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In this blog I write short articles on various historical topics. 

Do you think Vienna was always a Roman Catholic City? – Wrong!

Shortly after Martin Luther published his 95 Thesis 1517 in Wittenberg his writing and teaching was, thanks to the new letterpress technology and its much cheaper and easier distribution, speeding through Europa.

The first of these printings reach Vienna about 1520 and fell, due to an already widespread dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church, on a very fertile religious atmosphere. On January 12.1522 Paulus Speratus, a former priest from Freiburg im Breisgau and later Lutheran Bishop in Prussia, gave a Lutheran sermon in the Viennese main church, the Stephansdom, which started a long time of Lutheran domination in Vienna.

How was this possible in a town which was later the capital of the Counter-Reformation power?

Due to the widespread dissatisfaction with the theological teaching and practises like the selling of indulgences citizen and aristocrats alike welcomed the new teaching. But it was the political situation including the decreased political power of the Habsburgs due to the 3 splitting of the Habsburgian hereditary lands after the death of Emperor Ferdinand I and the Turkish threat including the first Turkish Siege of Vienna in 1529 that gave especially the aristocrats and through them the people the political freedom to follow the new Lutheran teachings.

But it was not an undisturbed success story for the Lutheran teaching in Vienna and the Habsburgian hereditary lands, it depended a lot on the political situation at any given time.

To understand this situation let’s look at this time in detail.  Shortly after the Lutheran teaching came to Vienna the younger brother of Emperor Karl V, Archduke Ferdinand, later Emperor Ferdinand I, left Spain and took the reign over the Austrian hereditary lands in 1521. He was not only a strict Roman Catholic but believed in the absolute rights of the souverain. But in Vienna the situation was quite different, as for a long time the land souverain was far away and the citizen tried to form a more independent administration. This changed dramatically when the new souverain Archduke Ferdinand really came in his lands. He didn’t even bother to enter Vienna but stopped in Wiener Neustadt and took the major and other citizen of Vienna who had tried to rebel against the old order to task which culminated 1522 in the Wiener Neustädter Blood Court and the execution of the major Martin Siebenbürger and several of his council men. For Vienna, this new strong sovereign power brought the loss of old rights and communal power. Not surprising Archduke Ferdinand also wanted to reestablish the Roman Catholic Church in its former position. In addition to the Wormser Edict from Emperor Karl V in the spring of 1521, which declared the “Reichsacht” (Reich ban) over Martin Luther which made him virtually right less, Archduke Ferdinand gave on March 12. 1523 an edict which prohibited all Protestant activity in his countries. As the Protestant believe had found roots in Vienna opposition to this edict arouse and so many Viennese Protestants found themselves in prison and Kaspar Tauber a prominent Viennese citizen was even executed on September 8.1524 for his refusal to return to the Roman Catholic Church.

With the death of his brother-in-law, King Ludwig II of Hungary on August 29.1526, and Ferdinand’s planed succession to the Hungarian Crown due to the Succession Agreement between the Hungarian Ruling Jagiellonian Family and the Habsburgian Family from 1515 Ferdinand not only inherited Ludwig II conflict with the since 1520 reigning Ottoman Sultan Süleyman I the Magnificent ,who forcefully enlarged his empire, but also had to fight against Jan Zápolya, who became the, from the national Hungarian political group and Sultan Süleyman I supported, Counter King. This conflict culminated in the First Turkish Siege of Vienna between September 21. and Oktober 15.1929. Despite the failed Siege of Vienna, Ferdinand I was only able to retain a relatively small part of the Hungarian kingdom for himself and he ultimately had to recognise Jan Zápolya as king of the rest of Hungary but the conflict with Zápolya´s successor and his associated Ottoman Empire continued. This situation brought several problems for the now King Ferdinand I. Hungary did not belong to the Holy Roman Empire, so he only got money and troops for his fight against the Ottoman Empire on Austrian territory but not the close Hungarian territory. With the Augsburger Peace of Religion 1555, which gave the princes of the realm the right to decide which confession, Catholic or Augsburger Confession they and their subjects followed many German princes of the realm became Protestants of the Augsburger Confession. As many of the estates of the realm, who had to approve on the money and troops, in the Holy Empire were now Protestants Augsburger Confession, Ferdinand I had to adapt his religious politic in his reign. Especially as his position in the Holy Empire became more prominent first as representant of his brother Emperor Karl V and after his brother’s resignation 1558 as new emperor. Ferdinands new politics of reconciliation between Catholics and Protestants showed in the Augsburger Peace of Religion from 1555 where he represented Emperor Karl V at the Reichstag.

