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...
.


''East Wall''

''Proceeding along the east wall, from north to south, the direct ancestors of the last emperors:'' * Third son of Emperor Franz II. When his elder brother Emperor Ferdinand abdicated in 1848, he stood aside so that his son, Emperor Franz Joseph, could succeed to the throne instead. Great grandfather of the last reigning emperor, Emperor Karl I. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
in the Augustinerkirche. * Infant son of Archduke Franz Karl. * Wife (1824) of Archduke Franz Karl. Friendly with Napoleon's son in her youth. She tried to arrange a marriage between her son Emperor Franz Joseph and the eldest daughter of her sister, but he chose the youngest daughter ''"Sissi"'' instead. * Third son of Archduke Franz Karl. Brother of Emperor Franz Joseph, father of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este and Otto and grandfather of Emperor Karl I. After the death of Crown Prince Rudolf he was the heir-presumptive. * Second wife (1862) of Archduke Karl Ludwig. Sister of Maria Immakulata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. * Second son of Archduke Karl Ludwig. Father of Emperor Karl I. Usually remembered for the widely circulated story that he had been spotted in a hallway at the
Hotel Sacher Hotel Sacher is a five-star luxury hotel in Vienna, Austria, facing the Vienna State Opera in the city's central Innere Stadt district. It is famous for the specialty of the house, the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with apricot filling. There is ...
about to enter a lady's room, wearing only a sword. * Wife (1886) of Archduke Otto. She strove to keep her children away from the influence of her notorious husband, and her ability to avoid excessive displays of grief when he died was much noted. She would probably wish her tomb was not exactly where it now is. She accompanied the last reigning emperor, Karl I into exile, and spent the remainder of her life with his family after his death.


Franz Joseph Vault

By 1908 the seven vaults of the crypt already held 129 bodies, plus the heart urns of another three persons. In that year the ''Franz Josephs Gruft'' was built, along with the adjacent Chapel, as part of the celebrations of Emperor Franz Joseph's 60 years on the throne. The vault is usually entered from the north wall in the rear, through the southeast door of the New Vault. ''From the foot of the tombs, left to right:'' * Wife of Emperor Franz Joseph. * Son of Archduke Franz Karl. * Son of Emperor Franz Joseph. Turning around from the foot of the tombs, the doorway on the south wall of this vault leads into the Crypt Chapel.


Crypt Chapel

The ''Gruftkapelle'' was built, along with the Franz Joseph Vault, in 1908. It is usually entered from the south doorway of the Franz Joseph Vault. ''As one enters, to the right extending from the west wall:'' * (1923–), wife (1950) of Archduke Carl Ludwig, will occupy this space when she dies. * (10 March 1918 – 11 December 2007), son of Emperor Karl I of Austria. * Wife (1911) of Emperor Karl I of Austria. The hearts of this couple are in the crypt of the Loretto Chapel of the
Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...
Monastery at Muri,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. *A memorial tablet to "the first victims of the World War 1914–1918",
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I. F ...
(1863–1914), son of Archduke Karl Ludwig, and to Franz Ferdinand's wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenburg (1868–1914). Because Sophie could not be buried here, the couple is buried instead in the crypt of the castle at Artstetten. ''Ahead, to the right of the altar along the south wall: *, eldest son of Emperor
Karl I of Austria Charles I or Karl I (german: Karl Franz Josef Ludwig Hubert Georg Otto Maria, hu, Károly Ferenc József Lajos Hubert György Ottó Mária; 17 August 18871 April 1922) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary (as Charles IV, ), King of Croatia, ...
and claimant to the thrones (renounced in 1961) and later (1979) elected by German voters to a seat in the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
, where after many reelections he served longer than any other member. ''To the left of the altar:'' *, wife of Archduke Otto. ''To the left, in front of the east wall:'' *A statue of the Madonna, presented by Hungarian ladies in 1899 as a memorial to Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria. ''In the far-right (southeast) corner:'' *A memorial bust of (
Blessed Blessed may refer to: * The state of having received a blessing * Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified Film and television * ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...
) Emperor
Karl I of Austria Charles I or Karl I (german: Karl Franz Josef Ludwig Hubert Georg Otto Maria, hu, Károly Ferenc József Lajos Hubert György Ottó Mária; 17 August 18871 April 1922) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary (as Charles IV, ), King of Croatia, ...
(1887–1922), the last reigning Emperor, whose body is buried in the Nossa Senhora do Monte church in
Funchal Funchal () is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The city has a population of 105,795, making it the sixth largest city in Portugal. Because of its high ...
on the
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
island of
Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...
. →Family Tree The doorway to the right enters the east side of the Franz Vault; the west doorway, to the left, is an exit stairway.


