Church on Leopoldsberg

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Sankt Leopold Church on the Leopoldsberg

The Leopoldskirche on Leopoldsberg is a Roman Catholic rectorate church in the district of Kahlenbergerdorf of the 19th district of Döbling in Vienna . It is consecrated to St. Margrave Leopold and is looked after by the Nussdorf Abbey Parish.

After a long period of closure due to the “reconstruction” of the castle , the church has been open to the public again since June 2018.

history

Ground plan of the church with the two stages of construction: █ 1679–1693, █ 1717–1730
Interior view with a view of the high altar (2009)

After the castle on the Leopoldsberg , in which there was a chapel dedicated to St. George , was largely blown up in the course of the first Turkish siege , Emperor Leopold I left the Leopoldsberg - at that time still called Kahlenberg - on the occasion of the plague in Vienna in 1679 erect a sacred building and dedicated it to the Babenberg Margrave Leopold III, who was canonized in 1485. In 1683 during the second Turkish siege , the newly built chapel with the shape of a central dome and four cross arms was set on fire and looted. After the chapel had been repaired and completed, it was consecrated in 1693. With the completion of the church the name change took place. The name "Kahlenberg" was now transferred to the neighboring higher "Sauberg". The mountain with the Leopold Chapel was named "Leopoldsberg".

The church has now been furnished with great treasures. For example, a picture of the Virgin called "Maria Türkenhilfe" enjoyed great veneration.

The architect of the original building from 1693 is not known. Around 1720 the chapel was converted into a church according to plans by Antonio Beduzzi ; this essentially corresponds to today's appearance. In the course of Josephinism , the church was desecrated around 1784, but was consecrated again in 1798 under Joseph's nephew Emperor Franz II .

On February 7, 1945, an enemy bomb destroyed about a third of the church; among other things, the south tower was completely destroyed. The reconstruction work that began soon afterwards allowed the church to be rebuilt in its original form with the baroque tower closings instead of the classicist one from 1824.

Building description

The original sacred building was a central building with a circular cupola. Short, barrel-vaulted cross arms of equal length are attached to this dome structure on all four sides. The church was expanded around 1720 by adding the corner rooms between the cross arms, a vestibule and the two facade turrets.

Pilasters with Ionic capitals enliven the walls . A gallery runs through the upper floor . The two-storey facade is structured by Tuscan pilasters.

There are several plaques on the outside walls of the church ; Among other things, in 1904 a memorial plaque was attached to Empress Elisabeth , who visited this place in May 1896.

Furnishing

The high altar shows St. Leopold, designed by Christian Sambach around 1790. To the right is the Blessed Bishop Hartmann von Brixen and to the left is St. Augustine.

The left side altar shows St. Mother Anna with the statues of St. Joachim and St. Joseph. The right side altar shows Irene with St. Sebastian. The statues on the right with St. Rochus and on the left St. Charles Borromeo.

Tetragram

Tetragram with the Hebrew name יהוה for God

During the closure in 1782, the high altar along with the many valuable inventory also disappeared. For the rededication of the church on November 14, 1798, the academic sculptor Adam Vogl created the new high altar in the classicistic style in 1797/98. He carved the name of God into the halo. At this time it was customary to display the name of God in the churches. In Vienna he can also be found Karlskirche, which was built at the same time .

Web links

Commons : Sankt Leopold auf dem Leopoldsberg  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Klosterneuburg Abbey : The 24 Abbey Parishes ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed March 29, 2010 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.stift-klosterneuburg.at
  2. ↑ Wiener Zeitung : Trouble about blocked Leopoldsberg ( Memento of the original from January 7, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; Retrieved May 6, 2012 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.wienerzeitung.at
  3. ↑ Castle on Leopoldsberg open again. In: wien.orf.at. July 21, 2018, accessed November 25, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Entry on Leopoldsberg in the Austria Forum  (in the AEIOU Austria Lexicon )
  5. ^ Anton Johann Groß-Hoffinger: The Kahlenberg and its surroundings ; Vienna 1832
  6. ^ Nussdorferplatz - Leopoldsberg
  7. ↑ a b Eva Wodarz-Eichner: Fools wisdom in priestly robes ; Herbert Utz Verlag, Munich 2007, ISBN 9783831606603
  8. ↑ a b Folder “Via the Nasenweg on the Leopoldsberg” from the City of Vienna

Coordinates: 48 ° 16 ′ 40.2 "  N , 16 ° 20 ′ 49.1"  E