The Catholic Votive Church is considered one of the most important neo-Gothic religious buildings in the world. The reason for its construction was the assassination attempt on Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1853. The tailor's apprentice János Libényi had tried to kill the emperor with a targeted stab, but this was prevented by the butcher Josef Ettenreich and the adjutant Count O'Donnell.
After the assassination, Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, the emperor's brother, called for donations for the construction of a new church "in gratitude for the rescue of His Majesty". The church was to be built as a thank-you gift, a so-called votive offering. A total of 300,000 people donated. Construction began in 1856. After 23 years of construction, the church was completed and was inaugurated on Franz Joseph's silver wedding anniversary. But it did not become a "Cathedral of the Nations" as the Archduke had intended. In 1880, the Votive Church was named a parish church. Today, all peoples of the world are to find their spiritual home here. The Votive Church has a special meaning for Austrian Latin Americans, because a side altar is dedicated to Our Lady of Guadeloupe in Mexico. During World War I, the bells and organ pipes were melted down. With the end of the monarchy, the Votive Church also lost importance, so that no more money was made available for its maintenance. A comprehensive restoration has not taken place since the church was built. Only recently were concrete plans for a restoration made.
During the refugee crisis in 2015/2016, refugees were housed in the church and during the Corona pandemic, the University of Vienna rented the church for shared use by students.