A great problem for Ferdinand I was that his oldest son Maximilian showed a lot of sympathies for the Evangelical believe and he feared that his son would become a Protestant himself. Despite these fears Ferdinand I made sure that Maximilian would follow him as emperor of the Holy Empire but ordered in his last will, that his hereditary countries were parted between his 3 sons, Maximilian, only got the territories in present-day Lower and Upper Austria (Lawer Austria) as well as Bohemia and Hungary. The strictly Roman Catholic sons received the rest. Karl got   Styria, Carinthia and Carniola (Inner Austria) and Ferdinand ruled Tyrol with the Vorlanden (Upper Austria).

So, when Ferdinand I died on July 25. 1564 the Protestants in Vienna enjoyed a very sympathetic reign, but Maximilian II never left the Catholic Church despite his sympathies for the Protestant confession. In the Religious Denomination 1568 Emperor Maximilian II gave the noble families in his Austrian countries, who were mostly Protestants, the right to practise their Augsburger belief for them and their subjects, on their country estates, but this privilege was not given to the towns and smaller places, so the Protestant citizen of these places went to the noble places in the countryside to practise their faith. For the Protestants in Vienna the Viennese suburbs like Hernals, Inzersdorf, Rodaun and Vösendorf became the places to illegally take part of the noble’s religious practice. The most important protestant suburb was Hernals as the noble families Geyer and Jörger opened their estates and on Sundays the Protestant citizen went to Hernals to hear the Protestant sermons, and they also married and had their children baptised there.

After Maximilian II sudden death on October 12.1576 his eldest son Rudolf II became not only the next Emperor of the Holy Empire but also the new souverain in his father´s hereditary countries. Rudolf II was in mentally ill health which became increasingly worse and especially during the last 6 years of his reign he was no longer capable to rule. From the start of his rule, he made Prague his capital and Vienna lost its status as imperial residence. Rudolf II lived as a Roman Catholic but was especially in the first time of his rule personally tolerant to members of other confessions but soon he followed his brothers in their Counter-reformist politics. In 1577 he prohibited Protestant sermons and closed Protestant churches and schools in Vienna.

But it was still quite easy to live as Protestant in Vienna as Rudolf II and his brother Mathias needed the nobles in their power fight which in the end Mathias won due to the mental illness of Rudolf II. In 1608 Mathias became the new regent in the Austrian heredity countries which former belonged to Rudolf II and in 1611 he also became King of Bohemia and after the death of Rudolf II in 1612 he also became the new Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

In his younger years, Mathias II was a strict representative of the Counter-Reformation, but from his accession to the throne he sought to reconcile the confessions, so the religious situation in Vienna did not change.

As Mathias II had no legitim heir his cousin Archduke Ferdinand of Inner Austria became his designated successor and with Mathias declining health he gained power and due to family treaties, he became King of Bohemia in 1617 and King of Hungary in 1618 while Mathias II still lived. He was a strict representative of the Counter-Reformation, forcing even the Protestant nobility and Protestant scholars in his Inner Austrian hereditary lands to either become Catholic or leave the country. The loss of thousands of Protestants meant a severe economic decline in his lands.

It was therefore surprising that the largely Protestant bohemian estates elected him king. Before he was crowned, he had to swear, to accept the Letter of Majesty given by Emperor Rudolf II in 1609 which gave the bohemian estates religious freedom. But soon he showed that he was not willing to hold to this promise and he began his Counter Reformation politic. As a result of this politics Protestant bohemian nobles tossed high ranking officials on May 23. 1618 through a window of the Prague castle. This so called “Prager Festersturz” was the start point of the War of 30 Years, which also brought for a brief time a new Protestant Bohemian King.

This War of 30 Years brought for a long time the end of official Protestant religious practise in Austria and of course in Vienna. When the troops of Emperor Ferdinand II where successful at the Battle of the White Mountain on November 8.1620 Ferdinand II could not only reclaim the Bohemian Throne but also strength his power in all his hereditary lands. Like before in his Inner Austria´s lands he forced the people of his lands, including the nobles, to either came back to the Roman Catholic Church or leave his lands. For example, the last Protestant liege lord of Hernals, Helmhard von Jörger, who denied this and the homage to the emperor was publicly condemned as a rebel and his possessions forfeited. His possessions were confiscated for the emperor. His liege was given to the Cathedral Chapter of St. Stephan in Vienna.

On April 9. 1624 Emperor Ferdinand II gave a patent for Bohemia in which he only allowed the Roman Catholic faith and its religious praxis. A few days later he forbade the King´s towns to give citizen rights to non-Catholics and only Catholics were allowed to practise their trade there.

