The Roman Catholic Court Church is located in the center of Innsbruck, on the edge of the old town. It is also called the Franciscan Church or Schwarzmander Church (Schwarzmander = black men). It was built between 1553 and 1563 as the site for the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I. However, the monarch, who died in 1519, had himself buried in the castle of Wiener Neustadt. The Hofkirche is connected to the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum and is one of the five houses of the Tyrolean State Museums.
Origins: Maximilian I’s Vision (Late 15th–Early 16th Century)
Emperor Maximilian I, a key Habsburg ruler and “the last knight” of the
Middle Ages, began planning an extraordinarily ambitious tomb during his
lifetime. Around 1502, he commissioned a series of monumental bronze
figures—originally planned as 40 or more—to surround his sarcophagus.
These were to represent his ancestors, relatives, and legendary
heroes/role models, symbolizing imperial grandeur and Habsburg lineage.
Work on the statues started in 1502 under artists and workshops
including:
Court painter Jörg Kölderer
Albrecht Dürer (who
provided designs for at least two, including King Arthur and Theodoric
the Great)
Gilg Sesselschreiber (workshop head)
Sculptors like
Peter Vischer the Elder, Veit Stoß, Hans Leinberger, and others
Most were cast in the imperial foundry at Mühlau near Innsbruck between
1509 and the 1550s. By Maximilian’s death in 1519, only about 11 were
finished; the full set was never completed. His will specified burial in
St. George’s Chapel at Wiener Neustadt Castle (near Vienna), where his
simple tomb still holds his remains. The oversized bronze figures proved
too heavy and impractical for transport or installation there.
Construction of the Church and Cenotaph (1549–1584)
Maximilian’s
grandson, Emperor Ferdinand I (1503–1564), took over as executor. In
1549–1553 he founded the Hofkirche specifically to house the unfinished
tomb project. Construction ran from 1553 to 1563. The Tyrolean architect
Andrea Crivelli designed the three-aisled hall church in a traditional
German late-Gothic form (with Renaissance influences), featuring a
setback three-sided choir, buttresses, and a steep roof. Master builder
Nikolaus Türing the Younger (from a family linked to Innsbruck’s famous
Golden Roof) oversaw work until his death in 1558; Marx della Bolla
finished it. The Renaissance portal was carved by Hieronymus de Longhi
and Anton de Bol.
The ornate black marble cenotaph (empty symbolic
tomb) dominates the nave. It was designed in the florid Mannerist style
by Florian Abel (Prague court) and directed by Trento mason Hieronymus
Longi. Key elements include:
A sarcophagus base of Hagau marble
Bronze relief friezes of trophies
24 white marble reliefs by
Alexander Colin (completed 1572–1584), depicting events from
Maximilian’s life (e.g., his marriages, battles like Guinegate,
coronations, and alliances). Many were based on woodcuts from Dürer’s
Triumphal Arch.
A wrought-iron grille by Jörg Schmidhammer
A
kneeling bronze figure of Maximilian himself (in eternal prayer) plus
the Four Virtues, all cast in Mühlau
The cenotaph was fully completed
in 1584 under Archduke Ferdinand II (Ferdinand I’s son).
The
“Schwarze Mander” (Black Men) Bronze Statues
Surrounding the cenotaph
on a raised platform are the 28 bronze figures (200–250 cm tall, often
called the “Black Men” for their dark patina). They include 20 men and 8
women—ancestors, relatives, and heroic figures from Maximilian’s
genealogy and legend (e.g., King Arthur, Theodoric the Great, Rudolph I,
Philip the Good, Charles the Bold, and several Habsburg and Burgundian
rulers). Some designs trace to Dürer; casting involved multiple
foundries and artists over decades. Originally planned for gilding
(which never happened), they were installed as the church was built.
Later Additions and Features (16th–19th Centuries)
Silver Chapel
(Silberne Kapelle, 1577–1587): Archduke Ferdinand II added this private
burial chapel (designed by Giovanni Lucchese) for himself and his
morganatic wife, Philippine Welser. It features a silver-embossed altar
(with elephant tusks and ebony), marble tombs by Alexander Colin, and a
rare Renaissance wooden-pipe organ (c. 1580, organo di legno). It was
expanded in 1587 and restored in the 1990s.
High Altar and Baroque
Elements: The current high altar dates to 1755–1758 (design by Nikolaus
Pacassi); it includes a crucifixion painting and bronze saints by
Balthasar Moll (1768). An earthquake in the 17th century damaged the
vault, which was rebuilt in Baroque style. Stucco work also dates to the
late 17th century.
Organs: The famous Ebert Organ (1555–1561, by Jörg
Ebert) is one of Austria’s oldest nearly intact Renaissance organs. A
second (Mauracher Organ, 1900) represents late Romantic style.
