Тhe Imperial Tomb, Vienna

In Vienna, under the Capuchin Church, there is a place called the Imperial Tomb, which is the last resting place of the Habsburgs. Tradition dictated that after 1633 the body of every reigning ruler of this dynasty was laid to rest in the Imperial Tomb.

The bodies of the kings were not made whole, since by another tradition their hearts were taken out and buried in the Augustinian church. The practice continued until 1878. Only one body exists in the crypt of the imperial tomb that is not that of a ruler of the Habsburg dynasty, and that is that of Countess Fuchs, who acquired the privilege of being laid to rest in the imperial tomb because she was a very close friend of Empress Maria Theresa.

The interesting thing about this imperial tomb is the graves. They are made in different styles. Some are so intricately made to suit the opulence of Vienna, while in complete contrast there are also quite simple graves. The graves of one family are of interest - the tombs of Maria Theresa and Franz Joseph I reflect all the grandeur of the Baroque era, while that of their son Joseph II does not seem to belong to a member of their family.

There are also a few Habsburg rulers whose graves do not belong in the imperial tomb - those of Charles I and the ill-fated Marie-Antoinette. Perhaps the most famous is the grave of the empress Sisi. It is actually about Elizabeth, who possessed a bitter fame and was dearly loved, which became the cause of her death - she fell subdued at the hands of an anarchist from Switzerland.

Although unwanted by the Viennese in the early 20th century, the Habsburgs left a huge legacy that makes 21st century Viennese terribly proud.