Domherrenhof

The Domherrenhof is a city palace located on Bürgergasse in the Inner City district of Graz.In the immediate vicinity, you can find several notable landmarks such as the Graz Cathedral, the mausoleum, the Graz seminary, and the Graz Castle.The Domherrenhof is a significant component of the Graz city crown.

The canon’s court in Graz was established in 1576 through the efforts of Archduke Charles II, who generously made the donation.The Jesuit college assumed responsibility for managing the seminary and began accepting students.In 1595, Archduke Ferdinand purchased a nearby house that belonged to Sigmund von Gleispach and made modifications to the property to establish the Konvikt.In 1627, a devastating fire engulfed the house, resulting in significant damage. At that time, the house was home to 127 pupils.The building underwent enlargement just a year later as part of the reconstruction efforts. This continued until 1762, when Regens Franz Schmelter made the decision to initiate a complete renovation.He had the small house chapel expanded into a two-storey sacred building.The main portal’s decoration, dating back to 1763, was created by the South Tyrolean artist Veit Königer. The baroque renovation of the canon’s court is credited to the master builder Joseph Hueber.

Regens Schmelter had the desire to establish a Theresianum specifically for noble students.The halls, adorned with beautiful frescoes, served as venues for dance and fencing events, showcasing the grandeur of that era.In 1773, Empress Maria Theresa granted her approval for the school to be designated as “Kollegium Nobilium.”After two years, the Jesuit order in Graz was abolished. As a result, the seminary was moved along with the other two Jesuit foundations, the Ferdinandeum and Josephum. They were relocated to the former Jesuit college building across the street, which is now the current location of the seminary.The previously unused building is now being utilized by the military, but the general command has since relocated to the Glacis in Graz, specifically the Palais Kees.The Seckau cathedral chapter acquired the building in 1878 and made adaptations to turn it into apartments for the canons. As a result, the area became known as the canon’s court.The chapel, which served as a registry during the military period, has now been restored to its original purpose as a religious place.The Stadtpalais is currently owned by the diocese of Graz-Seckau, as of the 2010s.

The Domherrenhof is a building with four floors and a partially converted attic. It is situated on the south-west corner of the mausoleum forecourt, directly across from the Graz Cathedral.The front side, which features a magnificent late baroque portal, can be found on Bürgergasse.The South Tyrolean artist Veit Königer is the creator of the signed building.The basket-arch portal is adorned with two volute capitals on either side, which extend outwards and are topped with sandstone allegories representing religion and science.Two angels hold the cartouche at the top of the portal, which depicts the crowned Styrian ducal hat. The cartouche features a relief sculpture of Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria. In 1950, the original cast, which had been lost in 1945, was replaced with a replica made of artificial stone. The gate leaves are constructed from wood, while the skylight grille is made of wrought iron. Both elements date back to 1763.

The quadrangular inner courtyard of the city palace is accessible through a driveway that is paved with cobblestones and has vaulted arches.On the south side, there is a sandstone fountain figure of Hercules standing in a niche, depicted as he slays the Lernaean Hydra.The representation is an allegory that depicts the battle against heresy, and it is also attributed to Veit Königer.The house chapel, dedicated to St. Barbara, features remarkable stucco decorations by Heinrich Formentini and fresco decorations by Johann Caspar Fibich, a renowned theater painter from Vienna, dating back to around 1770.The marble tabernacle with a relief of St. Barbara (1762/64) was also created by Veit Königer.