Was Johannes Nepomuk really thrown from a bridge? Here we are standing before a testament to faith. This is the Johannes Nepomuk Statue. It’s a figure often seen throughout Austria.
The 1729 canonized Johannes Nepomuk is the third most depicted saint in Austria. Only Maria and Josef are ahead of him. He is often seen as a protector of bridges. You’ll find Johannes Nepomuk Statues in Vienna in many locations. They are often on or near bridges. Sometimes they mark where bridges once were. This is especially true if a body of water was later piped or covered.
Even after the plague epidemic in 1679 and 1680, people in Vienna sought Johannes Nepomuk’s help as a saint against the plague. His veneration in Vienna is evident. The oldest known Johannes Nepomuk Statue in Vienna dates back to 1694. It is now in a house on Bauernmarkt. More statues followed in 1702 and 1704.
Johannes Nepomuk had eight line chapels and some smaller chapels dedicated to him. Most have disappeared from the cityscape. There are only two “large” churches dedicated to the saint. One is on Migazziplatz in Meidling. The other is on Praterstraße in Leopoldstadt.
Now, let’s delve deeper into the story of Johannes Nepomuk. He was the General Vicar of the Diocese of Prague in the 14th century. Johannes was involved in a political conflict. This conflict was between the Prague Archbishop Johann von Jenstein and the Bohemian King Wenzel. King Wenzel had Johannes Nepomuk severely tortured on March 20, 1393. Finally, he was thrown from the Prague Moldau Bridge.
Johannes Nepomuk was then venerated as a martyr. In 1608, he was first counted among the patron saints of Bohemia in the writing “Bohemia pia”. The Archdiocese of Prague sought his beatification as early as 1673. It was initiated in 1715 and announced in 1721. Karl VI, King of Bohemia from 1723, was particularly committed to his canonization. It finally took place in 1729. A statue of Johannes Nepomuk was erected on the Prague Charles Bridge in 1683. Matthias Rauchmiller designed it. Joseph Emanuel Johann Fischer von Erlach designed the magnificent tomb in St. Vitus Cathedral. It was completed in 1736.
The Johannes Nepomuk cult began after the plague year of 1679 and 1680. It also started after the second siege of Vienna by the Ottomans, the Second Turkish Siege. It then spread throughout the Habsburg Monarchy. Especially in the 18th century, statues, chapels and churches were built. They honored the saint. Religious devotions were held. These were called Nepomucenus devotions. Numerous religious objects were made. These included painted, carved or cast images and objects related to the saint. The Bohemian nobility, also represented in Vienna through regional associations, particularly promoted the Johannes Nepomuk cult in the Habsburg Monarchy. In 1709, a Nepomuk brotherhood was established in Vienna’s Metropolitan Church of St. Stephen. By 1739, it had about 30,000 members. This marked the peak of Nepomuk’s veneration.
In art, Johannes Nepomuk is depicted in the garb of a canon. He holds a crucifix in his hands and often a martyr’s palm. Five stars surround his head. His statues usually stand on bridges. This is a reminder of his death. They are also found on waterways. He is the patron saint against floods and other water dangers. He is also a saint of spring. He is responsible for securing rain for viticulture. In memory of his keeping the confessional secret, Johannes Nepomuk is also shown with a hand held in front of his mouth.
So, as you continue your exploration of Vienna, remember Johannes Nepomuk. Remember him as a symbol of faith, protection and the silent strength of conviction.