St. Florian is the very popular patron saint of firefighters.
Florian held a high administrative post in the Roman Army. In the 4th century, the emperor Diocletian began a fierce persecution of the Christians. Florian was tortured and killed in what is now Austria.
In 1935, sculptor Josef Josephu unveiled a statue of St. Florian at Vienna's main firehouse. When the firehouse was bombed in 1945, the statue of St. Florian survived, with only slight damage. Today, that statue can be seen at the Fire History Museum in Vienna.
