Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Austria Vienna Steinhof Church

Steinhof Church

The first modernist church in Europe.

Vienna, Austria

Added By
lrt228
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Steinhof Church.   lrt228 / Atlas Obscura User
Stained glass designed by Koloman Moser, from the exterior.   lrt228 / Atlas Obscura User
Steinhof Church architectural details.   lrt228 / Atlas Obscura User
Steinhof Church.   lrt228 / Atlas Obscura User
Steinhof Church.   lrt228 / Atlas Obscura User
  gingercinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
Steinhof Church   lrt228 / Atlas Obscura User
Steinhof Church.   lrt228 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Architect and urban planner Otto Wagner was already famous by the time he founded the Vienna Secession movement alongside a small group that included Gustav Klimt. The movement sought to break from the aesthetic traditions of the past across all possible mediums of expression.

Wagner's Church of St. Leopold was built on the grounds of the City of Vienna Psychiatric Hospital between 1904 and 1907. This major project came relatively late in his career, and reflects a mature vision of what he thought a house of worship ought to look like.

There are many ornate focal points in the design, but just as notable are the large swaths of blank white space and the exposed stone foundation, which features unshaped boulders at the base layer that graduate to carved boulders before blooming into the high white walls of the church itself.

Blank space was an important way that the Secession broke with the past. An illustrative feature is the portal on the church's eastern side, a person-sized recession between two columns that leads only to a blank white surface.

Of special note are the stain glass windows designed by Koloman Moser, which to 21st-century eyes look as close to comic book art as they do to traditional Catholic stained glass.

Related Tags

Churches Architecture Modernism Stained Glass Windows Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

The church is still in daily use by parishioners. Visitors can access the interior on Saturdays and Sundays. Check the Vienna tourism website for the most up to date hours. The Kirche am Steinhof is located in Steinhofgründe, a park with many steep walking trails, so visitors can plan to spend an hour or so strolling in lightly wooded nature before or after visiting.

Community Contributors

Added By

lrt228

Edited By

gingercinnamon

  • gingercinnamon

Published

July 3, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.wien.info/en/locations/steinhof-church
  • https://newchurcharchitecture.wordpress.com/2013/12/01/st-leopold-am-steinhof/
Steinhof Church
1 Baumgartner Höhe
Vienna, 1140
Austria
48.210659, 16.278744
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Jubiläumswarte

Vienna, Austria

miles away

Otto Wagner Villa I (Ernst Fuchs Museum)

Vienna, Austria

miles away

Hofpavillon Hietzing

Vienna, Austria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Vienna

Vienna

Austria

Places 66
Stories 7

Nearby Places

Jubiläumswarte

Vienna, Austria

miles away

Otto Wagner Villa I (Ernst Fuchs Museum)

Vienna, Austria

miles away

Hofpavillon Hietzing

Vienna, Austria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Vienna

Vienna

Austria

Places 66
Stories 7

Related Places

  • Shetland Library

    Lerwick, Scotland

    Shetland Library

    This public library still showcases its former life as a 19th-century church.

  • All Saints’ Church of Tudeley

    Tudeley, England

    All Saints' Church of Tudeley

    This medieval church is the only one in the world that features all Marc Chagall stained-glass windows.

  • Main entrance to the church.

    Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico

    Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe

    This colorful, geometric church beautifully embodies the Tapatía school of architecture.

  • The church’s historical stained glass window.

    Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

    Medieval Choir Windows

    This unique medieval artwork featuring the story of the Antichrist remained lost for decades.

  • Firminy, France

    Saint-Pierre of Firminy

    This church looks more like a spaceship than a house of worship.

  • The chapel.

    Nottinghamshire, England

    Chapel of Saint Mary the Virgin

    English Protestants once criticized this enormous private chapel for being too ornate.

  • Angel sculptures hanging from the Cathedral of Brasília.

    Brasília, Brazil

    Cathedral of Brasília

    A stunning Catholic cathedral built by a curve-loving communist in Brazil’s newly created capital.

  • The stained glass.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Magdalen Chapel

    The 16th-century church has the only stained glass windows that survived the Scottish Reformation intact.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.