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{{More citations needed|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox religious building
| building_name =Kirche am Steinhof
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| alt =
| caption =Kirche am Steinhof, Vienna, Austria
| map_type =Austria Vienna#Austria
| map_size =
| map_caption =
| location =[[Vienna]], Austria
| geo = {{coord|48.2105|16.2788|display=inline,title}}
| latitude =48.2105
| longitude =16.2788
| coord_region =
| religious_affiliation =[[Catholic Church]]
| rite =
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| heritage_designation =
| leadership =
| website ={{urlURL|1=http://www.wienkav.at/kav/ows/texte_anzeigen.asp?id=2268|2=www.wienkav.at}}
| architecture =yes
| architect =[[Otto Wagner]]
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| designated =
}}
'''Kirche am Steinhof''', also called the '''Church of St. Leopold''', is the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] [[Oratory (worship)|oratory]] of the [[Otto-Wagner-Spital]] in the area of [[Steinhof (Vienna)|Steinhof]] in [[Vienna]], [[Austria]]. The building, designed by [[Otto Wagner]], is considered one of the most important [[Art Nouveau]] [[church (building)|church]]es in the world.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Alexander |last2=Voren |first2=Robert Van |last3=Liebrenz |first3=Michael |date=October 2023 |title=Progress and atrocity: the dual psychiatric legacy of Vienna's Steinhof Hospital |journal=BJPsych Bulletin |language=en |volume=47 |issue=5 |pages=299–300 |doi=10.1192/bjb.2023.64 |issn=2056-4694 |pmc=10764839 |pmid=37758469}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-11 |title="The Most Beautiful Art Nouveau Church in the World" {{!}} Sharing Guy's Journey |url=https://guysblog.smr-knowledge.com/the-most-beautiful-art-nouveau-church-in-the-world/ |access-date=2024-04-07 |language=en-US}}</ref>
 
'''Kirche am Steinhof''', also called the '''Church of St. Leopold''', is the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] [[Oratory (worship)|oratory]] of the [[Steinhof (Vienna)|Steinhof]] Psychiatric Hospital in [[Vienna]], [[Austria]]. The building designed by [[Otto Wagner]] is considered one of the most important [[Art Nouveau]] [[church (building)|church]]es in the world.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}
 
==Description==
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==Architecture==
The church dedicated to [[Leopold III, Margrave of Austria|Saint Leopold]] was built between 1903 and 1907 by the 63-year-old architect [[Otto Wagner]], with [[mosaic]]s and [[stained glass]] by [[Koloman Moser]], and sculptural angels by [[Othmar Schimkowitz]] (1864–1947). The great majority of the other smaller details are the work of Otto Wagner himself. The statues on the two external towers represent Saint Leopold and Saint Severin (l. & r. respectively: they are the two [[patron saint]]s of Lower Austria) and are the work of the Viennese sculptor [[Richard Luksch]] (1872–1936).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gontarski |first=S. E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I0AkDQAAQBAJ&dq=Otto+Wagner+and+the+Steinhof+Psychiatric+Hospital&pg=PA112 |title=Creative Involution: Bergson, Beckett, Deleuze |date=2015-09-23 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |isbn=978-0-7486-9733-5 |pages=112 |language=en}}</ref>
 
Unusually the church lies on a North-Southnorth–south axis, at the centre-top of the hospital complex. Otto Wagner incorporated numerous features specifically related to its function within an asylum: e.g. there are very few sharp edges, and most corners are rounded; almost no crosses are visible; the priest's area is potentially entirely separate from the patients'; access to the pulpit is only from the vestry; emergency exits are built into the side walls in case a patient needed to be speedily removed; continuously flowing water replaced holy water stoups at the entrance; there were separate entrances for male and female patients, since gender segregation was mandatory in mental institutions at the time; confessionals were more open than is customary. There were toilet facilities easily accessible within the church in case of patient need. Originally the pews were of different widths to accommodate different categories of patient: calm / restless / disturbed (the latter needing more space). The floor is raked as in a theatre, though not as steeply; the fall from entrance to altar is approx. {{convert|26|cm}}: standing at the back the view to the altar is thus less obstructed.
[[File:Penzing (Wien) - Kirche am Steinhof (18).JPG|Mainfaçadethumb|Aerial view of the church]]▼
The central ceiling below the unseen dome bears images relating to the four evangelists: the man for Matthew, the lion for Mark, the calf for Luke, the eagle for John. The magnificent windows at the sides of the Kirche am Steinhof portray seven saints (named underneath each frame) fulfilling Christ's commands both temporal (feed the hungry, clothe the naked, etc.) and spiritual; with above them a pair of flying angels and a quotation from the Beatitudes. The elaborate and brightly coloured mosaic behind the ornate altar represents the reception of the departed soul into heaven, via an ornate [[trompe-l'oeilœil]] staircase which has been compared unfairly to a Hollywood-style movie award ceremony. Among the numerous saints attending the ceremony is Saint [[Dymphna]] the patron saint of those afflicted by epilepsy or mental illness. Also visible is St. Clement Hofbauer or [[Clemens Maria Hofbauer]] (1751–1820), the patron saint of Vienna. The dome of the church is not visible from inside the building; even so, the nave has an echo of six seconds. The church, which seats 800 people when full, was reopened on the 1 October 2006, after the completion of the most recent extensive renovation work.▼
 
