Imperial Crypt
The Imperial Crypt (German: Kaisergruft, but usually called Kapuzinergruft, "Capuchins' Crypt") in Vienna, Austria lies below the Capuchin Church and monastery founded in 1618 and dedicated in 1632. It is on the Neuer Markt square of the Innere Stadt, near the imperial Hofburg Palace. Since 1633 it has been the principal place of entombment for members of the Habsburg dynasty.
The bodies of 145 Habsburg royalty, plus urns containing the hearts or cremated remains of four others, are deposited here, including 12 emperors and 18 empresses. The most recent entombment150 was in 2011. The visible 107 metal sarcophagi and 5 heart urns range in style from puritan plain to exuberant rococo. The Imperial Crypt is one of the top tourist attractions in Vienna.
To this day, some of the dozen resident Capuchin friars continue their customary role as the guardians and caretakers of the crypt along with their other pastoral work in Vienna.
History
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. 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.
Anna of Tyrol1, wife of Emperor Matthias2 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. She provided funds for it in the will she made on 10 November 1617, and soon made the funds available by dying just a year later. Her spouse followed a year after that.
The foundation stone was laid on 8 September 1622 in the presence of Emperor Ferdinand IIx578 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 Mathias2 and Empress Anna1 were transferred with great ceremony to what is now called the Founder's Vault.
Emperor Leopold I37 enlarged the crypt in 1657 in the area under the nave of the church and his son Emperor Joseph I35 extended it further westward in 1710, but awkwardly, beginning the vault that his brother Emperor Karl VI40 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.
In 1754, his daughter Empress Maria Theresa56 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.
During the reign of her grandson Emperor Francis II57 architect Johann Aman turned to the north for his addition in 1824.
The monastery surrounding the church had fallen into disrepair after 200 years of constant use, so during the reign of Emperor Ferdinand62 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.
As part of the jubilee celebrating his 60 years on the throne in 1908, Emperor Franz Joseph142 had architect Cajo Perisic build another mausoleum chamber and a chapel to the east of Franz II57 and Ferdinand’s62 vaults. At the same time, new annexes for visitors were created on either side of the church.
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 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.
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.
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 Charles122 the victor of Aspern.
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.
Thus about half of all the tombs were moved out of the original vaults to more orderly places as part of that great reorganization.
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.
The sarcophagi
The free-standing tombs are usually variations of either a flat-topped storage chest, or a tub with sloping sides and a convex lid of tapered decks. Ornamentation ranges from simple to elaborate.
Until far in the 18th century, the most common material for a sarcophagus here was a bronze-like alloy of tin, coated with shellac. The splendid tombs of the baroque and rococo eras are made of true bronze, a nobler and therefore more expensive material. Reforming Emperor Joseph II42 decreed simplified burial customs for the people, and introduced the use of lighter and cheaper copper into the Imperial Crypt, where it was then used into the 19th century. In the later 19th century a mixture of cast brass and bronze as well as silver-bronzed copper was adopted. Other metals were used only rarely, except for silver and gold plating on decorations.
Various techniques of metalworking were used: full casting for the sarcophagus; hollow casting for decorative sculpture; carving, engraving, and hammered relief for surface decoration. The parts for chests and covers are riveted together, ornaments and decorative figures are screwed on.
The sculptor responsible for the most elaborate tombs is Balthasar Ferdinand Moll.
In order to guarantee the stability of the enormous display tombs, they have iron bracings and wood lining inside. This avoids both cave-ins and a buckling of the side walls from the weight of the cover. The cover of the double tomb of Empress Maria Theresa56 and her husband,55 alone weighs approximately 1700 kg (3800 lb).
Within the outer case lays a wooden coffin that is wrapped in silk (black with gold trim for rulers, red with silver trim for others). The coffin usually has two locks, the key to one is kept by the Capuchin Guardian of the crypt, the other is kept in the Schatzkammer of the Hofburg palace in Vienna.
Within the coffin, the body usually has had the organs removed as a necessary part of the embalming process for its display before the funeral. For about one-third of the bodies, the heart has been placed into a silver urn and sent elsewhere (usually the Herzgruft in the Augustinerkirche), and for some the intestines and other organs have been put into a copper urn and deposited in the Dukes Crypt in the catacombs of Vienna’s cathedral, the Stephansdom.
Conservation of the tombs
Over the centuries, constant humidity, variations in temperature, and the host of visitors had taken a great toll on the sarcophagi. Corrosion craters, holes and tears had developed. Layers of the horizontal surfaces had peeled, base plates had broken through, decorative fixtures had been broken or stolen by visitors, the cast metal absorbed too much humidity and puffed up, and heavy covers had caused some sidewalls to bend or cave.
The first major restoration effort was undertaken in 1852, but further work was needed by 1956 when the Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Kapuzinergruft (Association for Saving the Capuchin Crypt) came into being to inform the public of the problem, raise funds, and preserve and restore the tombs.
It was first necessary to create additional space and to dehumidify the crypt. After completion of the New Vault in 1960 and the transfer of 26 tombs from the overflowing Tuscan Vault, the work of dehumidification could begin. Also, a workshop was created in the south end of the Tuscan Vault where highly-skilled artisans could work on selected tombs temporarily moved there for restoration.
In 2003 remodelling of the ground-level visitor facilities took place to create a new visitor entrance and make the crypt accessible to the handicapped. The visitor route was also changed so that visitors now see the tombs in historical sequence by entering at one end and leaving at the other, instead of both entering and leaving via a single stairway that is in the middle of the route. Most importantly, the entire crypt was air conditioned so that humidity can be controlled.
The repair and conservation of the artistic work takes place in close cooperation with the monks, the Association, the Austrian Monument Office and the Vienna Old City Preservation Fund.
Persons buried here
The bodies of 145 persons (mainly members of the ruling line of the House of Habsburg and the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine), plus urns containing the hearts or cremated remains of four others, are deposited in one of the ten interconnected Vaults of the Imperial Crypt. They include 12 Emperors and 18 Empresses. The most recent entombment, that of Archduke Otto,150 and his wife Archduchess Regina, was on 16 July 2011.
From other families there are 32 spouses, plus four others,15 41 47 117 who have found their resting place here.
The oldest person entombed here is Archduke Otto150, aged 98 years and 7 months. The next oldest is his mother, Zita of Bourbon-Parma147, the last Austrian empress, at 97 years. Several died at birth and over 25% of those entombed here were five-years of age or less when they died.
