Maria am Gestade church ranks among Vienna's

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

 oldest buildings and one of the few surviving examples of Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....

 in the city. The church is located at Salvatorgasse 12, near the Donaukanal

Donaukanal

The Donaukanal is a former arm of the river Danube, now regulated as a water channel , within the city of Vienna, Austria...

 and was traditionally used by sailors on the Danube.

History

It is said that there was a wooden church at this place in the 9th century, 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, and in 1409, the church became part of the Diocese of Passau. It remained an enclave when the Diocese of Vienna was established in 1469. The church was desecrated in 1786 and gradually became dilapidated. It was used as a storeroom and stable during Napoleon's occupation of Vienna in 1809. In 1812, the church was renovated and newly consecrated. The church is associated with the Czech

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

 community in Vienna.
The church's most striking characteristic is the 56 m (180 ft) high open work tower, built in 1419-1428. It is recognisable from a great distance and is depicted on the oldest images of the city. The choir contains two high gothic panels (1460). The windows contain surviving fragments of mediæval stained glass

Stained glass

The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...

.