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Deutschordenskirche
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The Deutschordenskirche is a church, belonging to the
charitable organisation Teutonic Order, in Vienna, Austria. Located near the
Stephansdom, it is the current seat of the Grand Master of the Order.
This Gothic church was built in the
14th century (1326-1375) and consecrated to St. Elisabeth of Thuringia. Some
of the stucco work was performed by the Italian artists Simone Allio in 1697
and Girolamo Alfieri in 1700. The church was remodelled in Baroque style in
1720 (probably) by the architect Anton Erhard Martinelli, while Count Guido
von Starhemberg was the commander of the Order. Alfieri worked again in this
church in the period 1720-1725, as well as the sculptor Giovanni Antonio
Canevale. However, the church has retained some of its Gothic origins, such
as pointed arches in the windows. |
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The walls are decorated with rows of
numerous armorial bearings of the Order of Teutonic Knights and several
commemorative stones, such as the tombstone of Siegfried Grafen Sarau with
relief work by Giovanni Stanetti and of bailiff Jobst von Wetzhausen (1524)
by Loy Hering. Of particular interest is the Flemish winged triptych, an
altarpiece from 1520. It depicts in vivid woodcarvings scenes from the
Passion of Christ.
The church is incorporated in the Deutschordenshaus, the seat of the Order.
Next to the cobbled inner courtyard is the Schatzkammer (the Treasure Room),
a real ecclesiastical treasure trove that has been turned into a museum,
consisting of five rooms on the second floor. The different collections have
been built by successive Grand Masters during eight centuries. They
constitute one of the oldest treasure collections in Vienna, covering the
Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. The real start of the Schatzkammer
can be dated to 1525 when the Grand Master Albert of Prussia converted to
Lutheranism and declared the collections his private property. The museum
was reopened on 22 April 2006 after an extensive renovation. |
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The first room displays Gothic coins,
medals, seals, crosses, and a 13th century coronation ring. The second room
shows chalices with silvery filigree, but also some more extravagant
features. There is a salt-cellar tree, made from red coral, hung with
sharks' teeth. In medieval times these were thought to be fossilized adders'
tongues, able to detect poisoned food. Also remarkable are a number of
vessels made of coconut shells, such one from Goa with silver mountings and
another one in chinoiserie style. Also notable is a silver chain (ca. 1500)
for the sword carried by the members of the Order. It carries a hanger
depicting the Madonna and Child and the insignia of the Order. A precious
table clock is adorned with garnets and turquoise and surrounded with a
garland of gilded leaves. The other rooms contain a collection of oriental
arms such as a Sumatran kris with a wavy blade and a rhino horn handle,
carved in the shape of Buddha with precious stones. Another valuable of the
collection is the charter by Pope Gregory IX from 1235, declaring Elisabeth
of Thuringia a saint. Finally, there are several Gothic paintings and a
Carinthian woodcarving of Saint George and the Dragon.
Text Source: Wikipedia
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