Adress: Pfarrgasse
Eisenstadt Cathedral is a late Gothic church that was constructed in 1460 on a site of older medieval building. This small Roman Catholic church was originally erected as a church that served members of the royal army that were stationed nearby. Presence of a Turkish threat from the East made Austrians aware of possible dangers of unexpected intrusion. So they constructed religious building with a military precision. The steeple of the Eisenstadt Cathedral contains small holes that could be used by defending soldiers inside. Turkish and Muslim threat from Asia was crushed only in 1683 when Turkish armies were defeated near Vienna.
The Cathedral of St. Martin or simply Eisenstadt
Cathedral and also called St. Martin's Cathedral and St. Rupert (in
German: Dom Sankt Martin und Sankt Rupert) is a Catholic cathedral
in Eisenstadt, Burgenland, Austria, dedicated to St. Martin. It has
been the seat of the Bishop of Eisenstadt since the creation of the
diocese in 1960. The first reference to a chapel dedicated to St.
Martin of Tours occurs in 1264, when Eisenstadt received its
original name, in Latin: minor Martin, in German: Kleinmartinsdorf
and in Hungarian: Kismarton.
From this chapel there are still
remains of a Romanesque base in the current choir area. In the 13th
century the chapel was enlarged with the addition of an early Gothic
choir. In the 14th century a chapel was added for the laity. In 1460
the church was rebuilt under the plan of the city captain Johann
Siebenhirter as a fortified or defensive church, as an attack by the
Turks was expected after the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
The Gothic building was completed in 1522. After the great fire of
1589 almost 30 years passed before the reconstruction of the
severely damaged church took place, between 1610 and 1629.
Earliest Origins (13th–14th Centuries)
The site's religious
history begins in 1264, when a chapel dedicated to Saint Martin is first
documented in a charter as Capella Sancti Martini de minori Martin (or
Kleinmartinsdorf in German, Kismarton in Hungarian—literally "Little
Martin's village"). This naming reflects the town's early identity tied
to the saint. Excavations in the 1950s confirmed Romanesque foundations
from the 12th/13th century beneath the current presbytery (choir area).
In the 13th century, the chapel was expanded with an early Gothic choir.
By the 14th century, a family chapel (Familienkapelle)—still visible
today north of the choir—was added, serving laypeople and enhancing the
church's role in the community. These early phases established the core
sacred space that would evolve over centuries.
Gothic Fortified
Church (1460–1522)
Major construction began in 1460 under Johann
(Hans) Siebenhirter, the town captain (Stadthauptmann) and lord of the
town since 1463. He initiated a complete rebuild as a Wehrkirche
(fortified or defensive church) in response to fears of Ottoman Turkish
invasion following the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. The result was a
three-aisled, four-bay late Gothic hall church (Hallenkirche), a style
where the nave and aisles reach roughly the same height under a shared
roof. The building features a two-bay choir ending in a five-eighths
polygonal apse, with the main nave matching the choir's width.
Construction faced delays from regional conflicts, including the 1488
siege by Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus and the 1529 Ottoman
campaigns. The Gothic structure was finally completed in 1522. Only the
north tower was fully realized as a five-story structure; the planned
two-tower west façade saw only a partial two-story south tower, both
later capped under a shared hipped roof. A separate Gothic ossuary
(Karner or Michaelskapelle) stood nearby until its demolition in 1804.
Remnants of the original Romanesque foundations survive in the
presbytery area, and fragments of early Gothic elements persist.
Fire and Early Baroque Reconstruction (1589–1629)
A devastating fire
in 1589 destroyed the roof and vaults, leaving the church in ruins for
nearly three decades. Reconstruction began around 1610 and continued
until 1629, funded in part from 1622 onward by Count Nikolaus Esterházy
(of the powerful Esterházy family, long-time patrons of Eisenstadt). The
rebuild incorporated early Baroque forms while preserving much of the
Gothic structure, creating a hybrid interior. Surviving Baroque-era
furnishings from this period include an Ölberg (Mount of Olives) relief
from around 1500 and a 17th-century oil painting Christus vor Kaiphas.
18th-Century Baroque Embellishments
The 18th century brought
artistic refinement under Esterházy patronage. In 1777, a grand
altarpiece by Stephan Dorfmeister depicting The Transfiguration of Saint
Martin was installed (the Baroque high altar from 1779 no longer
survives in its original form). In 1778, Viennese organ builder Johann
Gottfried Malleck constructed a new organ—funded by widow Theresia
Frigl—following specific instructions from the composer Joseph Haydn,
who served the Esterházys in Eisenstadt. (Note: While Haydn is most
famously linked to the nearby Bergkirche/Haydn Church, where many of his
masses premiered, his influence extended to this cathedral organ.) The
organ blended Baroque elements with emerging 19th-century tonal ideals;
it was later modified in 1944 by Karl Schuke and restored in 1973 to
preserve its historical character.
