Group 3 | Station 24B
Hospital of the Teutonic Order
Image Gallery 1
Hospital of the Teutonic Order
Teutonic Order Hospital in Friesach
The Deutschordensspital in Friesach is the former commandery building of the order of the same name. It is currently used as part of a general hospital.
History
In 1203, Archbishop Eberhard II of Salzburg handed over the Magdalenenspital hospital in Friesach to the Teutonic Order.
Subsequently, the Order moved the hospital to its current location. This took place before 1275.
Catastrophic fires in 1461 and 1582 destroyed the building and the order’s church. After the fires, rebuilding of the hospital and church was undertaken. Rebuilding was completed in 1612. However, only a small number of sick and poor people could be admitted.
The reopening of the renovated hospital took place in 1880, after which patients received pastoral and medical care free of charge.
Today, the Teutonic Order Hospital is partially protected as a historic monument. The order’s house and the former commandery building are listed buildings and placed under protection.
Architectural History
The building partially dates back to the medieval commandery building.
In the early 17th century, it was extensively renovated under Gottfried von Schrattenbach.
The current appearance of the order’s house is largely due to a Victorian-era renovation carried out by Heinrich Wagner in 1890.
In 1937, the core structure was extended, and new wings were added to the south and north in the 1960s.
Description
The exterior façades feature a neo-Gothic design with ornamented wall pillars and a corbelled cornice.
The former knights’ hall has been converted into a chapel and a dining room.
In the courtyard, beneath the upper-storey arcades, there are three stone inscription plaques:
– the first from 1614, alongside three coats of arms with helmet adornments
– the second from 1653
– the third displaying three different Teutonic Order coats of arms, adorned with foliage decoration and a cherub head atop, along with a banner dated 1673.
Current Utilisation
The building is currently part of a general care hospital and includes departments specializing in internal medicine, trauma surgery, radiology, anaesthesiology, and intensive care. The hospital is operated by the “A. Ö. Krankenhaus des Deutschen Ordens Friesach GmbH.”
Image Gallery 2
Map: 24B
Stations: 18A | 18B | 19 | 24A | 24B
Station 18A | St. Veiter Tor (Former Gate)
Station 18B | Villa Wünschmann
Station 19 | Ruins on Virgilienberg
Station 24A | Teutonic Order Church
Station 24B | Teutonic Order Hospital