Siebenkreuzkapelle (former chapel)

6020 Innsbruck, Kapuzinergasse 39

General and Historic Information

Encouraged by his wife Anna Catherina of Mantua, Archduke Ferdinand commissioned the erection of a Holy Sepulchre inspired by the one in Jerusalem, on the hospital meadow on the Sill, not far from the so-called Rauchhäusl or Schwefelhäusl building. He also commissioned the erection of seven chapels commemorating the stations of the cross. Pope Gregory XIII granted an indulgence for the princely family and their royal household, which wasn’t extended to the wider public until 1696 (by Pope Innocent). In 1596, the anteroom was destroyed by a southerly storm. As it had not been maintained and was in danger of collapse, the church had to be torn down in 1670, too. However, in 1670, the scrap material was used to build a new church, according to the designs by Johann Martin Gumpp. It was erected on the property of the pharmacist’s widow, Sara Naz née Pegger, just slightly above the site of the old church and consisted of three alcoves on both longitudinal sides, and a passageway leading to the Holy Sepulchre behind the main altar. J. B. Hoffingott was the master builder.

In 1785, the church fell victim to the secularisation under Emperor Joseph II (1741-1790). Its funds were incorporated into the restitution fund, and parts of its inventory given to other churches. In 1792, Johann Baptist Oberkofler won the buildings in an auction. However, as early as 1793, he was forced to hand it over to the military, who used it as an arms depot. In 1845, the military expanded the building structure by erecting a depot building.

Between 1945 and 1988, the entire plot was rented by the Postal Mail and Telephone Directorate for storage purposes. The structure has been vacant ever since and is only occasionally used for exhibitions.

Occupant:
vacant

Burghauptmannschaft Österreich – Departments in charge:
Building Management Dep. 305 – Building Management Innsbruck
HVAC Dep. 305 – Building Management Innsbruck
Administration Dep. 201 – Administration and Dep. 202 – Imperial Palace Innsbruck