The story
As you stand here in the Neuer Markt, take a moment to look at the modest, unpretentious facade of the Capuchin Church. It is a striking contrast to the gilded palaces that surround Vienna’s inner city. Yet, beneath this pavement lies the most concentrated collection of imperial history in Europe: the Kapuzinergruft, or Imperial Crypt.
For nearly four centuries, this has been the final resting place for the Habsburgs, the family that once ruled half the world. But there is a twist to their residence here. While their bronze and copper sarcophagi fill these subterranean halls, the emperors and empresses you are visiting are not actually whole.
To truly understand the Habsburgs, you have to understand their peculiar relationship with death. They practiced what is known as Getrennte Bestattung, or separate burial. According to a tradition that began in the 17th century, a high-ranking Habsburg was divided into three parts upon their passing.
Their bodies were brought here to the Capuchin Crypt. Their hearts were placed in silver urns and taken to the Herzgruft, the Heart Crypt, in the Augustinian Church near the Hofburg Palace. Finally, their internal organs were preserved in copper jars and interred in the Ducal Crypt beneath St.
Stephen’s Cathedral. Why this macabre division? It was partly a practical measure for embalming, but more importantly, it was a symbolic act of devotion.
By spreading their remains across the city’s most sacred sites, the dynasty anchored its presence into the very fabric of Vienna. As you descend into the crypt, the air grows cool and the atmosphere turns from the bustle of the modern square to the silence of the baroque. You’ll see the massive, ornate double sarcophagus of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis Stephen.
They are depicted reclining on top, looking at one another as if they’ve just woken from a nap. Further on, you’ll find the somber, minimalist tomb of Emperor Franz Joseph, flanked by his wife, the beloved Empress Elisabeth, known as Sisi, and their son, Rudolf. Before any of them could enter these halls, a unique ritual took place at the heavy iron doors.
The funeral procession would knock, and a monk from inside would ask, Who demands entry? The herald would list all the Emperor's grand titles. The monk would reply, We know him not.
They would knock again, and the herald would list the Emperor's many achievements. Again, the monk would say, We know him not. Only when the herald knocked a third time and identified the deceased simply as a mortal, a poor sinner, were the doors finally opened.
In death, the Habsburgs surrendered their titles, even as they left their hearts scattered across the city they loved.