History
It is said that there was a wooden church at this place in the 9th century, although this has been disputed, which served as a place of worship for fishermen and sailors. The church is first mentioned in documents from 1158. The present building was built between 1394 and 1414 in gothic style. The first reference occurs in 1137, indirectly, and more explicitly in 1200.
The ownership of the land appears obscure, variously passing into the hands of the Diocese of Passau in Bavaria, the nearby Schottenstift, and Viennese families. From 1302, the church was owned by the Herren von Greif. Between 1330 and 1355 a new choir was constructed and was probably conceived as a family burial ground. In 1409, the church became a more permanent part of the Passau diocese, giving its name to the surrounding precinct (Passauer Platz) and remained an enclave when the Archdiocese of Vienna was established in 1469.
The church was deconsecrated in 1786 and gradually became dilapidated and parts were torn down. It was used as an arsenal and stable during Napoleon's occupation of Vienna in 1809. In 1812, the church was renovated and newly consecrated, coming into the hands of the Redemptorist order. The Gothic choir windows were taken to Laxenburg in Lower Austria and installed in Franzensburg castle. The church was further restored In 1900 and again in 1930, mainly involving the figures in the portico.
The church is associated with the Czech community in Vienna.
Read more about this topic: Maria Am Gestade
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—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951)