The Treaty of Mautern was signed in 1137, the church was dedicated to St. Stephen in 1147, and the first structure was finished in 1160. Duke Rudolf IV laid the cornerstone for a Gothic extension to the west on April 7, 1359. The South Tower, about 446 feet (136 m) high, was built from 1368 to 1433. The North Tower was meant to mirror it, but work stopped in 1511, and a Renaissance cap added in 1578 brings it to 223 feet (68 m). The roof has 230,000 glazed tiles.
On April 12, 1945, a fire destroyed the roof. The rebuilt roof uses over 600 metric tons of steel bracing. The cathedral had a limited reopening in 1948 and fully reopened on April 23, 1952. The Pummerin bell, cast in 1951, is the largest in Austria.
The catacombs hold the remains of over 11,000 people and can be toured. The cathedral is 351 feet (107 m) long.
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