Emperors buried here:
- Emperor Matthias2
- Emperor Ferdinand III27
- Emperor Leopold I37
- Emperor Joseph I35
- Emperor Charles VI40
- Emperor Francis I Stephen55
- Emperor Joseph II42
- Emperor Leopold II113
- Emperor Francis II57
- Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria62
- Archduke Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico126
- Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria142
Empresses buried here:
- Anna,1 consort of Emperor Mathias2
- Maria Anna,22 consort of Emperor Ferdinand III27
- Eleonora Magdalena,19 consort of Emperor Ferdinand III27
- Maria Leopoldina,21 consort of Emperor Ferdinand III27
- Margaret Theresa,20 consort of Emperor Leopold I37
- Eleonora Magdalena,32 consort of Emperor Leopold I37
- Elisabeth Christina,36 consort of Emperor Karl VI40
- Maria Theresa,56 consort of Emperor Francis I55
- Maria Josepha,49 consort of Emperor Joseph II42
- Isabella Maria,50 consort of Emperor Joseph II42
- Elisabeth Wilhelmine,59 consort of Emperor Francis II57
- Maria Teresa Carolina60 consort of Emperor Franci II57
- Maria Ludowika,58 consort of Emperor Francis II57
- Karolina Augusta,61 consort of Emperor Francis II57
- Archduchess Maria Louise, Empress of France127
- Maria Anna,63 consort of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria62
- Elisabeth,143 consort of Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria142
- Zita,147 consort of Emperor Charles of Austriax887
(Also, the hearts of Empresses Claudia Felicitas24 and Amalie Wilhelmine34 are here, but their bodies are buried elsewhere.)
All 146 persons buried here (in whole or in part) are shown on the directory charts below, together with links to a detailed text listing. For ease of use, they show the Habsburg family buried here as family trees based upon lines of descent.
Founders' Family
This group covers the founders of the Imperial Crypt (and the first to be buried here), Empress Anna of Tyrol1 and her cousin and husband Emperor Mathias.2 They are shown with their descent from Emperor Friedrich IIIx415 and their relationship to their successor, Emperor Ferdinand II.x578
For the tomb location and specifics on any person buried in the Imperial Crypt, find the tomb number located next to the person's name on the chart below then click on the appropriate group of tomb numbers: 1-2, 3-32, 33-40, 41-56, 57-61, 62-100 101-114, 115-141, 142-144, 147-151, (x415-x887 are buried elsewhere).
Emperor Ferdinand III's family
This group shows descendants of Emperor Ferdinand III27 through the extinction of the male Habsburg line with the death of Emperor Charles VI.40
For the tomb location and specifics on any person buried in the Imperial Crypt, find the tomb number located next to the person's name on the chart below then click on the appropriate group of tomb numbers: 1-2, 3-32, 33-40, 41-56, 57-61, 62-100 101-114, 115-141, 142-144, 147-151, (x415-x887 are buried elsewhere).
Empress Maria Theresa's family
The male Habsburg line had become extinct upon the death of Emperor Charles VI40, so Empress Maria Theresa’s56 marriage to the Duke of Lorraine55 established the House of Habsburg-Lorraine which continues through the following charts and has many living members today.
For the tomb location and specifics on any person buried in the Imperial Crypt, find the tomb number located next to the person's name on the chart below then click on the appropriate group of tomb numbers: 1-2, 3-32, 33-40, 41-56, 57-61, 62-100 101-114, 115-141, 142-144, 147-151, (x415-x887 are buried elsewhere).
Emperor Leopold II's family
This group shows offspring of Empress Maria Theresa’s56 second son, Emperor Leopold II113 and how they split into two major lines and some minor ones. All of those born Habsburg after the time of Maria Theresa who are buried here are descended from Emperor Leopold II.
For the tomb location and specifics on any person buried in the Imperial Crypt, find the tomb number located next to the person's name on the chart below then click on the appropriate group of tomb numbers: 1-2, 3-32, 33-40, 41-56, 57-61, 62-100 101-114, 115-141, 142-144, 147-151, (x415-x887 are buried elsewhere).
Emperor Francis II's family
This group covers the ruling line from the ascent of Emperor Franz II57 (1792) to the end of the monarchy (1918).
For the tomb location and specifics on any person buried in the Imperial Crypt, find the tomb number located next to the person's name on the chart below then click on the appropriate group of tomb numbers: 1-2, 3-32, 33-40, 41-56, 57-61, 62-100 101-114, 115-141, 142-144, 147-151, (x415-x887 are buried elsewhere).
Tuscan line
When the second son of Empress Maria Theresa56 was called from his post of Grand Duke of Tuscany to become Emperor, he separated the Grand Duchy from the inheritance that goes with the imperial crown, installing his second son, Ferdinandx769 and his heirs as successors to those lands and that title. This group shows that line until the absorption of Tuscany into the Kingdom of Italy.
For the tomb location and specifics on any person buried in the Imperial Crypt, find the tomb number located next to the person's name on the chart below then click on the appropriate group of tomb numbers: 1-2, 3-32, 33-40, 41-56, 57-61, 62-100 101-114, 115-141, 142-144, 147-151, (x415-x887 are buried elsewhere).
Future entombments
A specific place remaining in the Crypt Chapel is reserved for Archduchess Yolande (1923 - ), wife (1950) of Archduke Carl Ludwig148. There is room for two others along the east wall.
Any other entombments would most easily be located along the south wall in the New Vault. There is also room in the Tuscan Vault, but that would not follow the generally-chronological arrangement of the tombs.
Cremated remains can be accommodated within the piers in the corners of Ferdinand's Vault.
Since 1971 members of the family who die during the exile (e.g. Archduke Rudolf (1919–2010)) are mostly entombed in the crypt of the Loretto Chapel of the Benedictine Monastery at Muri, Switzerland, which was founded in 1027 by Count Radebot von Habsburg.
Vaults
The vaults consist of an interconnected series of ten subterranean vaulted rooms, built at various times as more space was needed.
The visible 107 metal sarcophagi and five heart urns range in style from puritan plain to exuberant rococo.
The bodies of 145 nobles, plus urns containing the hearts or cremated remains of four others, are deposited here. There is only one space left. They include 12 Emperors and 18 Empresses. The most recent entombment150 was in 2011.
