Herzgruft

48°12′20.6″N 16°22′2″E

Augustinian Church in Vienna, which houses the Herzgruft

The Herzgruft (German for 'Heart Crypt') is a burial chamber that protects 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the House of Habsburg. The crypt is located behind the Loreto Chapel in the Augustinian Church within the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna, Austria.[1]

The first heart, belonging to King Ferdinand IV, was placed in the Augustinian Church on 10 July 1654, according to his wishes. The last heart, belonging to Archduke Franz Karl of Austria, was placed in the crypt on 8 March 1878. The bodies of all but three of the hearts are in the Imperial Crypt a few blocks away.[1]

History

King Ferdinand IV instructed that his heart would be interred at the foot of the Holy Mother in the Augustinian Church in Vienna. Following the death of the king on 9 July 1654, the corpse was embalmed and the heart was placed in a goblet and displayed on the death bed. The next day, around 9:00 pm, the heart was transferred to the Loreto Chapel and buried at the foot of the Madonna in a simple celebration. With this simple act of piety, a custom was started to bury the hearts of all members of the House of Habsburg in the crypt alongside the heart of King Ferdinand IV. By 1878, 54 hearts had been brought to this simple crypt.[1]

Crypt

Upper row

In the upper row, arranged in sequence of death date (from left to right):

Lower row

In the lower row, arranged in sequence of death date (from left to right):

See also

References
  1. "Die Herzgruft in der Loretokapelle". Augustinerkirche. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
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