Information AboutStephansdom |
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The Stephansdom (Cathedral of Saint Stephen ), in Vienna , Austria , is the seat of a Roman Catholic Archbishop , a beloved symbol of Vienna, and the site of many important events in Austria's national life. HISTORY The cathedral was first built as a parish church, in 1147 , and rebuilt and enlarged over the centuries, with major new work concluding in 1511 , although repair and restoration have continued from the beginning to the present day. It was previously thought that the church had been built in an open field outside the city walls; but excavations for a long-awaited heating system during 2000 revealed graves that were Carbon-dated to the fourth century, 8 Feet (2.5 Meter s) below the surface. The 430 skeletons were then moved to the catacombs. Thousands of others must have been buried in the ancient cemetery of this neighbourhood, starting in Roman times; and this, instead of St. Ruprecht's Church , may be the oldest church site in Vienna. The first recorded church here was founded in 1137 , by Duke Leopold IV in a contract with Reginmar, Bishop Of Passau . The church was dedicated to St. Stephen, the patron of the bishop's cathedral in Passau. The first Church Building was built in the Romanesque style and Consecrated ten years later. The present west wall and Roman towers date from 1237 . After a great fire in the city in 1258 , a larger replacement structure, also Romanesque and reusing the Roman towers, was consecrated, on 23 April 1263 , an anniversary highlighted each year by a rare ringing of the Pummerin bell for three minutes in the evening. In 1304 , Emperor Albert I ordered construction of a Gothic three-naved choir, further east of the church and wide enough to meet the tips of the old Transept s. Work continued under his son Duke Albert II ; this latest work was consecrated in 1340 , on the 77th anniversary of the previous consecration. The motif of the north nave furnishings was St. Mary ; the middle nave was for St. Stephen and All the Saints ; and the Apostles were honoured in the south nave. This part of the present cathedral, east of the present Transept s, is called the Albertine Choir. In 1359 , his son Duke Rudolf IV , who is called "the founder", laid, in the vicinity of the present south tower, the cornerstone for a Gothic extension of Albert's choir westward, to encapsulate the existing second church. That old church was then removed from inside the new one. ''(A bunch of other stuff happened in between, which will be added here.)'' The Stephansdom was saved from intentional destruction at the hands of retreating German Forces during World War II , when Captain Gerhard Klinkicht disregarded orders from the city commandant, Sepp Dietrich , to "fire a hundred shells and leave it in just debris and ashes". One of the fires set by plunderers when Russia n troops entered the city was carried by the wind to the cathedral, severely damaging it on 12 April 1945 . Fortunately, protective brick shells had been built around the pulpit, Frederick III's tomb, and other treasures, so that damage to the most valuable artworks was minimized. Unfortunately, the beautifully carved choir stalls from 1487 were burned. Rebuilding began immediately, with a limited reopening on 12 December 1948 and a full reopening on 23 April 1952 . EXTERIOR The Romanesque and Gothic cathedral is 107 meters (351 feet) long and 34 meters (111.5 feet) wide. The soot accumulated over centuries has been removed in recent years, changing its colour from black to white. Towers The massive south tower ''(at location'' ST'' on the Plan below)'' is the dominant feature of the Vienna skyline at 136 meters (445 feet) and is affectionately called Steffl ("Steve") by the Viennese. It served as the main observation and command post for the defence of the walled city during the coat of arms on its chest, surmounted by the double-armed Apostolic Cross symbolic of the emperors' style ''Apostolic Majesty'' as kings of Hungary. The north tower ''(at location'' NT'')'', planned as a twin to the south tower, has not been completed and is only half as tall, at 68 meters (223 feet). It was given a temporary cap that the Viennese call the "water tower top" when its construction paused in 1511 . Construction has not yet resumed. On the left and on the right from the main entrance are the two Roman towers ''(at locations'' RT'' on the Plan below)'' which are about 65 meters (215 feet) tall. They are called "Roman" (''heidnischen'' in old Viennese dialect) because they were built from rubble of structures built by the Romans during their occupation of the city site. Square at their bases, and octagonal when the rise above the roof, they housed bells, and although the south Roman tower lost its bells during World War II, the north one is still a working bell tower. Along with the Giant Door, they are the oldest parts of the church. Roof A glory of the Stephansdom is its ornately patterned, richly coloured . Bells The cathedral has 23 Bell s. The largest is officially named for ''s (9.6 Feet) and was a gift from the province of Upper Austria . It sounds on only a few special occasions each year, including the arrival of the new year. There are three other bells hanging in this tower, but they are older and no longer used. A peal of eleven electrically operated bells, cast in Archbishop Of Vienna himself is present. From the largest to the smallest, they are named the '' St. Stephen '' (5,700 kg); '' St. Leopold '' (2,300 kg); '' St. Christopher '' (1,350 kg); '' St. Leonhard '' (950 kg); '' St. Josef '' (700 kg); '' St. Peter Canisius '' (400 kg); '' St. Pius X '' (280 kg); '' All Saints '' (200 kg); '' St. Clement Maria Hofbauer '' (120 kg); '' St. Michael '' (60 kg); and '' St. Tarsicius '' (35 kg). Also in this tallest tower are the ''Primglocke'' (recast in 1772 ) and the ''Uhrschälle'' (cast in 1449 ), which mark the passing of the hours. The north Roman tower contains six bells, five of which were cast in ; ''Kantnerin'' (calling the cantors (musicians) to Mass); ''Feringerin'' (used for High Mass on Sundays); ''Bieringerin'' ("beer ringer" for last call at taverns); ''Poor Souls'' (the funeral bell); and ''Churpötsch'' (donated by the local Curia in honor of the Maria Pötsch icon in the cathedral). The 1945 fire destroyed the bells that hung in the south Roman tower. It is said that the composer Ludwig Van Beethoven discovered the totality of his Deaf ness when he saw birds flying out of the bell tower as a result of the bells' tolling but couldn't hear the bells. Fixtures Along the outside walls of the cathedral can be seen
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