Bergkirche

After seeing Schloss Esterházy, we went to the Bergkirche, a massive, MASSIVE, Cathedral in Eisenstadt. One cool thing about this cathedral is that it is where Franz Joseph Hadyn is buried. Just from the outside, it looks quite massive. However, much like the Stephansdom, it seems way bigger inside than it does on the outside. Additionally, this building takes you through a walkthrough of all the events leading up to Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection.

More Bergkirche

Judisches Museum in Eisenstadt

After spending some time at the Bergkirche, we went to the Jewish Museum of Eisenstadt. The Judisches Museum is located in the former Jewish Quarter of Eisenstadt. Historically, Eisenstadt had a large Jewish community. Although they experienced lots of antisemitic discrimination, Joseph II allowed Jews to be able to practice their religion without fear of persecution and have their own synagogues and community, provided they keep it on a down-low. However, antisemitism peaked once again as a result of Adolf Hitler coming into power. He immediately began the violent campaign of genocide that we now refer to as the Holocaust. Among the Jewish communities that were completely destroyed was Eisenstadt. After Hitler, Eisenstadt's Jewish community had a population of 1. 

As a result of the Jewish community at Eisenstadt being practically deleted by Hitler, in 1950 AFTER the war, the government decided to tear down the Synagogue near the Jewish Quarter and replace it with a hospital because there were no more Jews who could protest it. This, I find frustrating and stupid, for I think the government should've kept the synagogue as a way to commemorate the Jewish community that was deleted by Adolf Hitler.

Thankfully, the both of the Jewish Cemeteries and the old Jewish Quarter that houses the museum still exist and thus preserve the memories of the Jews who lived at Eisenstadt.