Imperial Crypt

Since 1633 The Imperial Crypt in Vienna has been the principal place of entombment for the Habsburg dynasty, hereditary Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, and their descendents.

History

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Subscript numbers behind the names of most persons listed in this article are used to avoid confusion in cross-references due to the similarity or duplication of names over the many generations.

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A unique small index number appears with the name of every person buried in the Imperial Crypt. The number corresponds with that person's entry in the detailed listing of occupants of each Vault, to which it is hyperlinked. When necessary to establish continuity, a person buried elsewhere is assigned a number preceded by an x and then listed in the Selected Other Habsburgs section.

Related Topics:
Detailed listing - Selected Other Habsburgs

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Empress Anna of Tyrol{{bioxrefa|1|Imperial Crypt Vaults}}, wife of Emperor Matthias{{bioxrefa|2|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} conceived the idea of a Capuchin cloister and burial crypt for her and her husband, to be built in the neighborhood of the Hofburg castle in Vienna.

Related Topics:
Anna of Tyrol - Matthias - Capuchin - Hofburg - Vienna

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She provided funds for it in the will she made on 10 November 1617, and graciously soon made the funds available by dying just a year later. Her spouse followed a year after that.

Related Topics:
10 November - 1617

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The foundation stone was laid on 8 September 1622 in the presence of Emperor Ferdinand II{{bioxrefa|x578|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} and after slow progress caused by the distractions of the Thirty Years' War the church was dedicated on 25 July 1632 and at Easter of the next year, the simple sarcophagi containing the remains of Emperor Mathias{{bioxrefa|2|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} and Empress Anna{{bioxrefa|1|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} were transferred with great ceremony to what is now called the Founder's Vault.

Related Topics:
8 September - 1622 - Ferdinand II - Thirty Years' War - 25 July - 1632

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Emperor Leopold I{{bioxrefa|37|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} enlarged the crypt in 1657 in the area under the nave of the church and his son Emperor Joseph I{{bioxrefa|35|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} extended it further westward in 1710, but awkwardly, beginning the vault that his brother Emperor Karl VI{{bioxrefa|40|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} 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) was involved with an enlargement of the crypt.

Related Topics:
Leopold I - 1657 - Joseph I - 1710 - Karl VI - 1720 - Lukas von Hildebrandt

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In 1754, his daughter Empress Maria Theresia{{bioxrefa|56|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} 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.

Related Topics:
1754 - Maria Theresia - Jean Jadot de Ville-Issey

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During the reign of her grandson Emperor Franz II{{bioxrefa|57|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} architect Johann Aman turned to the north for his addition in 1824.

Related Topics:
Franz II - Johann Aman - 1824

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The monastery surrounding the church had fallen into disrepair after 200 years of constant use, so during the reign of Emperor Ferdinand{{bioxrefa|62|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} in 1840 the monastery (but not the church) was torn down and rebuilt. As part of that project, architect Johann Höhne built Ferdinand?s Vault and the Tuscan Vault as part of the basement of the new structure.

Related Topics:
Ferdinand - 1840 - Johann Höhne - Ferdinand?s Vault - Tuscan Vault

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As part of the jubilee celebrating his 60 years on the throne in 1908, Emperor Franz Joseph{{bioxrefa|142|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} had architect Cajo Perisic build another mausoleum chamber and a chapel to the east of Franz II{{bioxrefa|57|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} and Ferdinand?s{{bioxrefa|62|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} vaults. At the same time, new annexes for visitors were created on either side of the church.

Related Topics:
1908 - Franz Joseph - Cajo Perisic

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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 be survive for future generations. The New Vault, north of the Tuscan, Ferdinand?s and Franz Joseph?s Vaults, was built by architect Karl Schwanzer, 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.

Related Topics:
1960 - New Vault - Franz Joseph?s Vault - Karl Schwanzer - Rudolf Hoflehner

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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 Leopold?s Vault.

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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 Karl{{bioxrefa|122|Imperial Crypt Vaults}} the victor of Apern.

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Thirty seven other tombs, of some minors and minor members of the ruling family, were walled-up into four piers created in Ferdinand?s Vault.

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Thus about half of all the tombs were moved out of the original vaults to more orderly places as part of that great reorganization.

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In 2003 another project made the crypt accessible to the handicapped, 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.

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