| St. Stephen's Church Weather Vane | |
|---|---|
|
Origin |
St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna |
|
Type |
Weather Vane |
|
Effects |
Forms a protective shell over a building’s occupants and valuables |
|
Downsides |
Damages the outer edifices until they collapse inwards |
|
Activation |
Revolving a distance of two ell |
|
Collected by |
Warehouse 13 |
|
Date of Collection |
May 12, 1995 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
St. Stephen's Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna. The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedral, seen today in the Stephansplatz, was largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV (1339–1365) and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches. The most important religious building in Vienna, St. Stephen's Cathedral has borne witness to many important events in Habsburg and Austrian history and has, with its multi-coloured tile roof, become one of the city's most recognizable symbols.
Although the first structure was completed in 1160, major reconstruction and expansion lasted until 1511, and repair and restoration projects continue to the present day. In 1258, however, a great fire destroyed much of the original building, and a larger replacement structure, also Romanesque in style and reusing the two towers, was constructed over the ruins. During World War II, the cathedral was saved from intentional destruction at the hands of retreating German forces when Wehrmacht Captain Gerhard Klinkicht disregarded orders from the city commandant, "Sepp" Dietrich, to "fire a hundred shells and reduce it to rubble". On 12 April 1945, civilian looters lit fires in nearby shops as Soviet Army troops entered the city. The winds carried the fire to the cathedral, where it severely damaged the roof, causing it to collapse. Fortunately, protective brick shells built around the pulpit, Frederick III's tomb, and other treasures, minimized damage to the most valuable artworks. Preservation and repair of the fabric of the medieval cathedral has been a continuous process at St. Stephen's Cathedral since its original construction in 1147.
The main entrance to the church is named the Giant's Door, or Riesentor, possibly referring to the thighbone of a mammoth that hung over it for decades after being unearthed in 1443 while digging the foundations for the north tower, or else to the funnel shape of the door, from the Middle High German word risen, meaning 'sink or 'fall'. During the Middle Ages, major cities had their own set of measures and the public availability of these standards allowed visiting merchants to comply with local regulations. The official Viennese ell length standards for verifying the measure of different types of cloth sold are embedded in the cathedral wall, to the left of the main entrance. The linen ell, also called Viennese yard, (89.6 centimetres or 35.3 in) and the drapery ell (77.6 centimetres or 30.6 in) length standards consist of two iron bars.
Effects[]
Spinning a distance equivalent of two ell (either measurement) will protect the interior of a building from external damages less than a total collapse. This covers any occupants and vaunted goods such as heavy equipment or memorials in a thick stony coating that is resistant to chemicals, fire and heavy gunfire. After the danger passes they will be released with nary a scratch.
The same saving grace does not extend to the outside however. Will redirect any degradation towards the exterior to focus all protection on the inside. Causes worse wear seen from years of weathering, bombardment and accidents within a short span of time. Most of the supports become ruined to the brink of immediately crumbling apart after the crisis has passed.
Needs to be spun periodically when it starts emitting smoke or it will fully light itself to create a fire and be useful. Once over a period of every 8-14 months seems to satisfy it without needing to spin the full requisite distance.