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:

  1. Emperor Matthias2
  2. Emperor Ferdinand III27
  3. Emperor Leopold I37
  4. Emperor Joseph I35
  5. Emperor Charles VI40
  6. Emperor Francis I Stephen55
  7. Emperor Joseph II42
  8. Emperor Leopold II113
  9. Emperor Francis II57
  10. Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria62
  11. Archduke Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico126
  12. Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria142

Empresses buried here:

  1. Anna,1 consort of Emperor Mathias2
  2. Maria Anna,22 consort of Emperor Ferdinand III27
  3. Eleonora Magdalena,19 consort of Emperor Ferdinand III27
  4. Maria Leopoldina,21 consort of Emperor Ferdinand III27
  5. Margaret Theresa,20 consort of Emperor Leopold I37
  6. Eleonora Magdalena,32 consort of Emperor Leopold I37
  7. Elisabeth Christina,36 consort of Emperor Karl VI40
  8. Maria Theresa,56 consort of Emperor Francis I55
  9. Maria Josepha,49 consort of Emperor Joseph II42
  10. Isabella Maria,50 consort of Emperor Joseph II42
  11. Elisabeth Wilhelmine,59 consort of Emperor Francis II57
  12. Maria Teresa Carolina60 consort of Emperor Franci II57
  13. Maria Ludowika,58 consort of Emperor Francis II57
  14. Karolina Augusta,61 consort of Emperor Francis II57
  15. Archduchess Maria Louise, Empress of France127
  16. Maria Anna,63 consort of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria62
  17. Elisabeth,143 consort of Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria142
  18. 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.

Contents

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:

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:

Seven children of Emperor Leopold I37:

Grandson of Emperor Ferdinand III27:

Main Hall

In front of the Children's Columbarium:

Proceeding along the north wall, east-to-west:

Proceeding along the south wall, east-to-west:

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:

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:

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:

In the small chamber immediately north of Emperor Joseph II42:

In the center of the vault, from left to right:

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:

Along the south wall, young children of Emperor Franz I Stephen55 and Empress Maria Theresa.56 From left to right:

At the southwest bend:

Along the west wall, mainly the family of Emperor Joseph II.42 From left to right:

Beside the entrance to Franz’s Vault on the north wall:

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:

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:

Within the southeast pier:

Within the northwest pier:

Eight tombs, containing 9 bodies:

Within the northeast pier:

Thirteen tombs, principally members of the Tuscan line:

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:

Behind them, from left to right:

To the right of the archway, along the north wall, from left to right:

To the left of the archway, along the west wall, from left to right:

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":

  • Urn containing heart of Archbishop Karl Joseph of Lorraine,117 placed atop his sarcophagus.

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:

  • Urn with heart and entrails of Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg.123

On its own pedestal, directly across from the tomb of Empress Maria Louise127:

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:

East Wall

Proceeding along the east wall, from north to south, the direct ancestors of the last emperors:

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:

Ahead, to the right of the altar along the south wall:

to the left of the altar,

To the left, in front of the east wall:

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.

See also

References

External links