![\"Stephansdom](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dom-von-unten.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOn our first visit to Vienna many years ago, we visited the cathedral not only from the inside but also from above. A visit to the tower and the roof of St. Stephen’s Cathedral is really impressive and I still remembered it well on my second visit to the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The roof of St. Stephen’s Cathedral<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The roof of the church building had already inspired me on our first visit, so on the second visit I circled the church several times and looked at it more closely from all directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The original roof consisted of 2000 cubic metres of larch wood. That is a lot of wood and could almost form a small forest. In 1945, the roof burnt down. Another construction option was sought and a steel roof truss was created. This had to cover an area of 10,000 m\u00b2. The result was a construction that weighed over 600 tonnes. Today, the roof is 27.85 metres high and has a span of 35 metres. The steepest part of the construction has a roof slope of 80 degrees. This steep angle is the reason that snow never lies on the roof. It simply slides down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The roofing is particularly striking. 230,000 colourfully glazed tiles transform the roof of the Stephandom into a true work of art. Each of these tiles weighs about 2.5 kg, is nailed to the rafters with two copper nails and is also embedded in mortar. The bricks were fired in a Czech factory. In total, there are tiles in 10 colours on the roof. The coats of arms laid out of the tiles are particularly striking. On one roof I discover the imperial and royal double-headed eagle. On another section of the roof are the coats of arms of Austria and Vienna. But something is wrong with this coat of arms, one of them is wrong. The federal eagle in the Austrian coat of arms is facing the wrong way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actually, it is not allowed to alter coats of arms. Why the roof builders and roofers misrepresented this coat of arms – we do not know. Presumably they were more concerned with symmetry and less with the legal requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As with almost all buildings, there are also legends and myths about St. Stephen’s Cathedral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are standing in the vineyards of Grinzing in the late afternoon (snack time) and look towards St. Stephen’s Cathedral, you may rub your eyes in amazement. A “White Woman” (Jausenengel) appears between the heather towers, hovering there like a glistening figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This phenomenon has existed for many years and still occurs today. It is a light reflection that caused a great stir for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A gilded cockerel stands on the choir roof of the Stephandom. There is a story about this rooster in which the young knight Kaspar von Schlezer plays a role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The knight was supposed to deliver a message to the Sultan of Constantinople. He said goodbye to his wife and received a silver cross from her around his neck for good luck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The journey was arduous and took many weeks. Then finally Kaspar von Schlezer was able to deliver his message. Happy, the young man made his way home to his wife. On this journey, pirates attacked the ship and took him prisoner. In a harbour they sold him to a rich sheik who made him work hard as a slave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the years of captivity, the young knight wore his cross hidden on his chest and thought a lot about his wife. She mourned her husband back home. After five years of waiting in vain, she became engaged to her husband’s friend and began the wedding preparations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One night Kaspar von Schlezer dreamt of his wife. In this dream she was standing in front of the altar in St. Stephen’s Cathedral and was being married. A voice whispered to him: “You still have time to prevent the marriage.” Panic-stricken, he woke up and cried out in desperation: “Tomorrow I have to be in Vienna and the devil should get me!” The devil did not need to be told twice and appeared on a cock. He promised that this cock would bring the young man to Vienna in time if he would get the man’s soul in return. The knight agreed on the condition that he would not wake up during the flight. Should he wake up, the devil would not get the soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So it happened that the devil and Kaspar von Schlezer took a seat on the rooster’s back and it rose into the air. The knight secretly grasped the silver cross on his chest and thus gave his soul into God’s hand. Then he fell asleep and the cock flew to Vienna. Morning approached, St. Stephen’s Cathedral came into view and the cock crowed loudly. The young man awoke before he reached the destination and the devil lost his soul.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n In a rage, the devil hurled the rooster and the knight into the Danube. There, two fishermen rescued him. Kaspar von Schlezer quickly rushed to his wife and thus prevented the wedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In gratitude to the cockerel, the knight had an iron cockerel made and placed on St. Stephen’s Cathedral.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of the most striking landmarks of Vienna is St. Stephen’s Cathedral in the city centre. It is considered the most important Gothic building in Austria and I think you should not miss visiting this church.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[225],"tags":[85],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Zickzack](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/wien-stephansdom-dach-seite-1024x683.jpeg\")
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In the nave area, the colourful tiles are arranged in a zigzag pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Wappen](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/wien-stephansdom-dach-adler-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"falsche](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/wien-stephansdom-dach-wappen-falsch-1024x766.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nLittle roof stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Jausenengel (snack angel) from St. Stephen’s Cathedral<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Stephansdom\"](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/wien-stephansdom-dach-steil-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe gilded rooster<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Blick](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/blick-vom-dach-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n