Due to lack of funds, several of Otto Wagner's original designs were never realized, including the Procession of the Cross, a private chapel beneath the church for Protestant services, and a Jewish synagogue.
▲The central ceiling below the unseen dome bears images relating to the four evangelists: the man for Matthew, the lion for Mark, the calf for Luke, the eagle for John. The magnificent windows at the sides of the Kirche am Steinhof portray seven saints (named underneath each frame) fulfilling Christ's commands both temporal (feed the hungry, clothe the naked, etc.) and spiritual; with above them a pair of flying angels and a quotation from the Beatitudes. The elaborate and brightly coloured mosaic behind the ornate altar represents the reception of the departed soul into heaven, via an ornate [[trompe-l'oeil]] staircase which has been compared unfairly to a Hollywood-style movie award ceremony. Among the numerous saints attending the ceremony is Saint [[Dymphna]] the patron saint of those afflicted by epilepsy or mental illness. Also visible is St. Clement Hofbauer or [[Clemens Maria Hofbauer]] (1751–1820), the patron saint of Vienna. The dome of the church is not visible from inside the building; even so, the nave has an echo of six seconds. The church, which seats 800 people when full, was reopened on the 1 October 2006, after the completion of the most recent extensive renovation work.
 
The organ placed in the rear gallery is the work of the important turn-of-the-century organ builder Franz Josef Swoboda, among whose other instruments nearby are the organ at the Peterskirche in the centre of Vienna, and the organ of the Donaufeld church in the suburb of Floridsdorf on the other side of the Danube.
 
The church is open for visiting on Saturday between 4pm and 5pm and Sunday between noon and 4pm. There are also tours in German every Saturday at 3pm and Sunday at 4pm. Entry (2011) € 8,-. Private tours in English can be booked in advance. Aside from functioning as a place of regular Sunday worship (9:30am), it is also available for baptisms and weddings.
 
<gallery>
▲ Penzing (Wien) - Kirche am Steinhof (1).JPG|Mainfaçade of the church
Wien_Steinhof5.jpg|Kirche
Wien_Steinhof7.jpg|Detail
Wien_Steinhof8.jpg|Detail
Wien_Steinhof9.jpg|Detail
Kirche Steinhof Fenster von innen 2006.jpg|Stained glass window by [[Koloman Moser]]
Vienna - Otto Wagner's St Leopold Church - 6859.jpg|Altar
Vienna - Otto Wagner's St Leopold Church - 6832.jpg|Interior
Wien Kirche am Steinhof.jpg|Façade of the church
2005 Austria 100 Euro Steinhof Church front.jpg|[[Euro gold and silver commemorative coins (Austria)#2005 coinage|Steinhof Church commemorative coin]]
</gallery>
 
==History==
[[File:Wien - Otto-Wagner-Kirche, Innenansicht.JPG|thumb|Interior view of the Otto Wagner's Church at Steinhof. Both the original and new altar are visible.]]
The Church of St. Leopold, better known as the Kirche am Steinhof (or the Otto Wagner Kirche am Steinhof), was built during the construction of the Steinhof Psychiatric Hospital (now the [[:de:Otto-Wagner-Spital]]), from 1904 to 1907. When drafting his plans for the building, the commissioned architect, Otto Wagner, respected the church’schurch's role as the institutional chapel for mentally ill patients and consulted with doctors and nurses concerning the specific requirements of such a building. On October 8th8, 1907, the church was opened by [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand]]. The Archduke and Wagner were at odds on a variety of issues, not least on the overall design of the church. The former had disapproved of Wagner’sWagner's art nouveau style from the very beginning; so much so, in fact, that he refused to acknowledge Wagner during the opening ceremony or to commission any other work from the architect. But opinions regarding Wagner’sWagner's unusual design were varied. In an [http://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno?aid=nfp&datum=19071006&seite=13 article] published in the New Free Press on October 6th6, 1907, the author rhetorically asked: “And"And is it not a beautiful irony of fate, that the first sensible secessionist building in Vienna has been built for the insane?” "
 
