St. Martinskirche

St. Martinskirche, nestled in the northern part of Klosterneuburg, Austria, is a beacon of historical and architectural splendor. Officially known as Martinskirche in the local language, this Roman Catholic parish church is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. It is the second oldest church named after Saint Martin in Austria and is part of the Klosterneuburg deanery of the Archdiocese of Vienna, under the care of the Klosterneuburg Monastery.

The Historical Journey of St. Martinskirche

The origins of St. Martinskirche date back to the late 8th century, during the time of the Avar Wars. Initially, a wooden church was constructed on a terrace overlooking the Danube River, surrounded by a fortified churchyard wall. This location was strategically chosen due to its commanding view over the river and the surrounding area, which was home to a Frankish settlement.

In the early Romanesque period (11th century), a rectangular stone structure with a choir square was built, which was later expanded in the 12th century. By the end of the 13th century, the high Romanesque church was replaced with a new early Gothic structure, which forms the basis of the current church. In 1291, Knight Ulrich von Kritzendorf endowed two chapels, St. Bartholomew and Mary Magdalene, which were added to the southern side of the nave. The church tower was elevated in 1363, and by around 1420, the foundation stone for the current choir was laid, featuring three bays and a five-eighths closure.

Throughout the 15th century, the nave was raised and reinforced with wall buttresses, and the southern chapels were connected and extended eastward, creating an aisle-like annex. The church faced destruction during the Second Turkish Siege of Vienna in 1683 but was restored and baroqueized by 1725.

Architectural Marvels

The exterior of St. Martinskirche showcases a plastered three-bay Gothic nave with Baroque segmental arch windows under a gabled roof. The various construction phases are evident on the north wall of the nave, where three early Gothic circular windows with eight-pass tracery were uncovered in 1973. The west portal from the 13th century features a two-zone pointed and profiled portal with a Baroque rectangular door frame and a wrought-iron grille from the late 18th century. Above, a round trefoil window and small early Gothic circular windows with pointed quatrefoils can be seen.

The south side of the nave features low, side-aisle-like chapels with multi-lane tracery windows under a lean-to roof, built in the early 15th century. The elevated three-bay choir with a five-eighths closure displays exposed ashlar masonry with high stepped buttresses topped with gable knobs and three- and four-lane tracery windows with small light slits under the eaves cornice. The south side of the choir includes a low annex with a weekday chapel, previously a sacristy from 1782 to 1982, and an oratory with a vestibule and staircase tower.

The church tower, located in the northern choir corner, has a square base from the late 13th century, with upper polygonal tower zones added around 1363 and in the early 15th century. The tower features single and double-lane lancet tracery windows and sound windows. Following a fire in 1844, the sound zone was rebuilt, and a sheet metal spire was added. A staircase tower from the early 15th century with chamfered slit windows and a round-arched descent to the lower church stands beside the tower.

Outside the church, a half-figure of the Man of Sorrows from the 14th century is set in a southern niche. The north side of the choir features a stone relief of the Mount of Olives with a donor couple from 1498. A late Gothic mortuary lantern with a tabernacle-like top from the late 15th century stands near the entrance to the ossuary. A statue of the Madonna on the globe from the second quarter of the 18th century, transferred from the former St. Jakob Monastery, is located south of the church.

The Interior Splendor

The interior of St. Martinskirche reveals a nave with three unequal bays under cross vaults between belt arches over layered pilasters. The nave is flanked by high round-arched openings to shallow niches. The three-axis west gallery with cross vaults stands on basket arch arcades, featuring a central bulging balustrade with latticework, richly decorated with elements and putti from the second quarter of the 18th century. The southern and shorter nave annex consists of three connected chapels with crypts from the 15th century, with Gothic ribbed vaults on profiled consoles and a weekday chapel at the eastern end from the early 15th century, connected to the nave by portals with studded door leaves.

The recessed round-arched triumphal arch displays renovation inscriptions from 1723 and 1785. The three-bay choir with a five-eighths closure has a cross vault and lancet vaults on round services running from simple consoles. The oratory windows feature rich frames crowned with eagles from 1786. The chapel in the square tower's ground floor has a deeply drawn late Gothic star vault.

Remarkable Furnishings

The church's interior is a bright, high hall with a rich, heterogeneous Baroque decor from the second half of the 17th and first half of the 18th centuries. The monumental three-story Baroque high altar, filling the entire late Gothic choir polygon, was transferred and adapted from the Vienna Franciscan Church around 1720. The altarpiece, Apotheosis of St. Martin, with a view of St. Martin, was painted by Sebastian Linck. Flanking twisted and Corinthian columns stand the statues of Saints John the Baptist, George, Florian, and Leopold. The upper section features the image of the Holy Trinity and statues of Saints Clare and Margaret of Cortona. The baldachin tabernacle features a carved crucifixion group.

The left and right side altars are each set in a chapel niche in the nave's longitudinal wall. The tower chapel, formerly the Maria Lourdes Chapel, houses an aedicula altar from the mid-18th century, transferred here from the south side Bartholomew Chapel (now used as a sacristy) in 1982.

The richly designed Baroque pulpit from the second quarter of the 18th century features a relief of the 12-year-old Jesus in the temple, a good and a bad sower, and side seating figures of Saints Peter and John Chrysostom. The canopy displays Ecclesia with angels and Eucharistic symbols in a heavenly glory.

There are 16 notable life-sized gilded wooden statues from around 1720/1730, likely by sculptor Franz Caspar, transferred here from the former Camaldolese Monastery on the Kahlenberg. In front of the high altar is a late Gothic baptismal font from the first half of the 15th century, made of Adnet marble. The richly inlaid and carved double-row choir stalls from the first half of the 18th century were transferred here from the Vienna Schwarzspanier Church, featuring top pieces with coats of arms of Klosterneuburg and double eagles.

The Organ and Bells

The organ case on the three-axis gallery dates from around 1730. The Rückpositiv in the magnificent gallery balustrade is of a later date. In 1984, Vienna organ builder Herbert Gollini installed a new three-manual organ with pedals and 32 registers in the existing case.

The bell ensemble consists of five bells, four of which serve as the main peal. The smallest bell is the death bell, rung only when a parish member has passed away. The Hero and Martin Bell were created through the initiative of chairman Johann Leidlmayr and Ludwig Fre, and treasurer Franz Ziegler.

Archaeological Heritage

During renovation and reconstruction work between 1977 and 1982, archaeological investigations were conducted in and around the church. These revealed a 5,000-year settlement history of the church hill and a first wooden church from the early Middle Ages (Carolingian period). A display room was set up below the main nave to document the settlement history of the church hill with archaeological finds, models, and an early medieval graves and bone depot, opened on June 23, 1984.

In conclusion, St. Martinskirche is not just a place of worship but a testament to the rich historical and architectural tapestry of Klosterneuburg. Its walls, both inside and out, tell stories of centuries past, making it a must-visit landmark for anyone exploring this charming Austrian town.