Austria

Vienna: Otto Wagner (1841-1918) IV


Institute Church St. Leopold at the Steinhof (1904-07)

The Steinhof (stone yard) was a psychiatric hospital upon the Baumgartner height in the 14th Vienna district established in the years 1902-07 under the direction of Otto Wagner. This church consecrated to St Leopold served as institute church and is surely one of the most important sacred Jugendstil buildings world-wide.

© Thomas Ledl, Wien

The cross-shaped construction is towered by a high dome whose gilded copper plates shine again in their former splendor since the restoration. The external walls consist of white marble slabs fastened by large copper pins. The entire artistic outside and interior equipment shows once more the perfect co-operation of the artists from the Vienna Secession and Vienna Workshops (Wiener Werkstätte).

On the two bell towers enthrone the bronze figures made by the sculptor Richard Luksch (1872-1936): St Leopold, protection patron of Vienna and Lower Austria, on the west tower, and St Severin, protection patron of Linz, on the east tower. The four bronze angels on the columns of the portal are made by the sculptor Othmar Schimkowitz (1864-1947) who also made the "calling women" of the Wienzeile houses and the angels of the postal savings bank.

© kuks Hannover

The wonderful window panes (1904) were manufactured after drawings of Koloman Moser (1868-1918). The painter and stage designer Remigius Geyling sketched the mosaics behind the main altar (1878-1974) realised by Leopold Forstner (1878-1936) who also made the mosaics in the Borromaeus church on the central cemetery. The mosaics of the side altars are made by the painter and commercial artist Rudolf Jettmar (1869-1939).

© kuks Hannover

© Thomas Ledl, Wien

© kuks Hannover