19th–Early 20th Century:
Neo-Gothic Restoration
In the mid-19th century, a "regotization"
movement sought to restore a purer Gothic appearance. This culminated in
works completed in 1903–1904, which removed Baroque altars, replaced
round windows with Neo-Gothic tracery, and unfortunately damaged earlier
Baroque wall paintings (whitewashed in 1863). The church took on a more
uniformly Gothic aesthetic during this phase.
Post-War
Renovations and Elevation to Cathedral (1949–1960s)
After World War
II, bells were melted for war materials; a new set (including the large
Bischofsglocke of 1960) was installed. Major interior renovations
occurred from 1949 to 1954 under architects and artists including Marta
Reitstätter-Bolldorf and sculptor Jakob Adlhart (who created a St.
Martin figure, Gloria angels, and seating). New stained-glass windows
were added: presbytery windows by Franz Deéd (Christ the King theme) and
nave windows by Margret Bilger (motifs from the Book of Revelation). A
golden mosaic in the choir by Martha Bolldorf-Reitstätter dates to this
era.
In 1960, following the creation of the Diocese of Eisenstadt
(elevated from an apostolic administration), St. Martin's Church was
officially designated the cathedral (Domkirche). Saint Martin became the
patron saint of both the diocese and the federal state of Burgenland.
Under Bishop Stephan László, further interior and window updates
occurred, and new stalls for the cathedral chapter were added in 1963.
Liturgical reforms after Vatican II (e.g., moving the altar forward in
1971) and additions like a 1980 Schutzmantelmadonna (Virgin of Mercy)
sculpture by Thomas Resetarits at the portal and a 1985 bronze
west-portal door marked this period.
21st-Century Liturgical
Redesign (2002–2003)
The most recent major transformation took place
from 2002 to 2003 under Bishop Paul Iby, designed by architects Andreas
Lichtblau and Susanna Wagner. The redesign emphasized light, openness,
and contemporary liturgy:
The Marienkapelle was removed; a new cubic
glass sacristy was added.
All 1950s furnishings were cleared.
Artist Brigitte Kowanz created light-transmitting glass elements for the
altar, ambo, tabernacle, baptismal font, and celebrant seating, visually
linking the choir and nave.
Architect Gilbert Bretterbauer designed a
warm-toned carpet with 150 color fields echoing the glass windows.
The space west of the apse now serves flexibly for baptisms, weddings,
and ordinations.
The cathedral was reconsecrated on April 12,
2003.
The cathedral's architecture reflects a palimpsest of styles spanning
over 700 years:
Romanesque origins (pre-1264 chapel, with foundation
remains still visible in the presbytery area).
Early Gothic
extensions (13th century choir).
Late Gothic core (1460–1522 rebuild
as a fortified Wehrkirche / defensive church).
Baroque repairs after
the devastating 1589 fire (1610–1629 reconstruction of the roof and
vaults).
Neo-Gothic "re-gothication" (1904 choir vault and window
updates).
20th/21st-century modern interventions (1960 interior
redesign and 2002–2003 major remodeling).
The dominant character
is late Gothic as a three-aisled hall church (dreischiffige
Hallenkirche), built primarily of robust brick masonry—typical of
fortified churches in the region for defensive strength and material
availability. The structure emphasizes solidity over the delicate
tracery of French High Gothic, with equal-height aisles and nave
creating a unified, spacious interior volume.
Exterior
Architecture
The west façade was originally planned as a symmetrical
dual-tower arrangement (Zweiturmanlage), but only the north tower was
fully realized. It rises five stories (some sources describe it as
four-storey with additional elements), begun around 1460 under master
builder Johann Siebenhirter and completed by 1520. It features a
distinctive hipped roof (Walmdach) with corner turrets or pinnacles,
giving it a fortified, compact silhouette. The south tower was left
incomplete at only two stories. The entrance porch (Vorhalle) between
the towers shares the same hipped roof, creating an asymmetric but
harmonious west front.
The elongated nave is covered by a large
saddle/hipped roof with red tiles (rebuilt in early Baroque style after
the 1589 fire, with support from the Esterházy family). The choir is two
bays long, matching the central nave's width, and terminates in a
five-eighths polygonal apse (Fünfachtelschluss)—a classic late Gothic
feature that allows for more light and elegant vaulting. North of the
choir sits the family chapel (formerly the Teutonic Order / lay chapel
from the 14th century), which echoes the choir's closure. The overall
massing is fortress-like: thick brick walls, limited early openings
(many replaced later), and a raised position that enhanced its defensive
role during 15th-century threats from Ottoman incursions.
