Description of the attraction
The Scottish Monastery is a Catholic male monastery located in Vienna on Freyung Square. The monastery was founded in 1155 when Henry II removed the monks from the "Scottish" monastery in Regensburg. In fact, Scottish monasteries are actually Irish. It was the Irish monks who were engaged in missionary work in Europe, and Ireland in the medieval language was called "Greater Scotland".
In 1160, the "Scots" built a Romanesque church in Vienna, where Henry III was later buried. In addition to the church, the monks created a shelter for pilgrims and crusaders who traveled through Vienna to Jerusalem. This church burned down in a fire in 1276. In 1418, Duke Albert seized the monastery and settled the Benedictines in the church. Hence the present name of the monastery.
In 1638, a fire broke out in the church again due to a lightning strike. After the fire, it was decided to restore the church; architects Andrea d'Allio and S. Carlone took part in the project. During this process, the length of the church was reduced somewhat, with the result that the tower no longer stands directly next to the basilica. Joachim von Sandrath was responsible for the new altar. The previous altar in the Gothic style depicting Vienna has survived. After the Turkish siege, the church was rebuilt again. From the beginning of 1700, the organist in the church was Johannes Fuchs.
In 1773, according to the project of the architect Andreas Zach, the house for the priory and the school was built. The building was nicknamed the "chest of drawers" because of its appearance. The Römischer Kaiser Hotel, where Franz Schubert's first public appearance took place, was in the immediate vicinity.
In 1880 the church was restored and partially reconstructed. During this period, the ceiling was painted by Julius Schmid, and a new altar was created according to the sketches of Heinrich von Ferstel. Since 2005, an exhibition has been opened in the building of the monastery.
