Gotischer Saal - Kirche St. Blasius
The Gotischer Saal [Gothic Hall] in the Church of St. Blasius iat the end of Getreidegasse provides an atmospheric setting for concerts and the Salzburg Advent Serenades.
At the end of Getreidegasse, nestled directly against the rockface of the Mönchsberg, is the Church of St. Blasius, next to the Bürgerspital [burghers' hospital]. It is also known to Salzburgers as the Bürgerspitalkirche or the Heilig-Geist-Kirche [church of the Holy Spirit]. It houses the Gotischer Saal, which is largely separate from the church and, as an event venue, accommodates up to 180 people.
For a long time, the Gothic Hall was known as the "Kommunstube" [common room], "Weiber-Kommunstube" [women's common room] or "Große Stube" [large room], referring to its original purpose: in the burgher's hospitals, the destitute and the diseased lived together in larger "Kommunstuben". They were therefore also called "Siechenstube" [disease room]. The Gotischer Saal housed the women and was, unlike many other rooms, heated.
After the Second World War, the Gotischer Saal served merely as a storeroom. Starting in 1969, a generous restoration was carried out, during which the Gothic ridges on the vault and the window niches were uncovered. By moving the partition wall towards the church, a size of 209 square meters was achieved.