From other families there are 32 spouses, plus four others,15 41 47 117 who have found their resting place here. Everyone else in the Imperial Crypt was born with the Habsburgs-only title of Archduke or Archduchess.
In 1960, with the various vaults overcrowded, a major rearrangement project began which resulted in the construction of the Children's Columnbarium and the New Vault. At the same time many bodies were moved to those new areas, others were moved from the Tuscan Vault and Ferdinand’s Vault and walled up into the corner piers of Ferdinand's Vault.
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. 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 listing below 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.
Founders' Vault
The Gründergruft is the oldest part of the Kaisergruft, dating from the original construction of the church (completed in 1632), and lies under the Emperor Chapel at the left of the nave of the church above. The room is low, plain, and windowless, and visible through baroque gates from Leopold’s Vault. Here stand the two plain sarcophagi of the founding couple.
Looking through the gate, from left to right:
-
1 Empress
Anna of Tyrol (4 October 1585 - 15 December 1618)
→Family Tree Daughter of
Ferdinand II, Duke of Tyrol and wife of her cousin Emperor Matthias
2 who was 28 years older than she was. She provided in her will of 1617 for the establishment of a crypt for her and her husband in a Capuchin's Church to be built in Vienna, and died only one year later, at age 33 after seven years of a childless marriage. Her heart is buried in urn 1 in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche. Her intestines are buried in urn 17 in the
Ducal Crypt of the
Stephansdom.
Leopold's Vault
The Leopoldsgruft was built under the nave of the church above, beginning in 1657 by Emperor Leopold I,37 following the edict of his father Emperor Ferdinand III27 that the hereditary burial place of the imperial family would be in this church. Considering that Leopold contributed his three wives and 16 of his children—plus himself—to the population of the crypt, it was inevitable that other vaults would be needed soon.
Children's Columbarium
Turning to the left of the gates to the Founders’ Vault, in the thick east foundation wall of the church are twelve longitudinal recessed niches built in the 1960s containing sarcophagi of 12 children. The coffins had previously been in either the Founders’ Vault or the main hall of this vault, but were generally in poor condition and have now been placed into identical cases. No markings or documentation identifies which child lies in which coffin, but those buried in these niches are:
Four children of Emperor Ferdinand III27:
-
3 Archduke
Maximilian Thomas (1638 - 1639)
→Family Tree Infant son of Emperor Ferdinand III
27 and Empress Maria Anna.
22
-
4 Archduke
Philipp August (1637 - 1639)
→Family Tree Two-year old son of Emperor Ferdinand III
27 and Empress Maria Anna.
22
-
5 Archduchess
Theresia Maria (1652 - 1653)
→Family Tree Infant daughter of Emperor Ferdinand III
27 and Empress Eleonora.
19
Seven children of Emperor Leopold I37:
-
7 Archduke
Ferdinand Wenzel (1667 - 1668)
→Family Tree Infant son of Emperor Leopold I
37 and Empress Margarita Teresa.
20 His intestines are buried in urn 25 in the
Ducal Crypt of the
Stephansdom.
-
10 Archduchess
Maria Anna (1672)
→Family Tree Infant daughter of Emperor Leopold I
37 and Empress Margarita Teresa.
20 Her intestines are buried in urn 28 in the
Ducal Crypt of the
Stephansdom.
-
11 Archduchess
Anna Maria Sophia (1674)
→Family Tree Infant daughter of Emperor Leopold I
37 and Empress Claudia Felicitas.
24 Her viscera are buried in urn 30 in the
Ducal Crypt of the
Stephansdom.
-
12 Archduchess
Maria Josepha (1675 - 1676)
→Family Tree Infant daughter of Emperor Leopold I
37 and Empress Claudia Felicitas.
24 Her heart is in a gold and silver urn atop her mother's sarcophagus in the Dominican Church. Her viscera are buried in urn 32 in the
Ducal Crypt of the
Stephansdom.
-
13 Archduchess
Christina (1679)
→Family Tree Infant daughter of Emperor Leopold I
37 and Empress Eleonora Magdelena.
32
-
14 Archduchess
Maria Margareta (1690 - 1691)
→Family Tree Infant daughter of Emperor Leopold I
37 and Empress Eleonora Magdelena.
32 Her heart is buried in urn 34, and her viscera in urn 35, in the
Ducal Crypt of the
Stephansdom.
Grandson of Emperor Ferdinand III27:
-
15 Unnamed (1686)
→Family Tree Son of Johann Wilhelm of Pfalz-Neuberg and Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha.
17
Main Hall
In front of the Children's Columbarium:
Proceeding along the north wall, east-to-west:
-
21 Empress
Maria Leopoldina (6 April 1632 - 7 August 1649)
→Family Tree Second wife of Emperor Ferdinand III.
27 Married at age 16, died in childbirth of Archduke Karl Joseph
116 the next year.
-
22 Empress
Maria Anna (18 August 1606 - 13 May 1646)
→Family Tree Born Infanta of Spain, first wife of Emperor Ferdinand III.
27
-
23 Archduchess
Maria Amalia (5 April 1724 - 19 April 1730)
→Family Tree Six-year old youngest daughter of Emperor Karl VI.
40 Her viscera are buried in urn 45 in the
Ducal Crypt of the
Stephansdom.
Proceeding along the south wall, east-to-west:
-
26 Archduke
Leopold Joseph (1682 - 1684)
→Family Tree Son of Emperor Leopold I.
37 His sarcophagus is normal sized although he was only two years old when he died.
Karl's Vault
The first part of the Karlsgruft was built in 1710 by Emperor Joseph I.35 In 1720 it was extended by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt on the orders of Emperor Karl VI40 and shelters 8 containers:
Proceeding along the south wall, from left to right:
-
37 Emperor
Leopold I (9 June 1640 - 5 May 1705)
→Family Tree Second son of Emperor Ferdinand III
27 and father of Emperors Joseph I
35 and Karl VI.
40 He repelled an effort by the Muslims to conquer Europe at the
Second Siege of Vienna. He built the Leopold's Wing of the
Hofburg, used today as the offices of the president of Austria. He can be seen sculpted, kneeling prayer for the end of the plague epidemic, on the
plague column (Pestsäule) in Vienna. Died at age 65 after a reign of 48 years. His three wives and 16 of his children are buried here. His heart is buried in urn 11 the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche and his
viscera are in urn 41 in the
Ducal Crypt of the
Stephansdom.