Selected other Habsburgs

Not all of the significant Habsburgs are entombed here. Those referred to in this article but resting elsewhere are: *
x415 Emperor Frederick III ''("AEIOU")'' (1415–1493), in 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 cathedral, ...
,
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
.
* Son of Emperor Frederick III. Buried in the St. Georgskathedrale,
Wiener Neustadt Wiener Neustadt (; ; Central Bavarian: ''Weana Neistod'') is a city located south of Vienna, in the state of Lower Austria, in northeast Austria. It is a self-governed city and the seat of the district administration of Wiener Neustadt-Land Distr ...
. * Wealthy heiress of Burgundy, wife of Emperor Maximilian I. Buried in the Church of Our Lady,
Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...
. * Son of Emperor Maximilian I. Buried in the Capilla Real,
Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
. * Eldest son of King Philip I of Castile. Buried in the crypt of
El Escorial El Escorial, or the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial ( es, Monasterio y Sitio de El Escorial en Madrid), or Monasterio del Escorial (), is a historical residence of the King of Spain located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, u ...
, near
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
. :* his descendant successors as
Kings of Spain This is a list of Spanish monarchs, that is, rulers of the country of Spain. The forerunners of the monarchs of the Spanish throne were the following: * Kings of the Visigoths * Kings of Asturias * Kings of Navarre * Kings of León *Kings of G ...
, in the crypt of El Escorial, near Madrid. * Second son of King Philip I of Castile and brother of Emperor Charles V. Buried in
St. Vitus Cathedral , native_name_lang = Czech , image = St Vitus Prague September 2016-21.jpg , imagesize = 300px , imagelink = , imagealt = , landscape = , caption ...
,
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
. * Eldest son of Emperor Ferdinand I. Buried in
St. Vitus Cathedral , native_name_lang = Czech , image = St Vitus Prague September 2016-21.jpg , imagesize = 300px , imagelink = , imagealt = , landscape = , caption ...
,
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
. * Son of Emperor Maximilian II. Buried in
St. Vitus Cathedral , native_name_lang = Czech , image = St Vitus Prague September 2016-21.jpg , imagesize = 300px , imagelink = , imagealt = , landscape = , caption ...
,
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
. * Third son of Emperor Ferdinand I. Buried in the Stiftsbasilika, in
Seckau Seckau ( sl, Sekava ) is a Marktgemeinde in the state of Styria, Austria. It is situated near Knittelfeld. It is known for the Benedictine Seckau Abbey, once the seat of the bishopric Graz-Seckau. See also *Diocese of Graz-Seckau References Dio ...
. :* his descendants, the Inner Austria line, in the Stiftsbasilika in Seckau. ''After the Imperial Crypt opened in 1632:'' * Eldest son of Archduke Charles II of Styria. Buried in the Grazer Dom,
Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...
. :* his descendants, the Austrian Line, are the major group entombed in this Imperial Crypt. * Daughter of Empress Maria Theresa. Buried in
Saint Denis Basilica The Basilica of Saint-Denis (french: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, links=no, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building ...
in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. * Son of Emperor Leopold II. →Family Tree Buried in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
. * Son of Archduke Ferdinand Karl Anton. Buried in the Chiesa di San Vincenzo in
Modena Modena (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language#Dialects, Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern I ...
. * Son of Emperor Leopold II. Buried in the Maria Himmelfahrtskirche in
Bolzano Bolzano ( or ; german: Bozen, (formerly ); bar, Bozn; lld, Balsan or ) is the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third la ...
(Italy). * Son of
Napoléon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and Empress Maria Louise. Buried in Les Invalides in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. * Second son of Archduke Karl Ferdinand Buried in the Pfarrkirche in Ungarisch-Altenburg (now
Mosonmagyaróvár Mosonmagyaróvár (; german: Wieselburg-Ungarisch Altenburg; also known by other alternative names) is a town in Győr-Moson-Sopron County in northwestern Hungary. It lies close to both the Austrian and Slovakian borders and has a population ...
), Hungary. * Heir Apparent, eldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig. Buried in the Schlosskapelle at Artstetten. * Born Countess Chotek, wife of Archduke
Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I. F ...
. Buried in the Schlosskapelle at Artstetten. * Eldest son of Archduke Otto Franz. Buried in the Nossa Senhora do Monte church in
Monte (Funchal) Monte ( en, Mount) is a civil parish in the municipality and a suburb of Funchal in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. Locally, the parish is also known as ''Nossa Senhora do Monte'' ( en, Our Lady of the Mount). The population in 2011 was 6, ...
on the
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
island of
Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...
.


