Kapuzinergruft

Description:

• Since 1633, the significant members of the Habsburg family have been buried in the so-called Kapuziner or Kaisergruft (Imperial crypt). Twelve emperors, 15 empresses and around 100 archdukes lie here, carefully guarded by Capuchin monks. Wandering around the dark vaults here, you will not only learn a lot about the genealogy of one of Europe most important noble families, but also about the changing culture of the dead through the centuries. The first room contains Emperor Matthias, founder of the crypt, and his wife, Anna, in rather simple sarcophagi. The most recent arrival is Zita, Austria's last Empress, who died in 1989 in exile and was buried with all the imperial pomp and circumstance.
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