-
40 Emperor
Karl VI (1 October 1685 - 20 October 1740)
→Family Tree Younger son of Emperor Leopold I.
37 Raised in Spain in preparation to inherit the Spanish throne upon the death of his childless cousin, the
War of the Spanish Succession ended when Karl unexpectedly inherited the
Empire upon his brother Joseph's
35 early death and no one wanted to allow the dominance that would come from empowering Karl with both realms. Moving to Vienna, he brought the
Spanish Riding School with him and built the magnificent hall it uses today. Because he had no surviving male heirs,
30 he negotiated the
Pragmatic Sanction to assure that his daughter Maria Theresia
56 would succeed him, going so far as to pre-bribe the nine
Electors but, of course, once he died they ignored their promises but kept the money, resulting in the
War of the Austrian Succession. He died after a reign of 29 years, at age 55 after catching a cold while hunting. His heart is buried in urn 13 the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche and his viscera are in urn 48 in the
Ducal Crypt of the
Stephansdom.
His tomb is one of the most remarkable, with a death's head at each corner wearing one of the distinctive crowns of his major realms (the Empire, Bohemia, Hungary, and Austria).
The empty plaza at the west third of this vault was used as the area for reception ceremonies when new bodies were brought in after the funeral ceremonies upstairs.
Returning along the north wall, from left to right:
-
34 (Urn containing the heart of ) Empress
Wilhelmina Amalia of Brunswick (21 April 1673 - 10 April 1742)
→Family Tree Wife (1699) of Emperor Joseph I.
35 The wing of the
Hofburg in which she had living space during her widowhood is named after her, but she founded the Salesian Cloister in Vienna 1712 to educate young women and spent much of her time there. She died of edema at age 69. Her body lies dressed in a nun's habit entombed in a simple stone sarcophagus below the high altar in the
Salesian Cloister in Vienna.
-
33 Archduke
Leopold Joseph (1700 - 1701)
→Family Tree Infant son of Emperor Joseph I.
35 Died of hydrocephalus. His viscera are buried in urn 38 in the
Ducal Crypt of the
Stephansdom.
Maria Theresa's Vault
The three vaults of the Imperial Crypt held 44 bodies plus urns containing the hearts of two other persons when Empress Maria Theresa56 started construction of the Maria Theresien Gruft in 1754. It is behind the church above, with its dome rising into the monastery courtyard and contains the tombs of 16 persons:
In the entrance archway:
-
42 Emperor
Joseph II (Schönbrunn 13 March 1741 - Vienna 20 February 1790
→Family Tree Son of Empress Maria Theresa.
56 A populist who became known as "the people's emperor," he initiated many reforms (including a prohibition on embalming and elaborate burials), many of which he repudiated in disillusionment shortly before his death. In keeping with his edict, his body is unembalmed and intact within a simple copper tomb. He died shortly before his 49th birthday after an official reign of 10 years. His equestrian statue in the
Josefsplatz of the
Hofburg palace is where Harry Lime's auto accident occurs in
The Third Man. His two wives and two children are buried in this Vault.
In the small chamber immediately north of Emperor Joseph II42:
-
41 Countess
Karoline von Fuchs-Mollard (January 1, 1681 - April 27, 1754)
→Family Tree Long-time family retainer and governess to Empress Maria Theresia,
56 her sisters
23 39 and her children. The inscription of gratitude on the lid of her sarcopagus is signed by Empress Maria Theresa,
56 who ordered her burial with the imperial family (although she had no direct blood or matrimonial connection to the Habsburgs) when she died at age 73.
In the center of the vault, from left to right:
-
56 Empress
Maria Theresa (13 May 1717 - 29 November 1780)
→Family Tree Eldest surviving descendant of Emperor Karl VI,
40→Family Tree her ascension was contested and officially the crown of the Empire went to her husband (1736) Emperor Franz I Stephen.
55 Dying at age 63, her forty years' reign is thought of by the Austrians as the British think of
Queen Victoria: the golden years of power, prestige and empire. A prominent statue of her enthroned and surrounded by her ministers is a landmark at the entrance to the Museumsplatz. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
55 Emperor
Franz I Stephen (Lunéville 8 December 1708 - Innsbruck 18 August 1765)
→Family Tree Duke of Lorraine and Grand Duke of Tuscany. Husband of Empress Maria Theresa,
56 he died at age 56 after nominally being Emperor for 25 years. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
This double tomb of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I Stephen, sculpted by Balthasar Ferdinand Moll is of particular artistic merit and is probably the most glorious in terms of design.
In the small chamber immediately south of Emperor Joseph II42:
-
43 Archduchess
Maria Karolina (September 17, 1748 - September 17, 1748)
→Family Tree Still-born daughter of Emperor Franz I Stephen
55 and Empress Maria Theresa.
Along the south wall, young children of Emperor Franz I Stephen55 and Empress Maria Theresa.56 From left to right:
-
44 Archduke
Karl Joseph Emanuel Johann Nepomuck Anton Prokop (February 1, 1745 - January 18, 1761)
→Family Tree Second son of Emperor Franz I Stephen
55 and Empress Maria Theresa. Died of small pox shortly before his 16th birthday. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
45 Archduchess Marie
Johanna Gabriele Josephe Antonie (February 4, 1750 - December 23, 1762
→Family Tree Eighth daughter of Emperor Franz I Stephen
55 and Empress Maria Theresa.
56 Died of small pox at age 12. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
46 Archduchess
Marie Josephe Gabriele Johanna Antonie Anna (March 19, 1751 - October 15, 1767)
→Family Tree Ninth daughter of Emperor Franz I
55 and Empress Maria Theresa.
56 Unhappy with the marriage arranged for her, she died of small pox the day before her wedding, at age 16.
At the southwest bend:
-
47 Unnamed princess (1744)
→Family Tree Daughter of Prince Charles of Lorraine and Archduchess Maria Anna
39 (sister of Empress Maria Theresa
56).
Along the west wall, mainly the family of Emperor Joseph II.42 From left to right:
-
48 Archduchess
Marie Elisabeth Amalie Antonie Josephe Gabriele Johanna Agathe (February 5, 1737 - June 7, 1740)
→Family Tree Three-years old, eldest daughter of Emperor Franz I Stephen
55 and Empress Maria Theresa.