Future entombments

A specific place remaining in the Crypt Chapel is reserved for Archduchess Yolande (1923–), wife (1950) of Archduke Carl Ludwig. There is room for two others along the east wall. Any other entombments would most easily be located along the south wall in the New Vault. There is also room in the Tuscan Vault, but that would not follow the generally chronological arrangement of the tombs. Cremated remains can be accommodated within the piers in the corners of the Ferdinand Vault. Since 1971 members of the family (e.g. Archduke Rudolf (1919–2010)) are mostly entombed in the crypt of the Loretto Chapel of the
Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...
Monastery at Muri, Switzerland, which was founded in 1027 by Count Radebot von Habsburg.


Genealogies


Founders' family

This group covers the founders of the Imperial Crypt (and the first to be buried here), Empress
Anna of Tyrol Anna of Tyrol (4 October 1585 – 14 December 1618) was by birth an Archduchess of Austria and member of the Tyrolean branch of the House of Habsburg and by marriage Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Queen of Bohemia and Queen of Hungary. The ...
and her cousin and husband Emperor Mathias. They are shown with their descent from Emperor
Friedrich III Frederick III may refer to: * Frederick III, Duke of Upper Lorraine (died 1033) * Frederick III, Duke of Swabia (1122–1190) * Friedrich III, Burgrave of Nuremberg (1220–1297) * Frederick III, Duke of Lorraine (1240–1302) * Frederick III of S ...
and their relationship to their successor, Emperor Ferdinand II. ''For the tomb location and specifics on any person buried in the Imperial Crypt, find the tomb number located next to the person's name on the chart below then click on the appropriate group of tomb numbers:'' 1–2, 3–32, 33–40, 41–56, 57–61, 62–100 101–114, 115–141, 142–144, 147–151, (x415–x887 are buried elsewhere).


Emperor Ferdinand III's family

This group shows descendants of Emperor Ferdinand III through the extinction of the male Habsburg line with the death of Emperor Charles VI. ''For the tomb location and specifics on any person buried in the Imperial Crypt, find the tomb number located next to the person's name on the chart below then click on the appropriate group of tomb numbers:'' 1–2, 3–32, 33–40, 41–56, 57–61, 62–100 101–114, 115–141, 142–144, 147–151, (x415–x887 are buried elsewhere).


