Hofkirche - The Court Church

Mon - Sat 9 am – 5 pm, Sun and public holidays 12.30 - 5 pm

The Innsbruck Hofkirche – the Court Church – houses the most grandiose of all Imperial tombs in Europe, the Cenotaph of Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519). It is flanked by 28 over-dimensional bronze figures, popularly called the “Schwarze Mander” – the Black Men. They represent the emperor’s dynasty and the models he wished to emulate. Albrecht Dürer and Veit Stoss were among those involved in their design and execution. Marble reliefs by Alexander Colin showing scenes from the life of Emperor Maximilian I adorn the sarcophagus. Saints from the Habsburg Dynasty stand sentinel on the gallery. Maximilian is portrayed kneeling at his sarcophagus – but it remained empty; he was buried in Wiener Neustadt.

Other sightseeing highlights are the Ebert organ (1558), the Silver Chapel, and the last resting place of the Tyrolean freedom fighter Andreas Hofer.