56 Her intestines are buried separately in the
Ducal Crypt of the
Stephansdom.
-
49 Empress
Maria Josepha of Bavaria (March 30, 1739 - May 28, 1767)
→Family Tree Second wife (1765) of Emperor Joseph II.
42 She was the daughter of the only non-Habsburg Emperor since 1438,
Karl VII of Bavaria and his wife, a daughter of Emperor Joseph I.
35 Especially because of the unusually potent form of small pox of which she died at age 28, her body was not embalmed but immediately placed intact into her coffin. Her husband of 2 years had not developed a regard for her, and did not attend her funeral.
-
51 Archduchess
Christina (November 22, 1763 - November 22, 1763)
→Family Tree Still-born second daughter of Emperor Joseph II
42 and his first wife Archduchess Isabella.
50 Her tomb rests beneath that of her mother.
50
-
52 Archduchess
Maria Theresia (March 20, 1762 - January 23, 1770)
→Family Tree Eldest daughter of Emperor Joseph II
42 and his first wife Archduchess Isabella.
50 Died at almost 8 years of age.
-
53 Archduchess
Marie Caroline Ernestine Antonie Johanna Josephe (January 12, 1740 - January 25, 1741)
→Family Tree Third daughter of Emperor Franz I Stephen
55 and Empress Maria Theresa.
56 Died at age 1 year. Her intestines are buried separately in the
Ducal Crypt of the
Stephansdom.
Beside the entrance to Franz’s Vault on the north wall:
-
54 Duchess
Christina of Saxony-Teschen (May 16, 1767 - May 17, 1767)
→Family Tree Infant, only child of Duke Albert of Saxony-Teschen
111 and Archduchess Maria Christina.
112
Franz's Vault
In 1824 the four vaults of the Imperial Crypt held 78 bodies and urns containing the hearts of three other persons. In that year Emperor Franz II57 built the octagonal Franzensgruft, attaching it to the right wing of Maria Theresa’s Vault. It is in the Biedermeier style, as are the five tombs within it.
In the center:
In the corners, clockwise starting from the near left (south west) corner:
-
61 Empress
Caroline Augusta of Bavaria (Mannheim 8 February 1792 - Vienna 9 February 1873)
→Family Tree Fourth wife (1816) of Emperor Franz II.
57 Died the day after her 81st birthday, having survived her husband by 38 years and two reigns.
Until 1940, this vault also held the body of a grandson of Emperor Franz II,57 Franz Joseph Karl, Duke of Reichstadtx811 (1811 - 1832). →Family Tree Adolf Hitler ordered that the body be sent to France where it now rests in Les Invalides in Paris near the body of his father, Napoléon Bonaparte. His heart is still buried in the Herzgruft in the Augustinerkirche.
Through the doorway in the west wall to the left is the south part of the Tuscan Vault. In the east wall is the west entrance to the Crypt Chapel. The north wall opens into Ferdinand’s Vault.
Ferdinand's Vault
The Ferdinandsgruft was built in 1842, along with the Tuscan Vault, in conjunction with the reconstruction of the monastery above. Although the visitor sees an almost-empty room with only two sarcophagi, this vault actually contains one-fourth of the Imperial Crypt's entire population, walled-up into the corner piers.
Skip ahead to tombs: 64-72, 73-79, 80-87, 88-100
Main Hall
Within the southwest pier:
Nine tombs, mostly of youths:
-
64 Archduke
Alexander Leopold Johann Joseph, Palatine of Hungary (Poggio Imperiale 14 August 1772 - Laxenburg 12 July 1795)
→Family Tree Fourth son of Emperor Leopold II
113 and Empress Maria Ludovika.
114 Died at 22. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
65 Archduchess
Maria Amalia Josephe Johanna Katharina Theresia (Florence 15 October 1780 - Vienna 25 December 1798)
→Family Tree Daughter of Emperor Leopold II
113 and Empress Maria Ludovika.
114 Died at 18. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
66 Archduchess
Louise Elisabeth (Vienna 18 February 1790 - Vienna 24 June 1791)
→Family Tree Infant first daughter of Emperor Franz II
57 and Empress Maria Theresia.
60 Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
67 Archduchess
Maria Eleonore of Austria-Teschen (Groß-Seelowitz 19 November 1864 - Groß-Seelowitz 9 December 1864)
→Family Tree Infant second daughter of Archduke Karl Ferdinand.
121
-
68 Archduke
Franz Joseph of Austria-Teschen (Groß-Seelowitz 5 March 1855 - Groß-Seelowitz 13 March 1855)
→Family Tree Infant first son of Archduke Karl Ferdinand.
121 His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
71 Archduke
Johann Nepomuk Karl (Vienna 29 August 1805 - Vienna 19 February 1809)
→Family Tree Fourth son of Emperor Franz II
57 and Empress Maria Theresia.
60 Died at 4. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
72 Archduke
Robert Ferdinand Salvator (Salzburg 15 October 1885 - Salzburg 2 August 1895)
→Family Tree Ten-years old, last of the 11 children of Grand Duke Ferdinand IV of Tuscany
108 and Alicia Bourbon-Parma.
Within the southeast pier:
-
73 Archduchess
Maria Antonia (1858 - 1883)
→Family Tree Daughter of Grand Duke Ferdinand IV of Tuscany.
108 Died at 25.
-
74 Archduchess
Maria Anna (1835 - 1840)
→Family Tree Daughter of Archduke Franz Karl
135 and Sophie of Bavaria,
137 sister of Emperor Franz Joseph
142 Died at 5.
-
75 Archduchess
Maria Carolina (1821 - 1844)
→Family Tree Daughter of Archduke
Rainerx783 and Princess Elisabeth of Savoy. Died at 23.
-
76 Archduke
Ferdinand Salvator (1888 - 1891)
→Family Tree Son of Archduke Karl Salvator
90 and Maria Immakulata.
89 Died at 3.
-
77 Archduke
Rainer Salvator (1880 - 1889)
→Family Tree Son of Archduke Karl Salvator
90 and Maria Immakulata.
