Kirche am Steinhof

Click on any of the photos to get a larger view. If you click twice, you'll get a zoom.

Below are unfortunately unstunning pictures of the spectacular Kirche am Steinhof in Vienna. It was built in the Art Nouveau/Art Deco style by Otto Wagner between 1903- 1907. As we arrived, the sun started to set, making it difficult to photograph, because the golden dome was reflecting the sunset, causing an awful glare.

I'd never seen a church in this style - the ones I am most familiar with are Gothic or neo-gothic, or Baroque.



Because the interior of the church is being renovated, we couldn't go inside. This is a shame, because there are fantastic looking mosaics inside. I peered through a window to see what I could, but the glare from the glass rendered photography impossible with my tiny Cannon digital. Rumor has it, there is work by Klimt inside.


The bust you see below is a bronze of Leopold Steiner, a major figure in lower-Austria politics after the first world war. He is credited here as the "creator" of the church.

This church is located on the complex that holds the Lower Austrian State Healing and Care Institution for the Neurologically and Mentally Sick. Between 1940/45, this institute was used for the "euthanization" of the handicapped and mentally ill. . It is estimated that 3200 Germans were experimented on and murdered at the institute. 200 of these were children.

Romeo took a lot of pictures of this church, but I haven't gotten a copy of his CD yet. I'll post any good pictures he took too. Click on any of the photos for a larger view.

To lighten up the mood, here's a picture of a building I like to call "The Phallus of Vienna" I think it is the exhaust tower of a factory of sorts. The body of water in question is the Danube.