Vienna State Opera

What is called the "Wiener

Staatsoper" ("Vienna National
Opera") used to be the "k.k.
Ringstraße Hofoper" (Imperial and Royal
Court Opera) in the days of the
Habsburg Empire - in any case,
the Viennese referred to it as "the
first house" by the Ringstraße
road.
The Vienna State Opera
(Wiener Staatsoper) is an opera
house – and opera company – with a history dating back to
The Ringstraße (or Ringstrasse) is a circular road
the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna,
surrounding the Innere Stadt district of Vienna, Austria and
Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera
is one of its main sights. It is typical of the historical style
(Wiener Hofoper); in 1920, it was renamed the Vienna State
called Ringstraßenstil (Ringstraße Style) of the 1860s to
Opera. The members of the Vienna Philharmonic are
1890s.
recruited from its orchestra.
The building was the first major building on the Vienna
Buildings
Ringstraße commissioned by the controversial Viennese
* Wiener Staatsoper(Vienna State Opera)
"city expansion fund". Work commenced on the building in
* Akademie der bildenden Künste (Academy of Fine
1861 and was completed in 1869, following plans drawn up
Arts)
by architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van
* Justizpalast (Federal Ministry of Justice)
der Nüll, who lived together in the 6. Bezirk. It was built in
* Österreichisches Parlamentsgebäude (Parliament
the Neo-Renaissance style.
building)
* Rathaus (Town Hall)
The new Vienna State Opera Museum
* Burgtheater (Imperial Court Theatre)
Hanuschgasse 3 / Goethegasse, 1010 Vienna
* Universitat Wien (University of Vienna)
Tues. – Sun., 10 a.m. – 6 p.m
* Votivkirche (Votive Church)
* Borse (Stock Exchange)
Opera tour + Opera Museum
* Ringtum
Adults Seniors Students
* Urania Observatory
Directions * Regierungsgebäude (Government building) 6.50 5.50 3.50
* Postsparkasse (Postal Savings Bank) Vienna State Opera Museum
* Museum fur Angewandte Kunst (Museum of Applied Arts) Adults Seniors Students
* Palais Württemberg (Hotel Imperial) 3.00 2.50 2.00
* Ringstraßengalerien (Korso) Tour of the Vienna State Opera (Mondays only)
* Palais Schey von Koromla Adults Seniors Students
5.00 4.00 2.00