A modern
touch is the 1980 sculpture of the Virgin of Mercy by Thomas Resetarits
above the main portal, and the urban square (Domplatz) now integrates
via sandstone concrete paving that flows seamlessly into the interior
stone slabs (part of the 2003 project).
Interior Architecture and
Spatial Layout
Inside, the three-aisled hall church design creates a
broad, hall-like space where the side aisles rise to roughly the same
height as the central nave, supported by slender columns or piers and
covered by late Gothic rib vaults (nave vault completed 1495; choir
vault renewed 1904 with pointed arches replacing earlier round windows).
This produces an open, light-filled interior without the dramatic
vertical emphasis of basilica-style cathedrals.
Nave: Elongated and
three-aisled, with robust piers dividing the space. The 2003 remodeling
raised the nave floor level to eliminate any threshold with the exterior
square, creating fluid spatial continuity. A large, custom carpet by
Gilbert Bretterbauer (in colors tuned to the apse windows) now unifies
the nave visually with the altar area.
Choir / Presbytery: Two-bay,
apsed space with a golden mosaic by Martha Bolldorf-Reitstätter. It
houses the main Baroque high altarpiece (1777 by Stefan Dorffmeister),
depicting the Transfiguration of Saint Martin—a dramatic focal point
that draws the eye upon entry.
Family Chapel (north side): Contains a
1747 Baroque painting Mary of Victory by Michael Angelo Unterberger.
Windows and Light: The 1960 redesign (by Jakob Adelhart) introduced
vibrant modern stained glass. Presbytery windows by Franz Deéd explore
the Christ the King theme; nave windows by Margret Bilger draw from the
Book of Revelation. These fill the brick interior with colored light,
enhancing the Gothic verticality while adding 20th-century expression.
Crypt: A 1716 vaulted space beneath the presbytery, originally built by
parish priest Matthias Marckhl; it has served as the bishops' crypt
since 1962.
Altar Area: Completely redesigned in 2003 by artist
Brigitte Kowanz using glass elements, creating a contemporary, luminous
liturgical focus that contrasts with the historic brick and vaults
without overpowering them.
Materials and Construction Techniques
Primary material: Brick masonry (load-bearing walls and vaults), chosen
for speed, strength, and regional availability in a fortified context.
Stone elements: Foundations (Romanesque remnants), modern natural-stone
paving, and limited decorative trim.
Roofing: Red clay tiles on
timber framing (post-fire Baroque reconstruction).
Modern additions:
Glass (altar), textiles (carpet), and subtle concrete/stone for urban
integration. The 2003 project (architects Lichtblau-Wagner) was
deliberately restrained—focusing on flooring, thresholds, and color
harmony—to respect the Gothic fabric while improving accessibility and
spatial flow.
Unique and Notable Features
Asymmetric towers
and incomplete west front are the most striking exterior idiosyncrasies,
reflecting practical constraints during construction.
Fortified
character (thick walls, limited early fenestration) distinguishes it
from purely devotional Gothic churches.
Organ: Though more musical
than architectural, the 1778 instrument (built to Joseph Haydn’s
specifications) sits within the Gothic shell and has been restored
multiple times.
The cathedral’s scale (roughly 744 m² floor area for
the main space) feels intimate yet monumental, blending medieval
defensiveness with Baroque opulence and contemporary lightness.
The organ was built in 1778 by the organ builder
Johann Gottfried Malleck from Vienna on the basis of a donation from the
widow Theresia Frigl. The new building was necessary because the
previous organ had been severely damaged during renovation work. Larger
modifications to the organ were carried out in 1944 by the organ
building institute Karl Schuke (Berlin). At that time, the range of
pedals and the range of the first manual were expanded and a register
was added. The last restoration by Schuke took place in 1973. All
additions from the 1940s were removed and reconstructed together with
the pedal windchest (12 tones), the pedal wood register and the
prospectus. The instrument is characterized by the fact that on the one
hand it still has baroque elements, while many things already point to a
sound aesthetic that finally prevailed in the early 19th century.
Bell
The oldest dated bell of the then parish church was from
1590. Other pre-war bells were from 1691, 1713, 1757 and 1868.
The bells of the interwar bells came from the Upper Austrian bell
foundry in St. Florian. The bells were cast in 1925. They had the tones
e', g sharp', b', c sharp'. All the bells were melted down for war
supplies during World War II.
Since 2013, seven bronze bells have
been hanging on the top floor, the belfry of the tower of St. Martin's
Cathedral. Bells 2-6 are the Sunday bells. Bell 1 is the holiday bell.
The bishop's bell is the largest church bell in Burgenland and the
second largest bell in the state. The little bell is the death knell.