In Austria below the Enns, the historical name for Niederösterreich to which Vienna until 1921 belonged, followed 1627 with the Expulsion of preachers and schoolmasters.

After that the Protestant faith could only be practised in the chapels of foreign embassies and there only for their members or as so named Secret Protestants, who official where Catholics but secretly practised their Protestant faith. The punishment if found out was severe and often brought forced deportations in sparsely populated border areas of the monarchy or to Protestant foreign countries, leaving behind most of their property, and often children under the age of 14 were separated from their deported parents and brought up as Catholics in the country.

This was the situation until Emperor Joseph II issued on October 13.1781 the Patent of Toleration for the followers of the Augsburg and Helvetic Confessions as well as the non-United (Orthodox) Greeks, the so called “Acatholics”.

This Patent gave them the right to build a house of prayer and a school at their own expense for worship gatherings of fellow believers wherever at least 100 families lived within a radius of several hours. But there were still severe discriminations. The name church was reserved for Catholic places of worship and the Acatholic places of warship were not to be seen as such but had to look like normal town houses and of course were not allowed a tower. The Acatholic places of worship had also be at least 50 meters away from the main street and its entries had to face to the opposite side of the main street. Additional and more important for the daily lives of Acatholics was that they were still under the jurisdiction of the Catholic priests as those alone had the duty and right to register birth, marriage and deaths for the state including earning the fees for the rituals concerning these live occasions even when an Acatholic cleric performed the rituals.

Pastors had to be confirmed by the sovereign and Children from mixed marriages were to be brought up as Catholics. Acatholics needed a dispense, since 1848 from the provincial office, to acquire property, citizenship, master craftsman rights, academic dignities, and public offices.

As the number of Catholics who converted to the Protestant Confessions massively increased, especially in some regions of Austria above the Enns, Inner Salzkammergut and Schladming a new law was introduced in 1787 which made a 6 week Catholic teaching mandatory before somebody could convert from the Catholic Religion to a Achatholic confession.

It was not before 1849 that Acatholic pastors got the right to legally register birth, marriage and death and no extra fee for the Catholic priest was needed.

It was the Protestant Patent from April 8.1861 issued from Emperor Franz Josef I for the Augsburger and Helvetian Confession that the situation for Protestants improved greatly. Despite being embedded in the state Administration the officials in this religious administration had to be of Protestant believe. This patent gave the right to public Protestant worshiping. All restriction concerning their places of worship were abolished, even towers and bells were allowed. Protestant schools could be organised. Members of the Augsburger and Helvetian Confession now had the same civil and political rights as Members of the Catholic faith.

With the Protestant Act from 1961 ended the incorporation of the Protestant Augsburger and Helvetian Confession in the administrative organisation of Austria. These protestant confessions became their own legal personality as a public corporation and full autonomy from the state administration.

Today the religion has no influence concerning the citizen rights in Austria. As of 2023 the Protestant Churches of Augsburger and Helvetian Confession together have about 257,200 members in Austria.

Sources:

Evangelische Kirche Wien  : https://www.evang-wien.at/

Reformation: https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/Reformation

Wien – eine Metropole als Reformationsstadt:

https://www.evang-wien.at/wien-eine-metropole-als-reformationsstadt

Thema: Reformation: https://www.evang-wien.at/thema-reformation

Brennen für den Glauben: https://www.wienmuseum.at/brennen_fuer_den_glauben

Wien war im 16. Jahrhundert mehrheitlich protestantisch:

https://www.katholisch.at/aktuelles/2017/02/15/wien-war-im-16.-jahrhundert-mehrheitlich-protestantisch

Karl von Otto, Die Anfänge der Reformation im Erzherzogthum Oesterreich (1522—1564), in: Jahrbuch der Gesellschaft für die Geschichte des Protestantismus 1 (1880) 11-20: Transkription Speer 2017

https://repertorium.at/sl/otto_anfaenge_1880.html

Luthernest Hernals. Reformation & Gegenreformation

https://www.bezirksmuseum.at/de/ausstellung/luthernest-hernals-reformation-gegenreformation/

Paul SPERATUS: https://museum.evang.at/persoenlichkeiten/paul-speratus/

Caspar Tauber: https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/Caspar_Tauber

Jörger: https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/J%C3%B6rger

„Glaube oder Heimat“ 1648-1781: https://museum.evang.at/rundgang/1648-bis-1781/

Evangelisches Oberösterreich: https://www.ooegeschichte.at/archiv/themen/wir-oberoesterreicher/evangelisches-oberoesterreich

