Herrenplatz

Baroque heart and historic center of St. Pölten. Market square.

Herrenplatz is considered the most artistically cohesive square in the city of St. Pölten. Since the Middle Ages, it has served as the site of the "daily market" - a center of urban life that has constantly changed over the centuries, but has never lost its rhythm.

Namesake: the town's manor house

The square owes its name to the former manor house at Wiener Straße 12, the former courtyard of the Passau bishops. In later times, it served as the administrative seat of the city lords of St. Pölten, first the Counts Trautson, then the Princes Auersperg. The originally baroque building, which was redesigned from 1692 under Christian Alexander Oedtl and Jakob Prandtauer, had to make way for a new building in the late 19th century: in 1893, Eugen Sehnal erected a late historicist building on this site, which still houses a branch of the post office today.

Palace, baroque and baroque imagery

The building at Herrenplatz 2, a baroque town palace built in 1724 under Jakob Weinhardt von Thürburg, is particularly noteworthy. The façade - possibly a design by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt - was executed by Joseph Munggenast and features a magnificent front gable depicting the expulsion of darkness by light.

The design of this symbolic representation is attributed to Georg Raphael Donner, one of the most important Austrian Baroque sculptors. The work was executed by the St. Pölten sculptor Joseph Pabel. The façade is complemented by a statue of St. John of Nepomuk and a figure of Diogenes in the barrel in the stairwell - both possibly the work of Prandtauer's son-in-law Peter Widerin.

A prominent resident from 1811 onwards was Karl Mack von Leiberich, the general who had to surrender to Napoleon near Ulm in 1805. His tragic career even found its way into Tolstoy's "War and Peace".

Art Nouveau and imperial architecture

An example of the late Art Nouveau phase is the building at Herrenplatz 4, which was built in 1913/14 by Hubert Gessner, a student of Otto Wagner. The building is characterized by clear, stereometric forms and classical echoes. Decorative elements from the Werkbund and the figurative decoration by Secession artist Anton Hanak characterize the appearance of this building, which is a landmark in the cityscape.

Chamber house, music and baroque façades

In the 14th and 15th centuries, Herrenplatz 5 was the chamber house of the Augustinian canons' monastery and was used for financial administration. Its current façade dates from the late 18th century. The house's most famous guest was Franz Schubert, who resided here in 1821 during his visit to Bishop Dankesreither.

On the south side of the square is the house at Wiener Straße 16, a former inn with roots in the first half of the 17th century. The Baroque façade design from around 1720 is attributed to Joseph Munggenast, with the possible involvement of the versatile artist Antonio Beduzzi.

The Marian column - a monument against the plague

In the middle of the square stands the Marian Column, erected in 1718 in response to a vow made by the Weinhardt von Thürburg family after the plague of 1713/14. The figure of the Immaculata - on a slender column surrounded by clouds - is considered to be an early work by Joseph Pabel. The column was possibly also designed by Antonio Beduzzi.

A place of contrasts and encounters

Opposite, in the northern corner of the square, stands a modern counterpart to the Baroque world of symbols: the sculpture "Gossiping Women" by Hans Freilinger, created in 1990, is a popular photo motif - especially among tourists. The humorous scene blends in surprisingly well with the historical ambience and emphasizes that Herrenplatz is not only a place of the past, but also a place of the living present.

Baroque pharmacy culture

Another remarkable building is Wiener Strasse 14, the core of which dates back to 1544. The late Baroque façade, which was extended in 1877, is attributed to Mathias Munggenast. The pharmacy "Zur goldenen Krone", also known as the "Alte Spora-Apotheke", has been located here since 1628. With its magnificent stucco ceiling from the first half of the 18th century and old pharmacy furnishings, it is one of the most impressive historic pharmacies in the city.