Votivkirche

The Votivkirche is a Neo-Gothic church by Heinrich von Ferstel on Vienna's Ringstrasse, built between 1856 and 1879 as a votive offering after Emperor Franz Joseph I survived an assassination attempt on 18 February 1853. The campaign was launched by his brother Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian — later Emperor of Mexico — turning a dynastic act of gratitude into one of the Ringstrasse era's most ambitious ecclesiastical projects. Inside, the Sacrament Chapel houses the Renaissance tomb of field commander Niklas von Salm, who led the defense of Vienna against the Ottoman siege of 1529. The 19th- and early 20th-century stained glass is among Austria's finest. Today the church serves Vienna's international Catholic community with multilingual services, and its illuminated twin-tower facade remains a defining feature of the 9th district's evening skyline.

Finished 1879, 99 m towers, founded in thanks for Emperor Franz Joseph surviving the 1853 assassination attempt.