Greek Orthodox churches have existed near this site since 1787, as a result of the 1781
Patent of Toleration issued by
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor. The architect of the 1787 building was Peter Mollner. The current building is a
Byzantine Revival re-design of the Mollner building by Danish-Austrian neo-classic architect
Theophil Hansen. Greek-Austrian diplomat and philanthropist
Simon Sinas funded the project, one of many collaborations with Hansen in Vienna and Athens. The cathedral was inaugurated on December 21, 1858. The exterior features two-tone brickwork and gilded archways. The elaborately ornamented sanctuary shows a stylish allusion to Baroque church architecture typical of southern Germany and Austria. A number of frescoes for the facade and vestibule were commissioned from the Austrian painter and art professor
Carl Rahl, with other frescoes by
Ludwig Thiersch. The address is Fleischmarkt 13, 1010 Wien. Among the parishioners here was the family of conductor
Herbert von Karajan. == References ==