The most recent, and most extensive, restoration project began in June 2000.<ref>{{cite web|title=Otto Wagner Kirche- Phases of Restoration (German)|url=http://www.wienkav.at/kav/texte_anzeigen.asp?ID=6788|website=KAV|accessdateaccess-date=12 July 2016}}</ref> All told, 22 construction companies and 15 consultants worked on the restoration. Their first undertaking was to completely re-gild the exterior dome using 2 &nbsp;kg of .01mm-thin sheets of gold leaf. The base of the dome was renewed with copper sheets that, prior to their placement within the church, were artificially patinated.
[[File:Kirche am Steinhof - dome.jpg|thumb|upright|Kirche am Steinhof - closeup of its golden dome.]]
Between 2002 toand 2004, the entireentirety of the church's 1,800 square-meter800m² façade was replaced, fashioned fromwith 3000 plates of Carrara marble, each tile having been examined by ultrasound to ensure quality. The angelic and holy figures were removed and transported to a workshop where they were restored. Construction began on the interior of the church in 2005. Among other projects, each of the mosaic windowpanes were glazed and remounted in a specially designed support structure. The windows, which have been valued at 5 million Euro, are now better protected from the elements and vandalism. The mosaics within the church, the main altar, pulpit, chandeliers, sconces, and thewall pulpitdecorations were restored and newly gilded. Trained wood restorers polished and improved the pews and confessionals,. and The plasterboard ceiling was also rebuilt. About half of the chandeliers,original sconces2,200 andplaster wall decorationstiles were cleanedsalvageable, andthe gilded,rest aswere wellreplaced.▼
 
While the interior renovations were ongoing, the foundation of the church also had to be remade, along with the drainage system, and the exterior base. The plasterboard ceiling was also rebuilt. About half of the original 2,200 plaster tiles were salvageable, the rest werecompletely replacedrenewed. After the renovations were complete, a wheelchair-accessible entrance was added on the north side of the church. ▼
▲Between 2002 to 2004, the entire 1,800 square-meter façade was replaced, fashioned from 3000 plates of Carrara marble, each tile having been examined by ultrasound to ensure quality. The angelic and holy figures were removed and transported to a workshop where they were restored. Construction began on the interior of the church in 2005. Among other projects, each of the mosaic windowpanes were glazed and remounted in a specially designed support structure. The windows, which have been valued at 5 million Euro, are now better protected from the elements and vandalism. The mosaics within the church, the main altar, and the pulpit were restored and newly gilded. Trained wood restorers polished and improved the pews and confessionals, and the chandeliers, sconces, and wall decorations were cleaned and gilded, as well.
 
TheAfter the 6-year long renovation project, the church was finally reopened on October 1st1, 2006.▼
▲While the interior renovations were ongoing, the foundation of the church also had to be remade, along with the drainage system and the exterior base. The plasterboard ceiling was also rebuilt. About half of the original 2,200 plaster tiles were salvageable, the rest were replaced. After the renovations were complete, a wheelchair-accessible entrance was added on the north side of the church.
 
▲The church was finally reopened on October 1st, 2006.
 
Prior to its reopening, Steinhof church was selected as a main motif of one of the most famous euro collectors coins: the Austrian 100 euro [[Euro gold and silver commemorative coins (Austria)#2005 coinage|Steinhof Church commemorative coin]], minted on November 9, 2005. The obverse gives an angled perspective view of the left-side and main door of the building.
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==References==
;Citations
{{reflistReflist}}
 
;Bibliography
{{refbeginRefbegin|60em}}
* {{cite journal | first = Otto |last=Schönthal | title = Die Kirche Otto Wagners | journal = Der Architekt | volume = 14| year = 1908| language =German}}
* {{cite book | last = Koller-Glück | first = Elisabeth | title = Otto Wagners Kirche Am Steinhof | publisher = Edition Tusch | location = Wien | year = 1984 | isbn = 3-85063-157-5 |language=German}}
* {{cite book | last = Whalen | first = Robert | title = Sacred Spring | publisher = William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co | location = Grand Rapids | year = 2007 | isbn = 978-0-8028-3216-40|page=286|url=httphttps://books.google.com/books?id=3EzCxN6O8-kC&pgq=PA286steinhof&dqpg=steinhofPA286 }}
*F. Czeike: Penzing, Wiener Bezirkskulturführer, 1979;
*H. Wohlrab: Penzing, 1985;
*F. Czeike: Historisches Lexikon Wien, 5 Bände, 1992–97;
*G. Blackshaw and L. Topp (eds.): Madness & Modernity - Mental illness and the visual arts in Vienna, 1900. Lund Humphries (GB), 2009.
{{refendRefend}}
 
== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Kirche am Steinhof|Kirche am Steinhof}}
* [http://www.wienkav.at/kav/ows/texte_anzeigen.asp?id=2268 Official site in German]
* [http://www.aeiou.at/aeiou.encyclop.data.image.s/s821100a.jpg Older picture]
* [http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/wagner/church.html Pictures and short description]
 
{{Vienna Secession}}
{{Authority control}}
 
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Penzing (Vienna)]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic churches completed in 1907|Steinhof]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic churcheschurch buildings in the Vicariate of Vienna- City|Steinhof]]
[[Category:Church buildings with domes]]
[[Category:Art Nouveau architecture in Vienna]]
[[Category:Art Nouveau churcheschurch buildings in Austria|Steinhof]]
[[Category:Otto Wagner buildings]]
[[Category:1907 establishments in Austria]]
[[Category:20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Austria]]
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