89 Died at 9.
-
78 Archduchess
Sophie Friederike (1855 - 1857)
→Family Tree Daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph
142 and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi)
143 Died at 2.
Within the northwest pier:
Eight tombs, containing 9 bodies:
-
81 Archduchess
Stephanie Maria Isabelle (Preßburg 1 May 1886 -
Ostend 29 August 1890)
→Family Tree Fifth daughter of Archduke Friedrich of Teschen (second son of Archduke Karl Ferdinand
121) and Princess Isabella von Croy-Dülmen. Died at 4.
-
83 Archduchess
Maria Caroline Luise Christine (10 September 1825 - 17 July 1915)
→Family Tree Daughter of Archduke Karl.
122 Wife (21 February 1852) of Archduke Ranier.
110 Died at age 89.
-
84b Unnamed (1802)
→Family Tree Infant son of Maria Luisa.
84a Both died during his birth and are buried in the same coffin.
-
87 Archduchess
Caroline Ludovika Leopoldine (Vienna 9 December 1795 - Schloß Hetzendorf 30 June 1799)
→Family Tree Fourth daughter of Emperor Franz II
57 and Maria Theresia.
60 Died at 3. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
Within the northeast pier:
Thirteen tombs, principally members of the Tuscan line:
-
88 Archduke
Albrecht Salvator Marie Joseph Ferdinand Karl Anton Johannes Xaver Aloys Rainer Klemens Roman (Alt-Bunzlau 22 November 1871 - Bolzano 27 February 1896)
→Family Tree Son of Archduke Karl Salvator
90 and Maria Immakulata.
89 Died at 24.
-
89 Archduchess
Maria Immakulata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (Naples 14 April 1844 - Vienna 18 February 1899)
→Family Tree Wife of Archduke Karl Salvator.
90 Died at age 54.
-
90 Archduke
Karl Salvator Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Filippo Jacopo Gennaro Lodovico Gonzaga Raniero (
Florence 30 April 1839 -
Vienna 18 January 1892)
→Family Tree Son of Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany.
109 Among his sons was Franz Salvator, who married
Marie Valerie, a daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph.
142 Died at 52.
-
91 (Urn containing the cremated remains of) Archduke
Leopold Maria Alphons Blanka Karl Anton Beatrix Michael Joseph Peter Ignatz (Agram 30 January 1897 - Mansfield, Connecticut 14 March 1958)
→Family Tree Second son of Archduke Leopold Salvator.
132 Naturalized in the USA as Leopold Lorraine in 1953. Died at 61. Married morganatically.
-
92 Archduchess
Maria Antonia Immakulata Josepha Ferdinanda Theresia Leopoldine Franziska Karoline Isabella Januaria Luise Christine Appolonie (Vienna 18 April 1874 - Arco 14 January 1891)
→Family Tree Daughter of Archduke Karl Salvator
90 and Maria Immakulata.
89
-
93 Archduke
Ernst Karl Felix Maria Rainer Gottfried Cyriak (Milan 8 August 1824 - Arco 4 April 1899)
→Family Tree Son of Archduke
Rainerx783 and Princess Elisabeth of Savoy. Married
morganatically and his children bore the surname
von Wallburg.
-
94 Archduchess
Adelgunde of Bavaria (1823 - 1914)
→Family Tree Wife of Archduke Franz V of Austria-Este, Duke of Modena.
101 Daughter of
Ludwig I of Bavaria and sister of Hildegard of Bavaria.
129
-
95 Archduchess Maria
Karoline Leopoldine Franziska Theresia Josepha Medarde (Vienna 8 June 1794 - Vienna 16 March 1795)
→Family Tree Daughter of Emperor Franz II
57 and Maria Theresia.
60 Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
96 Archduchess
Amalia Therese (Vienna 6 April 1807 - 7 April 1807)
→Family Tree One-day old daughter of Emperor Franz II
57 and Maria Theresia.
60
-
97 Archduchess
Henriette Maria Immakulata Adelgunde Josepha Ferdinande Theresia Leopoldine Franziska Karoline Isabella Januaria Luise Christine Eleonore (Vienna 20 February 1884 - Traunkirchen 13 August 1886)
→Family Tree Daughter of Archduke Karl Salvator
90 and Maria Immakulata.
89
-
98 Archduke
Ludwig Salvator Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Dominicus Raineri Ferdinando Carl Zenobius Antonin (Florence 4 August 1847 - Schloß Brandeis 12 October 1915)
→Family Tree Son of Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany.
109 Sociologist and traveler of the Mediterranean.
Memorial website (in German).
-
99 Infanta
Maria Theresia of Portugal (Kleinheubach 24 August 1855 - Vienna 12 February 1944)
→Family Tree At age 18 she became the third wife (1873) of the twice-widowed Archduke Karl Ludwig
138 who was 22 years older, and she survived him by 48 years. For the seven years after the death of Crown Prince Rudolf
144 her husband was the heir-apparent and she undertook many of the representional duties neglected by the ever-travelling Empress Elisabeth
("Sissi")143 until her married stepson Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este
x863 became the heir-apparent. During
World War I she worked as a nurse, and accompanied the last emperor, Karl I
x887 into exile on
Madeira but returned to spend her old age in Vienna.
-
100 Archduke
Joseph Ferdinand Salvator Maria Franz Leopold Anton Albert Johann Baptist Karl Ludwig Rupert Maria Auxilatrix (Salzburg 24 May 1872 - Vienna 25 August 1942)
→Family Tree Second son of Archduke Ferdinand IV of Tuscany.
108 Like his cousin Archduke Leopold Salvator
132 he had an interest in ballooning, and once flew his balloon from
Linz to
Dieppe in only 16 hours. His interest in things aeronautical had brought him into contact with the future head of the German air force,
Hermann Goering, who later used his influence to free the Archduke from the German concentration camp at
Dachau in 1938 after only 80 days there. Had issue from two morganatic marriages.
Tuscan Vault
The Toscanagruft was built in 1842, along with Ferdinand’s Vault. At that time there were 85 bodies plus the heart urns of three other persons in the five vaults of the crypt.
The Tuscan Vault once held many more than the present 14 tombs, but most were moved to the New Vault or enclosed within the piers of Ferdinand’s Vault during the major rearrangement of 1960. The 5-meter wide vault is very large, being 21 meters long, and extends along the entire western lengths of both Ferdinand's Vault and Franz’s Vault, ending only when it meets the outside wall of the west transept of Maria Theresia's Vault.
This vault takes its name from the many descendants of the younger sons of Emperor Leopold II,113 as Grand Duke of Tuscany, who are entombed here.
