The Schottenkirche () is a parish church in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

attached to the Schottenstift, founded by Irish (in Medieval Latin ''scoti'')

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

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

monks from the

Melk Abbey Melk Abbey () is a Benedictine abbey above the town of Melk, Lower 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 remains of several member ...

during the Melker Reform initiated after the

Council of Constance The Council of Constance (; ) was an ecumenical council of the Catholic Church that was held from 1414 to 1418 in the Bishopric of Constance (Konstanz) in present-day Germany. This was the first time that an ecumenical council was convened in ...

. The church was elevated to the rank of Basilica Minor in 1958. The Schottenkirche is located in the Freyung in the first district of Vienna's

Innere Stadt The Innere Stadt (; ; "Inner City") is the 1st municipal Districts of Vienna, 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 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

.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 the Irish language name for "Ireland". Like its English counterpart, the term is used for both the island of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the sovereign state that governs 85% of the island's landmass. The latter is distinc ...

, 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" aro ...

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

in 1012. This Irish

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

of royal lineage killed at

Stockerau Stockerau () is a town in the district of Korneuburg (district), Korneuburg in Lower Austria, Austria. Stockerau has 16,974 inhabitants, which makes it the largest town in the Weinviertel. Stockerau is also called "Lenaustadt" (Lenau Town) because ...

while on

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

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

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, King of Hungary, Hungary, and List of Croatian monarchs, Croatia from 1619 until his death in 1637. He was the son of Archduke Charles II, Archduke of Austr ...

. 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 Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

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 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 (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal 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 Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

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 ha ...

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 (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

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

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

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

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

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

Notes

References