Innsbruck Cathedral celebrates 300 years

It is the spiritual center of the diocese of Innsbruck, a cultural monument of the first rank, is not missing in any travel guide, is visited and admired by around 700,000 people a year: the Cathedral of St. Jacob in the heart of Innsbruck's old town. This year it is celebrating its 300th anniversary. And that needs to be honored.

A breath away from the Golden Roof, Pfarrgasse opens up onto Domplatz, creating space to admire the cathedral's façade with its structures and ornamentation, its imposing height and the church towers that tower far above the buildings of the old town.

The church is closely linked to the history of the city of Innsbruck. When a new market was established on the right bank of the Inn in 1180 and Innsbruck was founded, a new church was also built. The first documented mention of St. Jacob's Church dates back to 1270. Originally a branch church of Wilten Abbey and parish church of the city, it became a cathedral when the Diocese of Innsbruck was founded in 1964. in 2024, the provincial capital will be celebrating another anniversary: Innsbruck has now been a bishop's see for 60 years.

The church was given its present form between 1717 and 1724. After the death of the architect Johann Jakob Herkomer, the planner Johann Georg Fischer made significant changes and completed the Baroque building. The consecration took place on September 9, 1724.

While some may find the cathedral impressive on the outside but relatively plain in its appearance, once inside you can't help but be amazed. To be honest, I don't know where to start describing it. After all, a comprehensive publication has been published to mark the 300th anniversary, which is dedicated to the many facets and details of the building and the history of the cathedral.

328 pages „Der Innsbrucker Dom zu St. Jakob. Bekanntes und Unbekanntes aus seiner Geschichte“published by Tyrolia Verlag (see book tip).

Leafing through it, the agony of choice becomes even more obvious: there are the wonderful ceiling frescoes by Cosmas Damian Asam and his brother or the silver bust of St. James the Elder or the large Mariahilf bell, the second largest historical church bell in Tyrol, to name just a few of the treasures of Innsbruck Cathedral.

Not to forget: the famous Mariahilf miraculous image by Lucas Cranach in the high altar. My blogger colleague Werner Kräutler tells an interesting story about it here. And last but not least, the tomb of Maximilian III, Prince of Tyrol from 1612 to 1618, and, and, and ... You simply have to wander across the marble floors of the cathedral, take a seat in one of the benches and let the splendor and dignity take effect on you.

Especially as extensive renovation and restoration work was also carried out to mark the 300th anniversary. During excavation work on the forecourt, finds came to light that not only made the hearts of archaeologists beat faster. Among other things, wooden remains and skeletons were found in the ground in front of the cathedral gates, indicating that a cemetery was located here.

A chapel from the 15th century was also uncovered, which was previously only known from historical sources. The excavation site has since been backfilled and a simple but elegant barrier-free entrance has been added to the entrance.

My favorite place in St. Jakob Cathedral is the lower church, which can be reached via a staircase next to the pews. The initiative for this sacred space came from the then Bishop Reinhold Stecher, who wanted to offer the faithful and those seeking contemplation a place of retreat and silence away from the crowds of tourists. The lower church was also intended to be used for smaller liturgical celebrations such as baptisms.

It was built in the course of a major renovation and conversion phase in the early 1990s. Since the reopening of the cathedral in 1993, this sacred space has been reserved for people seeking contemplation and silence. For me, the oval room radiates an incredible sense of peace: Harmonizing materials such as African granite, chrome steel and gold give it clear structures. The simple, yet high-quality furnishings focus attention on the essentials and allow you to calm down. From here, you can also access the bishop's crypt, about which there are many stories to be told.

However, the best thing to do is to visit St. Jacob's Cathedral and take in this important sacred, artistic and cultural-historical space - the shape of which was shaped 300 years ago. For more in-depth information, I recommend the comprehensive volume commissioned by the cathedral provostry to mark the anniversary (see book tip). Numerous experts shed light on exciting aspects of the cathedral, its significance for the city of Innsbruck and, of course, the parish as well as its great history in entertaining and informative texts.

Book tip: „Der Innsbrucker Dom zu St. Jakob. Bekanntes und Unbekanntes aus seiner Geschichte“, edited by Matthias Egger, Florian Huber and Lukas Morscher, Tyrolia Verlag 2024

Photos, unless otherwise stated: © Susanne Gurschler