Subway: Stephansplatz
Blutgasse or Blood Street/ Lane got its grim name after a 1312 massacre of mysterious Order of Knights Templar. Medieval Catholic Order didn't go down without a fight so they tried to take their last stand here. All of them were killed in brutal street skirmishes. Unfortunately nothing is left of the original Medieval houses. All of the houses you see today date back to the 18th and 19th century.
The houses of the Blood Alley go back to the Middle Ages in their foundations. The area is considered one of the oldest in Vienna. In 1368 street was first mentioned as Kotgässel in 1392. Further mentions of the alley speak of the lane behind the German Lords (1394), of the Kergässel (1406 and 1411), of the Blutgasse (since 1547) and the Milchgasse (1600); since 1862 the official name of the street is Blutgasse. The interpretation of these names is considered unclear, although the name Kotgässel seems to be related to the condition of the road. To explain the name blood alley, there is a tradition that speaks of slaughterhouses in the area, with the spilled blood has run through the alley; another tradition relates the name to the Knights Templar, who were said to have been slaughtered in 1342 at the Fähnrichhof, whereupon the lane was full of their spilled blood. Both stories are not considered by historians to be valid. After the area was very run-down after the Second World War, between 1960 and 1965 Herbert Thurner and Friedrich Euler made their first revitalization of the area, which was, however, associated with far-reaching changes in the interior. From 1989 to 1991, the facades were renovated and their baroque form restored.
The foundations of the houses in Blutgasse go back to the Middle Ages; the area is considered one of the oldest in Vienna. In 1368 it was first mentioned as a manure gassel by the German men, in 1392 it was only called a manure gassel. Other mentions of the alley speak of the alley behind the German gentlemen (1394), the Kergässel (1406 and 1411), the Blutgasse (since 1547) and the Milchgasse (1600); The official name Blutgasse has been in use since 1862. The interpretation of these names is considered unclear, although the name Kotgässel seems to be related to the condition of the street. To explain the name Blutgasse there is a tradition that speaks of slaughterhouses in the area, whereby the blood spilled is said to have run through the alley; another tradition relates the name to the Knights Templar, who are said to have been slaughtered in the Ensign Court in 1312, whereupon the alley was full of their spilled blood. Historians do not consider either story to be valid. After the area was very run down after the Second World War, Herbert Thurner and Friedrich Euler first revitalized the area between 1960 and 1965, but this was associated with far-reaching changes inside. From 1989 to 1991 the facades were renovated and their baroque shape restored.
Location and characteristics
Blutgasse runs
from Domgasse in a southwesterly direction to Singerstrasse. It is a
narrow old town alley that is designed as a pedestrian zone. At the
end at Singerstrasse, candle arches span the alley. Extensive
building complexes with picturesque inner courtyards and Pavlatschen
corridors are located here, some of which are interconnected. Its
external appearance dates from the 16th and 17th centuries, although
the building structure is mostly older. As a result of the
revitalization measures, the houses are now inhabited. Mostly
tourists like to visit this area. All buildings are listed.
Buildings
No. 1 Trienter Hof
The building, also known as the
Domherrenhof, Altes Chorherrenhaus or Strudenhof, originally goes
back to two different medieval buildings. The name Trienter Hof
comes from one of the owners, Konrad Hinderbach, who was the canon
of Trento in 1470–1488. Between 1753 and 1755 the current tenement
building with two courtyards was built by Johann Enzenhofer. In the
previous building, the master builder Francesco d'Allio lived in
1733–1736, in the current building before 1850 the musician Georg
Hellmesberger senior. The house is at the main address Domgasse 4.
No. 2 Domherrenhof
At the Blutgasse is the simple back of the
Domherrenhof, which was built in 1837-1842 by Leopold Mayr in the
late classicist style as a house with two courtyards. The main
address is at Stephansplatz 5.
No. 3 Medieval town house
The core of the building dates from the 1st half of the 13th
century. It originally consisted of three parts and was then
combined and expanded in 1558–1560 with an additional courtyard
wing. Finally, after 1733, the storey was increased and facades
restored, as well as the installation of a staircase and
Pawlatschen. The baroque facade has been bent several times and
changed on the ground floor. The two-storey upper zone is pulled
together by plaster frames and has stone-framed windows.
Particularly noteworthy are the two irregular Pawlatschenhöfe, one
behind the other, which lead as a passage to Grünangergasse. In the
back area there is a late Gothic or Renaissance ground floor window.
A stone arched portal leads to the basement. There is still
significant late Romanesque building substance from the 1st half of
the 13th century with quarry stone masonry and 5 round-arched slit
windows. There is a cross-vaulted foyer in the house and a stitch
cap barrel on the ground floor.
No. 4 Teutonic Order
In
the Blutgasse lies the back of the Teutonic Order, after which the
alley was originally named (Kotgässel by the German gentlemen). The
facade is divided on the corner to Singerstrasse according to the
main facade by pilasters in baroque style, followed by a six-axis
early baroque facade structure, which is characterized by triangular
and segmental gable roofs and cord cornices. At the right end there
is another, simpler facade from the 4th quarter of the 16th century,
which is structured by cornice bands. The main address of the
Teutonic Order is at Singerstrasse 7.
No. 5 To the green
Raith board
The late classicist rental house was built in 1819
over an older core. The facade is simply divided by cordon and ledge
cornices. Inside there is a spiral two-post staircase with the
original railing. The roof truss is also partially original. In the
barrel-vaulted cellar, stone walls are partially visible.
No.
7 and 9 Large and Small Ensign Court
The buildings, known as the
Large and Small Ensign Court, are part of a building complex that
dates back to the Middle Ages and included the houses at Blutgasse
5, 7 and 9 and Singerstrasse 11. According to unauthorized reports,
the Templars are said to have owned a courtyard here. In any case,
the houses were owned by the adjacent Cistercian monastery of St.
Nikolai and were separated in 1534/35, divided into parcels of land
and rented out. One of the four civic companies, namely that of the
Carinthian district, gathered here with its flag. A mural of a
midshipman mentioned in 1566 gave the houses their name. In 1684,
the bookbinder and external councilor Johann Konrad Ludwig bought
the spacious building. 1702-1703 was rebuilt by the neighboring
Klarissen. The houses got their current shape in 1819, with 7 houses
now surrounding a large courtyard. The humanist Johannes Cuspinian
and the composer Wenzel Müller lived here.
No. 7 is called the Großer Fähnrichshof. It is one
of the rare high medieval town houses from Vienna from the 1st half
of the 13th century. 1559–1563 an increase was made and a
courtyard-side spiral staircase and the hallway were built. After
1664 the basement was built, 1675-1679 another extension and a new
facade was undertaken, which is still preserved on the courtyard
side. In 1743 the street facade was redone and additional basements
were added. The street facade has contracted window axes on the
upper floor. The stair tower shows slanted windows. In a room on the
ground floor you can see the rare example of rising masonry from the
1st half of the 13th century.
No. 9 is called Kleiner
Fähnrichshof and is on the corner of Singerstrasse. The core dates
back to the 16th century and was a Renaissance town house. Today's
facade is baroque and dates from the 1st quarter of the 18th
century. A central bay lies on Singerstrasse. On the upper floor,
vertically contracted window axes can be seen through plaster
fields. The baroque wooden door in a shoulder arch portal has partly
original fittings.