Have you noticed that strange piece of wood behind bulletproof glass right on Stephansplatz? For centuries, one of Vienna’s quirkiest monuments has been hidden at Stock-im-Eisen-Platz. Where Graben and Kärntner Straße meet, a 2.19-meter-tall spruce log rises up, literally studded with iron nails. Anyone rushing through the city center here every day can easily overlook this relic—yet the trunk tells a story from the depths of the Middle Ages. The “Stock im Eisen” is, as you may have already guessed, the namesake of the square.
The Mystery of the “Stock im Eisen”
The tree trunk once stood alive in this very spot, when Vienna was still much smaller; the tree was likely felled around 1440. The first nails were driven into it as early as the 15th century, long before the tree trunk was attached to the facade of the Palais Equitable. Why people began doing this back then continues to puzzle historians to this day.
The old custom of the locksmith’s apprentices
In the 18th century, a custom took hold whereby traveling journeymen blacksmiths would hammer a nail into the wood as they passed through. Anyone who stopped in Vienna left behind their “business card” made of iron to ask for good luck, work, and protection on their travels. Each nail thus represents a personal craftsman’s fate as he journeyed throughout Europe. The reason for this practice prior to the 18th century is not clearly known. The most likely theory for the medieval nailing is the ancient custom of hammering nails into crosses, trees, and even rocks—as a votive offering—to seek protection or to give thanks for healing from illness, similar to the custom of tossing a coin into a well.
Another fascinating story surrounding the “Stock im Eisen” is that of Leopold Koci. In January 1944, the Viennese doorman Leopold Koci prevented the historic “Stock im Eisen” from being transported to the German Reich. With a forceful protest, he rebuffed the Nazi officials and, as a precaution, hid the landmark in the basement. Rediscovered only in 1946, the monument was ceremoniously returned to its original location on Stephansplatz in June 1951, saved by Koci’s courageous civil courage. This brave act of resistance could have ended very badly for Leopold Koci.
A devil’s oath and unbreakable locks
Of course, Vienna also has a spooky legend to share. A locksmith’s apprentice is said to have sold his soul to the devil in order to craft an unbreakable lock. The devil himself is said to have placed the lock around the tree trunk, which supposedly could no longer be opened by any mortal. The devil had one condition, however. The apprentice was never to attend Mass again. But the young man had a change of heart, went to church the following Sunday anyway, and thus saved his soul. The lock, however, it is said, could never be opened again.
- Location: Stock-im-Eisen-Platz 3 (corner of Kärntner Straße and Graben), 1010 Vienna
- Date and time: Open to the public around the clock (24/7)
- Duration: about 10–15 minutes to explore and marvel
- Cost: Free