Geschichte der Evangelischen in OÖ: https://museum-ooe.evang.at/geschichte.html

Toleranzpatente Josephs II.: https://www.rechteasy.at/wiki/toleranzpatent/

Staatsgrundgesetz vom 21. Dezember 1867: https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=rgb&datum=1867&page=422&size=45

Bundesgesetz vom 6. Juli 1961 über äußere Rechtsverhältnisse der Evangelischen Kirche – Protestantengesetz Vom 6. Juli 1961: https://www.kirchenrecht.at/document/39209/search/protestantengesetz

Ausstellung: "Die Geschichte der Evangelischen in Wien":

https://www.evang-wien.at/ausstellung-die-geschichte-der-evangelischen-wien

Banner 1: Reformation und Gegenreformation: https://www.evang-wien.at/banner-1-reformation-und-gegenreformation

And more

The Memorial for the Viennese Jewish soldiers of World War I at the Wiener Zentralfriedhof

As a professional genealogist I regularly visit cemeteries in connection with family research where I often find interesting monuments and tombstones.

At the Wiener Zentralfriedhof there is a monument unknown to even most Viennese. It is located in the biggest cemetery in Vienna, the Wiener Zentralfriedhof (Simmeringer Hauptstraße 232-244, 1110 Vienna). This communal cemetery opened on 1. November 1874 and is in itself worth a visit. The biggest part of the cemetery is interconfessional, but some parts are dedicated to special confessions. In the beginning these parts were bought from the Community of Vienna, the owner of  this cemetery. The Jewish Community of Vienna (Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien IKG) was the first to buy ground to provide plots for their members. Until 1938 IKG officially exercised administrative authority over their registered members. They bought the space directly behind Gate 1 of Zentralfriedhof on July 20. 1877. In March 1879 the first burials were conducted.

It is in this part of the cemetery the memorial for the fallen soldiers of World War I is located, close to Gate 11. It was constructed in 1928 in grey stone according to the plans from the architect Leopold Ponzen. 

Memorial seen from the outside.

Its form is quite unusual. Through a gate you enter a very small, roofed space, leading to another gate comparable to a double gate. 

View from inside of the memorial to the graves outside.

Following the gate is an octagonal building in the shape of a fortified tower without roof. The walls are crowned with battlements resembling tablets of law.

Inside there are a total of 7 white marble panels, one on each side except the door side. They contain the names of the fallen Viennese Jewish soldiers in alphabetical order, separated into officers and enlisted men.

List of names of the officers 

List of names of the names of the enlisted men

A concrete path leads to the centre of the monument, the panels stand in a ring of gravel around the centre of the octagon.

Above the panel on the opposite side of the gate is a tablet with an inscription in Hebrew  ‘No longer will people raise sword against people, and they will learn war no more.’

Inside the double gates is an inscription “„Die israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien ihren im Weltkrieg 1914–18 gefallenen Söhnen “(‘The Jewish Community of Vienna to its sons who died in the 1914-18 World War’)

The memorial was opened on 13. Oktober 1929 by Alois Pick, the Präsident of the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien.

In 1999 the Vienna Military Command and the Austrian Black Cross, an organisation which looks after the gravesites of war dead, added a panel in remembrance of the Jewish soldier who served in the Austro-Hungarian army and the army of the first Austrian Republic and  who became victims of the Shoa.

Remembrance panel between the double gates

Between 1933 and 1937, an annual hero's memorial service was held at the Jewish war memorial, which was also attended by a guard of honour of the Austrian Armed Forces.

Outside the memorial are war graves of Jewish solders.

Interestingly the memorial was not damaged during the Nazi regime whilst graves and other Jewish buildings like the halls of ceremonies where damaged or destroyed.

Today exist two Jewish cemeteries within Zentralfriedhof. The Old Jewish Cemetery, with the war memorial had run out of space, so  in 1916  additional space was bought near Gate 4  and opened as New Jewish Cemetery in 1917.

Sources:

Wien Geschichte Wiki: Zentralfriedhof

Wien Geschichte Wiki: Jüdisches Kriegerdenkmal

Rote Spuren: Denkmal zu Ehren der jüdischen Soldaten aus dem ersten Weltkrieg

NETWORLD Database: DENKMAL FÜR JÜDISCHE SOLDATEN DES ERSTEN WELTKRIEGES UND KRIEGERDENKMAL AM ZENTRALFRIEDHOF WIEN, ÖSTERREICH

Former edition of Wiener Zentralfriedhof Website

Photos: Autor Katja-Maria Chladek