Jesuitenkirche Vienna: Baroque Splendor and Stories of Power

Join us to visit the Jesuitenkirche (Jesuit Church), also known as the University Church, and discover one of Vienna’s most striking Baroque masterpieces. Hidden in the university quarter in the old town, this church isn’t just an architectural gem, it is a stage for centuries of faith, power, and intrigue.

Built between 1623 and 1627, the church rose alongside the Jesuits’ growing role at the University of Vienna. Later, Emperor Leopold I called on the legendary architect and painter Andrea Pozzo to reimagine it. Pozzo added elegant twin towers, reshaped the façade, and painted a trompe-l’œil dome that still amazes visitors today.

Walk in and marvel at the opulent interiors: gilded details, marble-like columns, and allegorical frescoes.

You'll be stunned by Pozzo’s illusionary dome, a flat ceiling that appears to soar heavenward. The church was the spiritual heart of the University of Vienna for over 250 years and it invites you to explore the layers of history: from royal patronage to suppression and revival, reflecting Vienna’s turbulent past.

Although not a museum in the traditional sense, we included this church thanks to its history that embodies remarkable museum value. Its very stones bear witness to the power struggles between the Catholic Church, the mighty Habsburg dynasty, and the secular forces of Europe. Just have a look at the following pivotal moments in its story: In 2550 King Ferdinand I asks Ignatius of Loyola to send two theologians to lecture at the University of Vienna and to establish a college. The Jesuits firmly anchor themselves within the university by 1623, taking over the chairs of humanities, philosophy, and theology (so much for the freedom of science...). They acquire buildings and bursaries, pledge to expand their own college, and embark on major renovations including the construction of a new church and an administrative building.

The death of Leopold I in 1705 marks a turning point. Jesuit influence at the university wanes, political opposition grows, and in finally in 1773 Pope Clement XIV officially abolishes the Society of Jesus. At that time, Vienna counted 350 jesuits. Their college and church passed into state hands until Pope Pius VII restores the Society in 1814. Mind you, political upheaval is never far. as by 1848, the Jesuits were once again expelled from Austria, only to be restored a few years later in 1852 across the entire Habsburg monarchy. Finally, the Emperor returns both the university church and its adjoining buildings to the Jesuits in 1856.

The church is fully accessible. There is some religious literature available for purchase inside. There is no café on the site but the surrounding Doktor-Ignaz-Seipel-Platz and nearby streets are full of cozy Viennese cafés and wine bars, perfect for reflecting the power of religion, the church and the Habsburgs.

Jesuitenkirche (University Church)

Doktor-Ignaz-Seipel-Platz 1, 1010 Wien

https://jesuitenkirche-wien.at