Note: the arrangement of tombs listed below was accurate before the 2003 renovation, but they have been rearranged since then.
In the archway from Ferdinand’s Vault, from left to right:
-
111 Duke
Albert of Saxony-Teschen (11 July 1738 - 10 February 1822)
→Family Tree Husband of Archduchess Maria Christina.
112 The
Albertina museum, in his former palace, is named for him because his collection of paintings formed the nucleus of the museum. After the early death of their only child,
54 the couple became the adoptive parents of Archduke Karl,
122 the victor of Aspern. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
112 Archduchess
Maria Christina Johanna Josephe Antonie ("Mimi") (3 May 1742 - 24 June 1798)
→Family Tree Favorite daughter of Empress Maria Theresia.
56 Her mother stalled arranged marriages until after the death of her father, Emperor Franz I Stephen,
55 so that Maria Christina could marry for love instead of reasons of state—the only child allowed to do so. She chose Duke Albert of Teschen.
111 The famous and moving monument he erected to her memory is in the
Augustinerkirche. She died of Typhus at age 56. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
113 Emperor
Leopold II (1747 - 1792)
→Family Tree Third son of Empress Maria Theresia.
56 →Family Tree Most of his career was spent in Florence, reforming the governance there as Grand Duke of Tuscany, and only his final two years were as Emperor. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
114 Empress
Maria Ludovika (24 November 1745 - 15 May 1792)
→Family Tree Originally contracted to marry Empress Maria Theresia's
56 second son, Archduke Karl Joseph,
44 his early death diverted her instead to the third son, who later became Emperor Leopold II.
113 In the course of 21 years, she bore her not-always-faithful husband 16 children, among them Emperor Franz II,
57 and Archduke Karl
122 the victor of Aspern. Grieving for her husband, she outlived him by only two months leaving many small children. Her heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
Behind them, from left to right:
To the right of the archway, along the north wall, from left to right:
-
108 Archduke
Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany Salvatore Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Francesco Lodovico Gonzaga Raffaele Ranerio Gennaro (1835 - 1908)
→Family Tree Son of Archduke Leopold II,
109 Grand Duke of Tuscany. Married (1856)
Anne of Saxony (Dresden 4 January 1836 - Naples 10 February 1859), then (1868)
Alicia of Bourbon-Parma (Parma 27 December 1849 - Schwertberg 16 January 1935). Lost his throne, 9 months after his father
109 had abdicated it to him, when Tuscany was annexed to Italy in 1860.
To the left of the archway, along the west wall, from left to right:
-
104 Archduke
Ludwig Joseph (13 December 1784 - 21 December 1864)
→Family Tree Eleventh son of Emperor Leopold II.
113 Promoter of industrialization in Austria after studying its success in England. Member of the Council of State that exercised power during the reign of the feeble-minded Emperor Ferdinand
62 of Austria. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
In front of them, along the east wall:
New Vault
The Neue Gruft was built between 1960 and 1962 under the monastery grounds as a 280 square meter enlargement to eliminate the overcrowded jumble of 140 bodies (plus cremation and heart urns of four other persons) in the other nine vaults, and to provide a climate-controlled environment to protect the metal sarcophagi from further deterioration. Its stark concrete walls evoke the solemnity of death. The New Vault is entered from Ferdinand’s Vault, and exits into the back of Franz Joseph’s Vault. It contains 26 sarcophagi:
Skip ahead to tombs: 115-119, 120-126, 127, 128-134, 135-141
West Wall
To the left of the entrance, proceeding along the west wall from south to north, the "Bishops Row":
-
116 Archduke
Karl Joseph (7 August 1649 - 27 January 1664)
→Family Tree Son of Emperor Ferdinand III
27 and Empress Maria Leopoldina,
21 who died during his birth. Bishop of Olomouc and Grand Master of the
Teutonic Knights at age 13 as heir to his uncle, Archduke Leopold Wilhelm.
115 The art collection he inherited from Archduke Leopold Wilhelm
115 became the foundation of the
Kunsthistorisches Museum. Died at age 15. His intestines are buried separately in the
Ducal Crypt of the
Stephansdom.
-
117 Karl Joseph of Lorraine (1680 - 1715)
→Family Tree Son of Archduchess Eleonora Maria
18 and
Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine. Archbishop of Trier. Uncle of Emperor Franz I Stephen,
55 the husband of Empress Maria Theresia.
56 He died unexpectedly of smallpox while visiting Vienna and, not being a Habsburg in the male line nor married to one, was originally buried in the
Minoritenkirche but was brought here the next year.
-
- Urn containing heart of Archbishop Karl Joseph of Lorraine,117 placed atop his sarcophagus.
-
119 Archduke
Rudolph (8 January 1788 - 24 July 1831)
→Family Tree Youngest son of Emperor Leopold II.
113 Cardinal and Archbishop of Olomouc. A piano pupil of
Ludwig van Beethoven, Beethoven dedicated 14 compositions to him, including the
Archduke Trio and his great
Missa Solemnis. He, in turn, dedicated one of his own compositions to Beethoven.
South Wall
Along the south wall:
North Wall
Proceeding along the north wall, from west to east, the first ledge contains the immediate family of Archduke Karl122 the victor of Aspern:
-
122 Archduke
Karl "the victor of Aspern" (1771 - 1847)
→Family Tree Duke of Teschen, third son of Emperor Leopold II.
113 He was adopted by the childless Albert of Saxony-Teschen
111 and Archduchess Maria Christina.
112 A statue of him on horseback, holding the regimental colors aloft to rally his troops against Napoleon, stands in the
Heldenplatz in Vienna. His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
- Urn with heart and entrails of Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg.123
On its own pedestal, directly across from the tomb of Empress Maria Louise127:
-
126 Emperor
Maximilian I of Mexico (1832 - 1867)
→Family Tree Second son of Archduke Franz Karl
135 and brother of Emperor Franz Joseph.
142 Created
Emperor of Mexico by France and the Mexican Conservative rival Government, he was overthrown and executed by forces of the warring Mexican Liberals, who would go on to found the Republic.
The next ledge along the north wall, from left to right, mostly contains the family of Archduke Albrecht128 a great military commander of the following generation:
-
128 Archduke
Albrecht (1817 - 1895)
→Family Tree Eldest son of Archduke Karl.
