St Martin's Cathedral – Eisenstadt (Kismarton)
Since 1960 St Martin's Cathedral has been the cathedral of the Diocese of Eisenstadt and the most important Catholic church in Burgenland. Its patron, St Martin of Tours, is the patron saint of both the diocese and the province; even the town's Hungarian name, Kismarton (“little Martin”), derives from the old place name.
A chapel dedicated to St Martin is first mentioned in 1264; its Romanesque foundations survive beneath today's chancel, and in the 13th century it was extended with an Early Gothic choir. Construction of the present church began in 1460: after the fall of Constantinople, fearing an Ottoman attack, it was designed as a fortified church. The Late Gothic building was completed by 1522.
Badly damaged by fire in 1589, it was rebuilt in Baroque style between 1610 and 1629; according to tradition, its early Baroque choir stalls came from Győr Cathedral. In 1777–1778 Stephan Dorfmeister's altarpiece of the Glorification of St Martin was placed on the high altar, and the organ by the Viennese builder Johann Gottfried Malleck was built following Joseph Haydn's instructions. In 1903–1904 the church was restored in the Gothic style.
The west front of the three-aisled Late Gothic hall church was planned with two towers, but only the five-storey north tower was built to full height. After the diocese was founded in 1960, the interior and windows were renewed under Bishop Stefan László: the chancel windows were designed by Franz Deéd, and those of the nave, with motifs from the Book of Revelation, by Margret Bilger. The stone statue of St Martin on the triumphal arch is the work of Jakob Adlhart.
Under Bishop Paul Iby, after a year of works, the renovated cathedral and its new altar were consecrated on 12 April 2003. The Malleck organ from Haydn's time is still played; the cathedral is known for its church music and for concerts of the Haydn Festival. Since 2013 seven bells have rung in the tower, including the Bishop's Bell, the largest bell in Burgenland.
Pilgrimage feast: the patronal feast of the cathedral and the diocese is held on St Martin’s Day, 11 November, with a festive Mass celebrated by the diocesan bishop.
Visiting: the cathedral stands on Domplatz in the centre of Eisenstadt. Esterházy Palace, the Bergkirche with Haydn's tomb and the Calvary are all a short walk away.
Sources: Wikipedia (German) · Hungarian Catholic Lexicon · Diocese of Eisenstadt (martinus.at) – St Martin's Day
Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Thomas Ledl / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Town:
Eisenstadt (Kismarton)