The Schottenkirche ( en, Scots Church) is a parish church in

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

attached to the

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

, founded by Hiberno (Irish)-Scots

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 ...

monks in the 12th century. In 1418, the Duke Albert V of Austria transferred it to the German-speaking

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 ...

monks from the

Melk Abbey Melk Abbey (german: Stift Melk) is a Benedictine abbey above the town of Melk, Lower Austria, Austria, on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube river, adjoining the Wachau valley. The abbey contains the tomb of Saint Coloman of Stockerau and the ...

during the Melker Reform initiated after the

Council of Constance The Council of Constance was a 15th-century ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418 in the Bishopric of Constance in present-day Germany. The council ended the Western Schism by deposing or accepting the r ...

. The church was elevated to the rank of

Basilica Minor In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...

in 1958. The Schottenkirche is located in the Freyung in the first district of Vienna's

Innere Stadt The Innere Stadt (; Central Bavarian: ''Innare Stod'') is the 1st municipal district of Vienna () located in the center of the Austrian capital. The Innere Stadt is the old town of Vienna. Until the city boundaries were expanded in 1850, the I ...

History

Irish missionaries out of monasteries in Ireland and Scotland (Iro-Schotten, Hiberno-Scottish) were instrumental in the spread of Christianity in Continental Europe during the

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

.The Latin term '' Scotti'' refers to certain Gaelic-speaking people of Ireland (Hibernia) and Western Scotland. In early medieval times Ireland was known, not only as

Éire () is Irish for "Ireland", the name of both an island in the North Atlantic and the sovereign state of the Republic of Ireland which governs 84% of the island's landmass. The latter is distinct from Northern Ireland, which covers the remaind ...

, but also as

Scotia Scotia is a Latin placename derived from ''Scoti'', a Latin name for the Gaels, first attested in the late 3rd century.Duffy, Seán. ''Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia''. Routledge, 2005. p.698 The Romans referred to Ireland as "Scotia" around ...

as well as Hibernia, the Roman name for Ireland. By late Medieval times it referred more exclusively to what is now Scotland. Of special importance in Austria is Saint Koloman of Stockerau (of Melk) killed near

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

in 1012. This Irish

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...

of royal lineage killed at

Stockerau Stockerau () is a town in the district of Korneuburg in Lower Austria, Austria. Stockerau has 15,921 inhabitants, which makes it the largest town in the Weinviertel.https://statistik.at/wcm/idc/idcplg?IdcService=GET_PDF_FILE&RevisionSelectionMetho ...

while on

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

has been patron saint of Austria until 1663. During the 11th and the 12th century, Iro -Schotten Monasteries sprang up, intended exclusively for monks from monasteries in Ireland and the now Scottish isles. The famous Scottish Monastery of St. Jacob at Ratisbon, built around 1090 by Burgrave Otto of Ratisbon in

Ratisbon Regensburg or is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers. It is capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the state in the south of Germany. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the ...

, became the mother-house of a series of other Scots Monasteries, among them Our Blessed Lady at

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

built in 1158.

Exterior

The first church was a three-aisled Romanesque pillar church with a single apse, destroyed by a fire in 1276. An earthquake circa 1443 greatly damaged the existing church on the site. Restorations were completed by 1449 but poorly done, due to lack of money, and on 21 May 1634, the roof collapsed in full view of

Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II (9 July 1578 – 15 February 1637) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia from 1619 until his death in 1637. He was the son of Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria and Maria of Bavaria. His parents were dev ...

. The collapse of the tower, struck by a lightning bolt in 1638, was seized as an opportunity to completely rebuild the church in

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 ...

style. From 1638 to 1641, the reconstruction was undertaken by the architects Carlo Antonio Carlone and Marco Spazzio. From 1643 to 1648, Andrea Allio the Old, Andrea Allio the Young and Silvestro Carlone reworked the nave and the west side. In the process, the length of the church was somewhat reduced, with the result that the tower no longer stands directly beside the basilica. After the Turkish siege, the church was restored again. As the baroque west tower was barely higher than the facade itself, its extension has often been discussed, but these plans have never come to fruition. The choir tower was dedicated only in the year 1893.

Interior

Inside, the church is now in high-baroque style with several chapels.

Joachim von Sandrart Joachim von Sandrart (12 May 1606 – 14 October 1688) was a German Baroque art-historian and painter, active in Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age. He is most significant for his collection of biographies of Dutch and German artists the '' T ...

provided the church with a new altar-piece, which today is kept in the prelates' hall. Between 1883 and 1889, the high altar was built after sketches of Heinrich Ferstel, with

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol and the fifth-largest city in Austria. On the River Inn, at its junction with the Wipp Valley, which provides access to the Brenner Pass to the south, it had a p ...

glass mosaics by Michael Rieser. Julius Schmid (Austrian, 1854–1935) was artist for the fine ceiling paintings.

Trivia

* The great Baroque musician

Johann Joseph Fux Johann Joseph Fux (; – 13 February 1741) was an Austrian composer, music theorist and pedagogue of the late Baroque era. His most enduring work is not a musical composition but his treatise on counterpoint, '' Gradus ad Parnassum'', which has ...

was its organist around 1690. * After composer

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have le ...

died in Vienna, a great memorial service was held in the Schottenkirche on 15 June 1809, at which

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

's Requiem K.626 was performed. * Noted film director

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary '' Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. ...

was born in the parish and baptized in the Schottenkirche. * Princess Maria-Annunciata von Liechtenstein married Emanuele Musini in this church on 4th September 2021

Notes

References

* *{{Cite book , last = Ferenczy, first = Heinrich , author2=Merth, Christoph , title = Schottenstift und seine Kunstwerke , year = 1980, isbn=3-85368-859-4 15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Austria Roman Catholic churches completed in 1893 Roman Catholic churches completed in 1648 Roman Catholic church buildings in the Vicariate of Vienna City Basilica churches in Austria Baroque architecture in Austria Religious organizations established in the 12th century 1648 establishments in Austria

History

Exterior

Interior

Trivia

See also

Notes

References