The history of the catacombs
On 25 April 1732, the "freithof" (cemetery) was closed by Emperor Charles VI.
Subsequently, the so-called "new crypts" were built under the church and on part of the cemetery grounds.
It was only in the 19th century that these were given the romantic name "catacombs".
Until Emperor Joseph II banned crypt burials under the cathedral church, around 11,000 people were buried here.
The virtual tour at a glance
The crypt, or lower church, leads directly into the crypt. In it are magnificently decorated metal vessels containing the entrails of numerous Habsburgs.
Next to it are copper coffins that served as final resting places for the remains of the suffragan bishops.
The following crypt houses the deceased canons and bishops buried behind marble slabs.
After that, you enter the actual catacombs of St. Stephen's Cathedral.
