New Cathedral, Linz
The construction of the Roman Catholic St. Mary's Cathedral in Linz, also known as St. Mary's Cathedral and New Cathedral, was initiated in 1855 by the Bishop of Linz Franz Joseph Rudi greed of thanks for the bull Ineffabilis Deus of 8 December 1854.
1862, the foundation stone was laid, the Cathedral by Bishop Johannes Maria Gföllner was finally consecrated as St. Mary's Church on 1 May 1924. Was completed the construction in 1935, the cathedral square was during the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Diocese of Linz also redesigned.
The building
St. Mary's Cathedral is the ( by capacity) largest, but not the highest church in Austria. The originally planned amount was therefore not granted according to a widespread but unoccupied legend, as in Austria - Hungary no building could be higher than the south tower of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. With 134.8 m of the tower of St. Mary's Cathedral in Linz is around two meters lower than that of the St. Stephen's Cathedral. The exterior is 130 meters long, the main ridge height is outside 44 meters, the width of the nave 27.5 m, 13.5 m and that of the nave and the transept 60 meters. The floor area is 5,170 m², the covered roof area 7,120 m². Installed are sandstone from Altlengbach in Lower Austria, Upper Austria for granite columns and cornices and conglomerate of Kremsmuenster for the crypt. Overall, the Dom has ( with the crypt ) 142 windows, 54 columns and 17 altars.
Particularly noteworthy are the paintings window. The most famous is probably the so-called Linzer window showing scenes from the history of Linz. In addition, in the windows of the images of various sponsors of the church building are shown. Also noteworthy is the crib in the crypt with figures of Rieder S. Easter and the exhibition of the episcopal vestments of Bishop Rudi greed. The key to the new cathedral was created by the steel cutters Michael Blümelhuber.
History and Architecture
Due to the strong population growth of the industrial city in the 19th century a new church was needed, the outer occasion offered the 1854 papal bull published Ineffabilis Deus. The plans of the Cologne cathedral architect Vincenz Statz by April 1859. Statz planned and built the cathedral in the style of the French High Gothic. Others included the Cathedral architect Otto Schirmer, his son Franz Statz and Dombauleiter Matthew hit. First came the 1862-1869 and 1870-1885 votive chapel of the presbytery to the transept, then from 1886-1901 the tower and after its completion in 1902 the nave and transept.
Pictures of the construction site
About 1884
Dom with unfinished Tower ( 1898 )
City panorama with cathedral building ( around 1898 )
Equipment
The bells
The St. Mary's Cathedral has nine bells. The oldest two bells, the bell Anna and Joachim bell still hanging in its original location, in the middle of two strut towers on the surrounding gallery of votive chapel. They were rung on September 29, 1869 for the first time. The remaining seven bells form the " actual" bells. They hang in the tower. Overall, the ringing has a weight of 17,700 kg. When all the bells are ringing, the motif of the " Salve Regina " is heard.
Organs
The Cathedral has two organs: the cathedral organ in the west gallery, and a choir organ in the chancel.
Cathedral organ
The cathedral organ is the work of the Danish organ builders Marcussen & Son from the year 1968. The instrument has 70 stops ( 5890 pipes ), grinding shop, mechanical play and Registertrakturen, electric pedal in Registertrakturen with three free combinations. Barker coupling facilitate the game with coupled manuals. In memory of the foundation stone and the builder of the cathedral, the organ is also called Rudi greed organ.
- Couplers: I / II, III / II, IV / II, I / P II / P III / P IV / P
- Barker coupling for the manuals (can be disabled )
Choir organ
The choir organ in the chancel was built by the organ workshop Pflüger ( Feldkirch ). The instrument has 27 stops and mechanical play and Registertrakturen.
- Couplers: II / I, I / P, II / P
Political
In October 2006, the Catholic Church added the roll of honor for Engelbert Dollfuss at the new cathedral with an additional panel, which caused great excitement within the ÖVP. In the extra panel, the church distanced by decision of the Austrian Bishops' Conference of the policy of Dollfuss and expresses the future of the Church abstention from party politics. Dollfuss had used as Chancellor, the so-called " self- dissolution of parliament " to prevent the impending victory of the Nazis by a corporative state dictatorship, which led to a civil war in 1934.
Project " Tower Hermit "
During the Second World War, a watchman's room was installed in the tower of St. Mary's Cathedral in height of 68 meters and probably used as an observation post. Within the framework of Linz 2009 - European Capital of Culture presented the Diocese of Linz this Türmerstube first time for people available who - whatever their faith - wanted to retire for one week as a hermit in the silence. However, you stand a pastoral accompaniment available.
Because of the wide acceptance of this measure this offer will be continued since 2010.