In 1730 a Baroque chapel rose anew. This is the Dreifaltigkeitskapelle. It stands proudly though rebuilt. It replaced an older chapel. This older chapel was once a house chapel. It was founded in 1204. It was in the courtyard of Gottfried the Chamberlain. The Dreifaltigkeitskapelle was legally separated from St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Bishop Wolfger of Passau did this in 1204.
The chapel’s single-nave hall had ribbed vaulting. It also boasted side oratories. A narrow spiral staircase led to it. Throughout the 14th century Viennese citizens revered the Dreifaltigkeitskapelle. Many made donations to it. Bartolo Menhofer was its last beneficiary. This was in 1700.
In 1701 the Order of the Priests of Saint Philip Neri took over. J Seidenbusch was the first administrator. Franz Stark his successor bought the courtyard in 1720. He merged it with the chapel. He had it rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1730. Twelve priests managed it. Each evening one delivered a sermon. This was in front of the Trinity column on the Graben.
After Joseph II’s reforms the chapel was secularized in 1782. It was divided into floors. It became private apartments. This was mostly due to the secularization. The building was demolished in 1910. The Dreifaltigkeitskapelle lives on in memory. It is a testament to Vienna’s rich and layered past. It shows the evolution of religious practice in the city. The Dreifaltigkeitskapelle reminds us of faith’s enduring presence. Even amidst changing times and urban development it persisted. The Dreifaltigkeitskapelle’s story echoes throughout Vienna’s history.