Empress Maria Theresa's family

The male Habsburg line had become extinct upon the death of Emperor Charles VI, so Empress Maria Theresa's marriage to the Duke of Lorraine established the House of Habsburg-Lorraine which continues through the following charts and has many living members today. ''For the tomb location and specifics on any person buried in the Imperial Crypt, find the tomb number located next to the person's name on the chart below then click on the appropriate group of tomb numbers:'' 1–2, 3–32, 33–40, 41–56, 57–61, 62–100 101–114, 115–141, 142–144, 147–151, (x415–x887 are buried elsewhere).


Emperor Leopold II's family

This group shows offspring of Empress Maria Theresa's second son, Emperor Leopold II and how they split into two major lines and some minor ones. All of those born Habsburg after the time of Maria Theresa who are buried here are descended from Emperor Leopold II. ''For the tomb location and specifics on any person buried in the Imperial Crypt, find the tomb number located next to the person's name on the chart below then click on the appropriate group of tomb numbers:'' 1–2, 3–32, 33–40, 41–56, 57–61, 62–100 101–114, 115–141, 142–144, 147–151, (x415–x887 are buried elsewhere).


Emperor Francis II's family

This group covers the ruling line from the ascent of Emperor Franz II (1792) to the end of the monarchy (1918). ''For the tomb location and specifics on any person buried in the Imperial Crypt, find the tomb number located next to the person's name on the chart below then click on the appropriate group of tomb numbers:'' 1–2, 3–32, 33–40, 41–56, 57–61, 62–100 101–114, 115–141, 142–144, 147–151, (x415–x887 are buried elsewhere).


Tuscan line

When the second son of Empress Maria Theresa was called from his post of Grand Duke of Tuscany to become Emperor, he separated the Grand Duchy from the inheritance that goes with the imperial crown, installing his second son, Ferdinand and his heirs as successors to those lands and that title. This group shows that line until the absorption of Tuscany into the Kingdom of Italy. ''For the tomb location and specifics on any person buried in the Imperial Crypt, find the tomb number located next to the person's name on the chart below then click on the appropriate group of tomb numbers:'' 1–2, 3–32, 33–40, 41–56, 57–61, 62–100 101–114, 115–141, 142–144, 147–151, (x415–x887 are buried elsewhere).


See also

*
Ducal Crypt (Vienna) The Ducal Crypt (german: Herzogsgruft) is a burial chamber beneath the chancel of Stephansdom in Vienna, Austria. It holds 78 containers with the bodies, hearts, or viscera of 72 members of the House of Habsburg. History Before his death at age ...
, for the traditional depository of the
viscera In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to act together in a ...
of those entombed here *
Herzgruft (Vienna) The Herzgruft () is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria. ...
, for the traditional depository of the hearts of those entombed here *
Palatinal Crypt The Palatinal Crypt ( hu, Nádori kripta; german: Palatinsgruft) in Buda Castle, Budapest is the burial place of the Hungarian branch of the Habsburg dynasty, founded by Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary. It is the only Interiors of Buda Castle, ...
, for the burial place of the Hungarian Habsburgs in
Buda Castle Buda Castle ( hu, Budavári Palota, german: link=no, Burgpalast) is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian Kings in Budapest. It was first completed in 1265, although the massive Baroque palace today occupying most of the si ...
* Mayerling Incident


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

* * *


External links

*
Online Capuchin Monastery in Vienna
(in German)
Picture from the crypt—Br. Markus Mach OFM cap

Weiss-Krejci, E. Restless corpses. 'Secondary burial' in the Babenberg and Habsburg dynasties. ''Antiquity'' 75:769–780, 2001. Figures 4 and 6

Weiss-Krejci, E. Mortuary representations of the noble house. A cross-cultural comparison between collective tombs of the ancient Maya and dynastic Europe. ''Journal of Social Archaeology'' 4/3:368–404, 2004.
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Innere Stadt Burial sites of the House of Habsburg Cemeteries in Vienna Roman Catholic cemeteries in Austria Museums in Vienna Sarcophagi Tourist attractions in Vienna 1618 establishments in Austria