The Cathedral and the Habsburgs

The Habsburgs and St Stephen's Cathedral always had a special relationship. The cathedral was the perfect backdrop for the dynasty's great religious events. The Habsburgs tried for centuries to control and exploit the cathedral. From Franz Joseph's famous funeral procession to the Maximilian double wedding, right back to the founding of the cathedral by Rudolf der Stifter (the Founder), a single unifying purpose can be discerned:  St Stephen's, which was actually the citizens' church and belonged to itself, was destined to become the setting for the divine right of the Habsburgs.