Maltese Church (Malteserkirche) description and photos - Austria: Vienna (Topic)

Maltese church (Malteserkirche) description and photos - Austria: Vienna. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Malteserkirche.

Photo and description

The Maltese Church (also called the Church of St. John the Baptist) is a Catholic church in Vienna, located in the first district. It got its name in honor of the Order of Malta, to which the church belongs.

At the beginning of the 13th century, the Maltese came to Vienna at the invitation of Leopold VI. The first church, located on the site of the Maltese Church, was built in 1217 and was called the "House of the Brothers of St. John". The task of the church priest was to care for the poor and sick people. In 1265, the chapel of John the Baptist was built, and in 1340 a Gothic church appeared in its place. The modern Maltese Church was built in the middle of the 15th century.

In 1806, the facades were changed, pilasters and a small tower appeared. The church was rebuilt in the Baroque style, the altar appeared, made by Johann Schmidt, and a little later the organ. In 1857, stained glass windows also appeared in the Maltese Church.

During the First World War, the Order of Malta incurred large financial costs for the surgical department, personnel and transport. Therefore, in 1933, the order was forced to sell the church. The local archdiocese, which took possession of the Maltese Church for almost 30 years, has kept it intact. During this period, the church was recognized as a historical monument.

In 1960, the Maltese organ bought the church. After 8 years, the restoration began: first, work was carried out with the altar, after 4 years the entire interior of the church was restored. In 1984, restoration work on the facade began.

The altar, decorated with statues of Peter and Paul, is of the greatest interest in the church. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the marble monument depicting Jean Valette and two Turks. The monument was created to commemorate the event in 1557 when Valletta defended Malta from the Turks.

We also recommend reading National Museum of Natural History description and photos - Bulgaria: Sofia

Topic: Maltese Church (Malteserkirche) description and photos - Austria: Vienna.