St. John’s Church (Innsbruck)

St. John’s Church (Innsbruck) is a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to St. John Nepomuk, a Bohemian saint and martyr. The church was built in the Baroque style by the architect Anton Gumpp in 1729-1731. The church has a richly decorated interior with frescoes by Franz Anton Zeiller and stucco work by Johann Georg Witwer. The church is located in the Old Town of Innsbruck, near the Golden Roof and the Hofburg Palace.

The Origins of the Church

The church was founded in 1721 by Josef Hyazinth Dörflinger, a court building clerk who had a devotion to St. John of Nepomuk. He obtained permission from the emperor to build a chapel on his own property, near the Inn river. The chapel soon became a popular pilgrimage site, as many people believed that the saint could protect them from floods, fires, and other calamities.

In 1729, the year of the canonization of St. John of Nepomuk, the chapel was replaced by a larger church, designed by Georg Anton Gumpp, a prominent architect of the Tyrolean baroque. The church was modeled after Italian churches, especially the Sant’Andrea della Valle in Rome. The church has a single nave with six side chapels, a transept, and a dome. The facade is decorated with statues of St. John of Nepomuk and other saints, as well as the coat of arms of the founder and the emperor.

The church was completed in 1750, with the addition of the vestibule and the two towers. The interior was adorned with magnificent ceiling paintings by Josef Schöpf, a renowned painter of the late baroque. The paintings depict scenes from the life and martyrdom of St. John of Nepomuk, as well as allegories of faith, hope, and charity. The main altar, designed by Franz Xaver Feuchtmayer, features a large painting of the saint by Paul Troger, a master of the Austrian baroque. The side chapels are dedicated to various aspects of the saint’s cult, such as his miracles, his relics, and his patronage of bridges.

The Role of the Church

The church has played an important role in the religious and social life of Innsbruck. It has served as a place of worship, a center of pilgrimage, and a venue for cultural events. The church has also been associated with various religious orders and groups, who have contributed to its maintenance and pastoral care.

The first religious order to take charge of the church was the Redemptorists, who arrived in Innsbruck in 1786. They established a monastery on Maximilianstrasse, near the church, and conducted missions and retreats for the faithful. They also promoted the devotion to St. John of Nepomuk and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Redemptorists left Innsbruck in 1938, due to the Nazi persecution.

The next religious order to occupy the church was the Benedictines, who came from the Abbey of St. Georgenberg in 1940. They restored the church after the damage caused by World War II and continued the pastoral work of the Redemptorists. They also organized concerts and exhibitions in the church, showcasing the artistic heritage of the Tyrolean baroque. The Benedictines stayed in the church until 1993, when they moved to a new monastery in Wilten.

Since 1993, the church has been under the care of the university parish, which serves the students and staff of the University of Innsbruck. The church offers regular masses, confessions, and spiritual guidance, as well as cultural and social activities. The church also hosts the annual St. John of Nepomuk Festival, which celebrates the saint’s feast day on May 16th with a procession, a concert, and a blessing of the Inn river.

The Memorial of the Leopoldina

One of the most notable features of the church is the memorial plaque that honors the members of the K.HV Leopoldina Innsbruck, a Catholic student fraternity that was founded in 1851. The plaque is located in the blind niche on the south side of the church, and it commemorates the fraternity members who died in World War I and World War II.

The plaque was designed by Fritz Michael Müller, a sculptor and a member of the Leopoldina, and it was unveiled in 1926. The plaque consists of a marble slab with the names of the fallen members, surrounded by a wreath of laurel and oak leaves. Above the plaque, two putti hold the coat of arms of the Leopoldina, which features a lion, a cross, and a star. The plaque was expanded after World War II, to include the names of the members who died in the second war.

The plaque is a testimony of the loyalty and sacrifice of the Leopoldina members, who fought for their country and their faith. The Leopoldina is still active today, and it maintains a close connection with the church and the saint. The fraternity members participate in the St. John of Nepomuk Festival, and they also hold their own ceremonies and events in the church.

Innsbruck, Austria