122 Because of a distinguished military career, an equestrian statue of him was erected on the ramp outside of his former home, the
Albertina in Vienna.
-
131 Archduke
Karl Albert of Austria-Teschen (1847 - 1848)
→Family Tree Infant son of Archduke Albrecht.
128
-
132 Archduke
Leopold Salvator Maria Joseph Ferdinand Franz von Assisi Karl Anton von Padua Johann Baptist Januarius Aloys Gonzaga Ranier Wenzel Gallus (Alt-Bunzlau, Bohemia 15 October 1863 - Vienna 4 September 1931)
→Family Tree Eldest son of Archduke Karl Salvator.
90 During a brilliant military career, he reorganized and modernized the Austrian artillery, becoming Inspector General in 1908. He flew hot air balloons and work on the development of
airships. He grew rich from his inventions such as all-wheel drive and half-track trucks for the army. Married (1889)
Blanca Infanta of Spain (Graz 7 Sep 1868-Viareggio 25 Oct 1949).
-
133 Archduke
Rainer Karl Leopold Blanka Anton Margarita Beatrix Maria Peter Joseph Raphael Michael Ignatius Stephan (Zagreb 21 November 1895 - Vienna 25 May 1930)
→Family Tree First son of Archduke Leopold Salvator.
132 Unmarried.
-
134 Archduchess
Margarete Karoline of Saxony (24 May 1840 - 15 September 1858)
→Family Tree First wife (1856) of her mother's nephew, Archduke Karl Ludwig.
138 The marriage had not yet produced any children when she fell ill of typhus while on holiday in
Monza and died at age 18. Her heart is buried in the Hofkapelle in
Innsbruck.
East Wall
Proceeding along the east wall, from north to south, the direct ancestors of the last emperors:
-
135 Archduke
Franz Karl (1802 - 1878)
→Family Tree Third son of Emperor Franz II.
57 When his elder brother Emperor Ferdinand
62 abdicated in 1848, he stood aside so that his son, Emperor Franz Joseph,
142 could succeed to the throne instead. Great grandfather of the last reigning emperor, Emperor Karl I.
x887 His heart is buried in the
Herzgruft in the
Augustinerkirche.
-
137 Archduchess
Sophie (1805 - 1872)
→Family Tree Wife (1824) of Archduke Franz Karl.
135 Friendly with Napoleon's son
x811 in her youth. She tried to arrange a marriage between her son Emperor Franz Joseph
142 and the eldest daughter of her sister, but he chose the youngest daughter
"Sissi"143 instead.
-
138 Archduke
Karl Ludwig (1833 - 1896)
→Family Tree Third son of Archduke Franz Karl.
135 Brother of Emperor Franz Joseph,
142 father of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este
x863 and Otto
140 and grandfather of Emperor Karl I.
x887 After the death of Crown Prince Rudolf
144 he was the heir-apparent.
-
140 Archduke
Otto "der Schöne" (the gorgeous) (1865 - 1906)
→Family Tree Second son of Archduke Karl Ludwig.
138 Father of Emperor Karl I.
x887 Usually remembered for the widely-circulated story that he had been spotted in a hallway at the
Hotel Sacher about to enter a lady's room, wearing only a sword.
-
141 Archduchess
Maria Josefa of Saxony (31 May 1867 - 28 May 1944)
→Family Tree Wife (1886) of Archduke Otto.
140 She strove to keep her children away from the influence of her notorious husband, and her ability to avoid excessive displays of grief when he died was much noted. She would probably wish her tomb was not exactly where it now is. She accompanied the last reigning emperor, Karl I
x887 into exile, and spent the remainder of her life with his family after his death.
Franz Joseph's Vault
By 1908 the seven vaults of the crypt already held 129 bodies, plus the heart urns of another 3 persons. In that year the Franz Josephs Gruft was built, along with the adjacent Chapel, as part of the celebrations of Emperor Franz Josef's142 60 years on the throne. The vault is usually entered from the north wall in the rear, through the southeast door of the New Vault.
From the foot of the tombs, left to right:
Turning around from the foot of the tombs, the doorway on the south wall of this vault leads into the Crypt Chapel.
Crypt Chapel
The Gruftkapelle was built, along with Franz Joseph’s Vault, in 1908. It is usually entered from the south doorway of Franz Joseph's Vault.
As one enters, to the right extending from the west wall:
-
149 Archduchess
Yolande (1923 - ), wife (1950) of Archduke Carl Ludwig
148, will occupy this space when she dies.
-
148 Archduke
Carl Ludwig (March 10, 1918 - December 11, 2007, son of Emperor Karl I
x887 of Austria.
Ahead, to the right of the altar along the south wall:
-
150 Archduke
Otto (1912 - 2011))
→Family Tree, eldest son of Emperor
Karl I of Austriax887 and claimant to the thrones (renounced in 1961) and later (1979) elected by German voters to a seat in the
European Parliament, where after many reelections he served longer than any other member.
to the left of the altar,
-
151 Archduchess
Regina (1925 - 2010), wife of Archduke Otto
150.
To the left, in front of the east wall:
- A statue of the Madonna, presented by Hungarian ladies in 1899 as a memorial to Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria.143
In the far-right (southeast) corner:
The doorway to the right enters the east side of Franz’s Vault; the west doorway, to the left, is an exit stairway.
Selected Other Habsburgs
Not all of the significant Habsburgs are entombed here. Those referred to in this article but resting elsewhere are:
-
- his descendant successors as Kings of Spain, in the crypt of El Escorial, near Madrid.
-
- his descendants, the Inner Austria line, in the Stiftsbasilika in Seckau.
After the Imperial Crypt opened in 1632:
-
- his descendants, the Austrian Line, are the major group entombed in this Imperial Crypt.
-
x783 Archduke
Rainer (30 September 1783 - 16 January 1853)
→Family Tree Son of Emperor Leopold II.
113 Buried in the Maria Himmelfahrtskirche in
Bolzano (Italy).
See also
References
- Kusin, Eberhard (1973). Die Kaisergruft. Baster-Verlag, Vienna.
- Louda, Jiří (1981). Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe. C. N. Potter, New York. ISBN 0-517-54558-6.
- Beutler, Gigi. The Imperial Vaults of the PP Capuchins in Vienna (Capuchin Crypt). Vienna. ISBN 3-9500584-1-9.
External links