St. Ruprecht's Church (German: Ruprechtskirche) is usually considered the oldest church in Vienna and is dedicated to Saint Rupert of Salzburg. It is located in one of the oldest parts of the city, the section of the Roman Vindobona. Vienna (German: Wien [viːn]; Hungarian: Bécs) is the capital of Austria, and also one of Austrias nine federal states (Bundesland Wien). ...

History

According to legend, it was founded by Cunald and Gisalrich, companions of Rupert during his occupation of the seat of bishop of Salzburg. However, because Salzburg had influence over religious issues in Vienna between 796 and 829, it is more probable that it was founded in this period. Flag of Salzburg Salzburg (population 145,000 in 2003) is a city in western Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg (population 520,000 in 2003). ... Events December - Coenwulf becomes king of Mercia. ... Events Egbert of Wessex conquers Mercia and is recognized as Bretwalda. ...

The first reference in historical documentation is in a document of 1200 when Duke Heinrich II Jasomirgott describes a gift to the Schottenstift church. The document also mentions St. Ruprecht's Church, which is labeled the oldest in the city. Events University of Paris receives charter from Philip II of France Births Matthew Paris, English Benedictine monk and chronicler (approximate date). ... Schottenstift The Schottenstift is an abbreviation of Benediktinerabtei unserer Lieben Frau zu den Schotten (lit, Benedictine Abbey of Our Fair Lady to the Scots) is a monestary founded in Vienna in 1155 when Henry II brought Irish-Scotish monks to Vienna. ...

After the destruction of the Roman settlement, the core part of the city grew in the area near the church. It was the seat of the religious administration before that function was transferred to the Stephansdom in 1147. St. ... Events King Afonso I of Portugal and the Crusaders capture Lisbon from Muslims First written mention of Moscow. ...

During the Middle Ages, the church was the seat of the Salt Office (Salzamt), which distibuted salt to individual buyers and ensured its quality. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

The church has been rebuilt and altered many times in its history. In 1276, it was damaged by fire and modified. In 1622, it was redecorated in a baroque style. It was also somewhat damaged by shellfire during World War II and affected by the demolition of the nearby ruins of another building. Events January 21 - Innocent V elected Gregory Xs successor as Pope March 9 - Augsburg becomes an Imperial Free City June - Rudolph I of Germany declares war on Ottokar II, king of Bohemia July 11, Adrian V elected Innocent Vs successor as Pope John XXI succeeds Adrian V as... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that engulfed much of the globe...

Other notable facts

The oldest bells in Vienna are located in the church, dating from around 1280.

The oldest glass window panes (dating from approximately 1370) can be found in the church. They depict a crucified Christ and the Madonna with baby.

A statue of the patron saint Rupert is located in the north part of the main tower.

The arch on the western gallery has a plaque with the label "AEIOU 1439", an undecyphered motto of Emperor Frederick III. The plaque was designed to commemorate the entrance of the emperor to Vienna on December 6, 1439. There were three rulers known as Frederick (German Friedrich) III of Germany: Frederick the Handsome, Duke of Austria from 1308 to 1330, who was elected as German King in the time of Louis the Bavarian (1326) as the result of a compromise between the Houses of Wittelsbach and Habsburg. ... Owned By Jorge. ... Events Battle of Grotnik, which ended the hussite movement in Poland Eric of Pomerania, King of Sweden, Denmark and Norway is declared deposed in Sweden. ...

A relic of the sarcophagus of St. Vitalis is located in the church containing the remains of a claimed Christian victim from the Roman catacombs. This memorial of victimization has special meaning in modern times because the Gestapo headquarters, which was used for torture and the organization of Jewish deportations, was located nearby in the Morzinplatz square. The   Gestapo? (acronym of Geheime Staatspolizei; secret state police) was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. ...

Oldest church debate

There is currently some debate whether St. Ruprecht's church is truly the oldest church in Vienna. Discoveries of old foundations under the St. Peter's Church and old graves under the Stephansdom have disputed the certainty of this label. St. ...

References

• German Wikipedia
• Ruprechtskirche's Tour Webpage