THE WALCKER ORGAN

Although considerations for parish use played no role in the church’s construction, it was never in question that an organ should be installed. Since the foundation of the Votivkirche, the organ has stood on the gallery above the main entrance. The initial inspection, then called "revision," took place on October 30, 1878, conducted by Anton Bruckner.

The organ was built by the E. F. Walcker organ-building company in Ludwigsburg and features 61 stops, three manuals, and a pedalboard, totaling 3,762 pipes. Both key and stop action are entirely mechanical, utilizing a cone-valve system. A distinctive feature of this instrument is the Barker machine in the first manual. Due to its original and well-preserved construction, this organ is considered a remarkable and valuable instrument worldwide.

In 1915, an electric blower was installed, which was replaced in 1952. A major alteration occurred in 1917, when the large prospect pipes, originally made of tin, were removed—they were only replaced by zinc pipes in 1923. Damage from the war (1944/45) was repaired in 1952.

Between 1995 and 1996, the instrument underwent its first thorough restoration by the Klais organ-building company in Bonn.

The restoration was carried out conservatively, meaning no substantial changes were made to the existing instrument. The renewal of the prospect pipes was necessary due to metal composition changes and the alteration of the labial shape in the center fields—efforts were made to reconstruct them as faithfully as possible. The possibility of preserving this organ as a heritage instrument was largely thanks to the high-quality craftsmanship of the historic Walcker organ-building firm.

As the only surviving organ of this construction and size, remaining largely unchanged, it is now considered one of the most important historical organs in the world.