Notable Burials and Events: In 1655, the former Queen Christina of
Sweden publicly converted to Catholicism here. In 1823, Tyrolean freedom
fighter Andreas Hofer (executed by Napoleon in 1810) was reburied in the
left nave alongside allies; his neoclassical tomb features a relief by
Johann Martin Schermer (or related artists). His grandson and others
were later interred nearby.
Exterior Architecture
The exterior is deliberately modest and
unadorned—almost overshadowed by the neighboring Hofburg—to emphasize
the interior's splendor. The church presents a simple white-plastered
façade with a steep, broken hip roof covered in dark tiles or metal
sheeting (depending on the era). Key features include:
Windows — A
mix of round-arched and pointed-arch windows typical of the transitional
Gothic-Renaissance style.
Buttresses — Layered, stepped buttresses
that support the walls while showing a compromise between Gothic
verticality and Renaissance restraint.
Choir — A setback, three-sided
polygonal choir that extends from the main body.
Tower — A prominent
tower with a green copper dome and lantern, giving the building its
skyline presence against the Alps.
The standout exterior element
is the finely carved Renaissance portal (main entrance), executed by
stonemasons Hieronymus de Longhi and Anton de Bol. It features columns,
discreet ornaments, and elegant detailing that contrasts with the
otherwise plain walls. The design draws inspiration from the Holy Cross
Church in Augsburg, a model for the overall Renaissance church concept.
Interior Layout and Structure
Inside, the hall church layout
creates an open, light-filled space with three naves of equal height,
supported by slender red marble colonnettes (pillars) topped with white
stylized Corinthian capitals. These support upper galleries that run
along the sides, adding vertical rhythm and space for viewing the
central monument. The choir is slightly elevated and set back,
maintaining the hall-like openness.
The vaulted ceiling originally
featured ribbed Gothic vaults with sandstone ribs quarried from
Mittenwald. An earthquake in the 17th century damaged the main vault,
which was rebuilt in the Baroque style with ornate stucco
decorations—adding swirling, sculptural plasterwork that softens the
Gothic lines and introduces dramatic curves and floral motifs. Pointed
arches and ribbed vaults remain prominent, showcasing intricate
stonework characteristic of late Gothic design.
The church integrates
seamlessly with its imperial purpose: the massive cenotaph dominates the
central nave, turning the entire interior into a "Gesamtkunstwerk"
(total work of art) dedicated to Habsburg glory.
The Cenotaph and
Monumental Sculptures
At the heart of the church stands the cenotaph
(empty tomb or tumba) of Maximilian I—a Renaissance masterpiece that
took over 80 years to complete. It consists of:
A large black marble
sarcophagus base with a bronze frieze of trophies (armor, weapons,
vases, shields).
24 white marble relief panels (carved by Alexander
Colin, based on Albrecht Dürer’s woodcuts from the Ehrenpforte)
depicting key events in Maximilian’s life, from marriages and battles to
political alliances.
A wrought-iron grille (designed by Jörg
Schmidhammer after Paul Trabel) with leafy tendrils, flowers,
arabesques, angels, and coats of arms—originally painted and gilded in
places.
Atop the tomb: a bronze kneeling figure of the emperor in
prayer, flanked by the four cardinal virtues.
Surrounding it are
the 28 life-size bronze "Black Men" (Schwarzmander)—larger-than-life
statues (200–250 cm tall) of ancestors, relatives, and heroic figures
(including King Arthur and Godfrey of Bouillon). These were cast between
1502–1555 by various artists (some based on Dürer designs, others by
Peter Vischer the Elder and Veit Stoss). They stand guard in a fixed
formation around the grille, creating a dramatic, processional effect.
Above the galleries, 23 smaller wooden statuettes (66–69 cm) represent
Habsburg patron saints.
Other Architectural Highlights
Renaissance organ (c. 1558–1560) by Jörg Ebert of Ravensburg—one of the
oldest playable organs in Austria, with a pine-wood case, original
pipes, and painted wing doors by Domenico Pozzo. It sits prominently in
the sanctuary and is still used for concerts.
High altar (1755) by
Viennese court architect Nikolaus Pacassi in full Baroque style,
featuring a crucifixion painting by Johann Carl Auerbach and bronze
statues of St. Francis and St. Teresa by Balthasar Moll.
Silver
Chapel (Silberne Kapelle) — Added in the late 16th century as a private
side chapel for Archduke Ferdinand II and his wife Philippine Welser. It
contains their tombs (by Alexander Colin) and a lavish silver altar
incorporating ebony, elephant tusks, and over 300 kg of silver—named for
its glittering appearance.
Materials and Evolution
Builders
used local Hagau marble (Jurassic limestone from North Tyrol) for key
structural and sculptural elements, with Mittenwald sandstone for
original gallery ribs. The layered buttresses and hall-church form nod
to German Gothic traditions, while the portal, capitals, and overall
proportions reflect Renaissance symmetry and Italian influence via
Crivelli. Later Baroque additions (stucco, rebuilt vault, high altar)
enriched the space without overpowering its core late-Gothic/Renaissance
identity.