Yet another example of the gruesome divide-and-conquer burial strategy of the Habsburg dynasty. It is said that other dynasties waged countless wars to acquire new lands, but ''you, happy Austria, marry''. Even in death, the Habsburgs placated three different churches with the honor of caring for their remains. The best known, the Kapuzinergruft, contains their actual bodies. St Stephens holds their innards (intestines and other parts taken out during the preservation process). But the Augustinerkirche holds, in the Herzgruft (Heart Crypt), all the Habsburgs' hearts. The tradition began in 1627 with Emperor Ferdinand IV, who wanted to ''lay his heart at the feet of the Mother of God'', literally. His heart, and those of his descendants, are preserved in silver jars which are carefully cared for by the Augustinian friars who run the church. When the renovation was underway it was found that the preservative in some of the caskets had evaporated over the years, leaving nothing but a dried-out, mummified heart.
Local
Eat and Drink
- Cafe-Restaurant Mozart - Vienna (0.2 miles) - Coffee-house culture since Mozarts time The first coffeehouse was opened at this location in 1794, th...
- burgring 1 - Vienna (0.2 miles) - Urbanes Summerfeeling am Ring. Das beliebte Vintage-Lokal am Ring, das burg.ring1, überrascht und v...
- Patara Restaurant Vienna GmbH - Vienna (0.3 miles) - The Patara restaurants owe their success and their name the extraordinary woman , Patara Sila -On. P...
- Restaurant Ali Ocakbasi - Vienna (0.3 miles) - The rich, unique and luscious "Anatolian Cuisine Culture" which has existed for thousands of...
- Vegetarian gourmetrestaurant / TIAN Betriebs GMBH - Vienna (0.3 miles) - A vision for the Tian Inspired by the charm of the Vienna Belle Epoque, the gourmet restaurant Tian n...
See and Do
- Concerts in the Mozarthouse Vienna (0.3 miles) - The „Concerts in Mozart’s House“ take place in the house of Mozarts first apartment in Vienna,...
- Escape Room No Way Out Vienna (0.3 miles) - Unsere Geschichte Wir haben für euch 5 der besten Escape Games Europas. In unserem brandneuen Stando...
- Mozarthaus Vienna Wien (0.4 miles) - Mozarthaus Vienna is a centre showing the life and work of the musical genius, where visitors can ex...
- Kunsthalle Wien Vienna (0.4 miles) - Kunsthalle Wien is the leading exhibition hall for contemporary art in Vienna. At its two locations ...
- Leopold Museum Vienna (0.5 miles) - The Leopold Museum is a unique and active museum awash with light in the heart of Vienna and the big...
Shopping
- Demmers Teehaus - Wien (0.6 miles) - TEELEIDENSCHAFT SEIT 1981! DEMMERS TEEHAUS wurde im April 1981 von Andrew Demmer gegründet. Das erst...
