The Archiepiscopal Seminary of Vienna (German: Erzbischöfliches Priesterseminar Wien), commonly referred to in German as the Wiener Priesterseminar, is a Roman Catholic major seminary that serves as the seminary of the Archdiocese of Vienna. Founded in 1758 by the Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Anton Migazzi, the seminary moved to its current building, the Haus Boltzmanngasse, in 1914. Today, the rector is Rev. Richard Tatzreiter and enrollment is 35.
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History
The Archiepiscopal Seminary of Vienna was founded in 1758 by Count Christoph Anton Migazzi, the Archbishop of Vienna, as the main seminary for the training of priests for the Archdiocese of Vienna. For many years, it was located in the Curhaus in Stephansplatz, the same square in Vienna where St. Stephen's Cathedral is located. The building was expanded in 1805 during the reign of Archbishop Sigismund Anton von Hohenwart in order to accommodate more seminarians. By 1912, the seminary had grown to 112 seminarians.
During the reign of Cardinal Franz Xaver Nagl, the Haus Boltzmanngasse, a former hospital and later orphanage in the Alsergrund district of Vienna, was restored and expanded. The new archbishop, Friedrich Gustav Piffl, made the decision to move the seminary from Curhaus to Boltzmanngasse. The seminary made the move in the summer of 1914, and has remained in the new building ever since.
Beginning with the 2012–2013 academic year, seminarians from the Burgenländisches Seminary and St. Pölten Seminary will be living and studying in the Seminary of Vienna facilities. In 2014, the seminary had 35 seminarians.
Administration and organization
Rev. Richard Tatzreiter is the seminary rector, and Rev. Markus Muth is vice rector. Rev. Michael Meßner, SJ, is the spiritual director, and Michael Sipka is the librarian.
Student life
Student body
In 2014, there were 35 seminarians at the Seminary of Vienna. However, in addition to this, there are a number of other seminarians from the Burgenländisches Seminary and St. Pölten Seminary, which are now located in the same building.
Notable people
Alumni
Hans Hermann Groër, Austrian Benedictine cardinal; Archbishop of Vienna
Rudolf Henke, Austrian writer and producer at the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation
Prince Alexander of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst, German Roman Catholic priest
Theodor Innitzer; Austrian cardinal and politician; Archbishop of Vienna
Franz Jáchym, Austrian Roman Catholic bishop; coadjutor bishop of Vienna
Joseph Kenner, Austrian artist and politician
Blessed Franz Alexander Kern; Austrian Premonstratensian priest
Nikolaus Krasa, Austrian Roman Catholic priest; Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Vienna
Florian Kuntner, Austrian Roman Catholic bishop; Auxiliary Bishop of Vienna
Štefan László, Austrian Roman Catholic bishop; Bishop of Eisenstadt
Leopold Lentner, Austrian Roman Catholic priest and theologian; director of the Vienna Catechetical Institute
Heinrich Maier, Austrian Roman Catholic priest and educator; member of the Austrian Resistance
Godfried Marschall, Austrian Roman Catholic bishop; Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of Vienna
Laurenz Mayer, Austrian Roman Catholic bishop; Auxiliary Bishop of Vienna
Faculty
Johann Kurz, Austrian Roman Catholic priest and educator; prefect of studies at the seminary from 1939 to 1941
Maria Loley, Austrian social worker and educator; professor at the seminary from 1996 to 2003
Heinrich Segur, Austrian Jesuit priest and educator; spiritual director at the seminary from 1966 to 1969
Rectors
Richard Tatzreiter (1 January 2011 – )