Wiener Staatsoper Akademie der bildenden Künste

 Academy of Fine Arts
The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna was founded in 1692
as a private academy by the court-painter Peter Strudl, who
became the Praefectus Academiae Nostrae. In 1701 he was
ennobled as Baron of the Empire. With his death in 1714,
the academy temporarily closed.
In 1872 Emperor Franz Joseph I approved a statute
making the academy the supreme government authority for
the arts. A new building was constructed by Theophil
Freiherr von Hansen during the building of the Ringstraße.
On April 1, 1877, the new building at the Schillerplatz was
inaugurated, where it remains today.
In 1907 and 1908, a prospective student from Linz,
Austria by the name of Adolf Hitler was twice denied
admission to this Academy for Art Studies. He stayed in
Vienna and tried unsuccessfully to continue his profession as
an artist. Soon he had withdrawn into poverty and started
selling amateur paintings, mostly watercolours, for meagre
sustenance until the outbreak of the First World War.
During the Nazi Occupation from 1938-1945, the
academy was forced to heavily reduce its number of Jewish
staff. After World War II, the academy was reconstituted in
1955 and its autonomy reconfirmed. It has had university
status since 1998, but retained its original name. It is
currently the only Austrian university that doesn't have the
word "university" in its name.
Justizpalast
Federal Ministry of Justice
Even by Vienna standards, the Justizpalast is
ridiculously pompous.
It was built by the historicist "architect" Alexander
Wielemans von Monteforte - his name echoing the pathos of
his architecture. The most famous part of the Justizpalast is
probably the central entrance hall, which was modelled after
Baroque ideals and has a massive wooden staircase and
heraldic references to all the "Kronländer" of the Habsburgs
- essentially their provinces. Despite of common misbelieve,
the ministry of justice does not live in there anymore.
The building of the Justizpalast is historically very
important, though. In 1927, a group of conservative
paramilitaries overreacted at a socialist demonstration in the
village of Schattendorf in the Burgenland.
The riots of July 1927 were so severe that the
Justizpalast was set on fire and looted; 84 demonstrators and
four policemen were killed. The damage on the building was
quite severe, too, but could be fixed within a relatively short
amount of time. In the course of the refurbishment, the
Justizpalast
was also
topped up with
an additional
floor. Despite
of some minor
damage that
the building
suffered again
in WWII, it became the allies' shared headquarter in the
occupied Vienna between 1945 and 1955.
Today the Justizpalast serves its original purpose: It is
home to the "Oberster Gerichtshof" (supreme court of
justice), the "Oberlandesgericht" (Vienna′s highest court),
the Oberstaatsanwaltschaft (the highest council of
prosecution / attorneys), and the Generalprokuratur (sort of
the prosecutors or attorneys of the supreme court). Since the
Justizpalast is often the venue for important court sessions
and trials, it receives a lot of media attention and is well-
known in Austria.
Österreichisches Parlamentsgebäude
Austrian Houses of Parliament
The Austrian
Parliament Building is
where the two Houses
of the Parliament of
Austria conduct their
sittings. The building
lies at the Ringstraße in
the first district Innere
Stadt in Vienna, close
by the Hofburg Imperial Palace and the Palace of Justice.
The main construction lasted from 1874 to 1883. The
architect responsible for the building was Baron Theophil
von Hansen, the building is an example of Greek revival.
The architect von Hansen designed the building as an
ensemble, where each piece harmonised with the rest. He
was therefore also responsible for the interior decoration
such as statues, paintings, furniture, chandeliers, and other
elements. One of the building's most famous features is the
statue of Athena and the fountain, a notable Viennese tourist
attraction. Despite heavy damages and destruction during
World War II, most of the interior has been restored to its
original appearance.
On the mantelpiece/pediment above the main entrance,
you can see allegories of the 17 nations of the empire and
Emperor Franz Joseph I grumpily giving out civil rights.
The ramp leading to the main entrance was the site
where the First Republic of Austria was announced in 1918
(some 200 metres further up the road, at the Heldenplatz
Square, is the site where it was finally abolished by Adolf
Hitler in 1938 - both occasions involved cheering crowds).
Rathaus
Townhall
 The Rathaus is a building in Vienna which serves as the One of the most significant buildings on the Ringstraße The University of
seat both of the mayor and city council of the city of Vienna. of Vienna is the Burgtheather, Austria′s national theatre. It Vienna was founded in
The town hall also serves, in personal union, as Governor faces the line of the Houses of Parliament, the Rathaus 1365, which makes it the
and Assembly (Landtag) of the State of Vienna, a state with (town hall) and the university main buildings and is second-oldest German-
the Austrian federal system. surrounded by some of Vienna′s most famous coffee houses. speaking university after
The building itself is a rather peculiar mix of historicist The Burgtheater , originally known as K.K. Theater an Prague and the oldest
styles and impressions: It was designed by Friedrich von der Burg, then until 1918 as the K.K. Hofburgtheater, is the one that is still German-
Schmidt between 1872 and 1883. Its architecture embraces Austrian National Theatre in Vienna and one of the most speaking. Despite of a
elements from neo-Gothic styles, but also from Baroque and important German language theatres in the world. The whole bunch of
other periods. The central tower is the most impressive part Burgtheater was created in 1741 and has become known as specialist subjects (such
of the building, 105 meters high and inspired by the town "die Burg" by the as business, veterinary
halls of Flemish and northern German cities. Viennese population; sciences, medicine, arts
The base of the building has seven large courtyards and its theater company of and engineering) being
several halls. This includes the "Festsaal" ("ceremonial more or less regular excluded and tought by
hall"), which is the biggest hall by the Ringstraße and thus a members has created a separate universities in
popular site for the organization of large balls and traditional style and Vienna, the main
receptions. A total of 800 events take place in the Festsaal speech typical of university has 63,000 students, making it one of the bigger
every year, including the famous "Life Ball", a charity event Burgtheater ones in Europe.
for AIDS research and care that is very popular with the gay performances. The old Latin name is "Alma Mater Rudolphina
scene of Vienna and almost as famous as the Wiener On the outside, you might recognise the statues of some Vindobonensis", referring to its founder, Duke Rudolf IV
Opernball. famous writers and artists of the performing kind: Calderon, and his brothers Albrecht III and Leopold III. Most of the
The Rathausmann is kind of a knight in Renaissance Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, early staff came from the Sorbonne in Paris in 1383. Only 70
style armour. According to rumour, the armour was inspired Grillparzer and Hebbel. The masks represent allegories of years later, 6,000 students populated Vienna and made it one
by the kit worn by the legendary Emperor Maximilian I, the Antiquity: Hate, love, modesty, dominance, egoism and of the biggest academic institutions in Europe.
who was also called "the last knight". His armour can be heroism. The old name of the theatre "K.K. Hofburgtheater" This building, now called "Hauptgebäude" ("main
seen in the Hofjagd- and Rüstkammer in the nearby ("Imperial and Royal Court Burgtheater") is still above the building") or, more causally "Hauptuni", was constructed
Hofburg.The site that is occupied by Rathaus and central entrance. between 1877 and 1884. Soon after the opening of the
Rathauspark is a very central location and it was subject to a Today, the Burgtheater′s ensemble is considered to be building, Vienna University started to spread and acquire
long struggle and negotiations between the city of Vienna the most important bunch of actors that Austria has to offer. more buildings. This trend continues until today - among the
and the Emperor. Being a "Burgschauspieler" ("Burg Theatre Actor") is more recent
regarded more highly than any academic degree and the acquisitions
"Burgtheaterdeutsch" (Burgtheater German) is considered to are the "Altes
be the best- AKH"
preserved campus in the
standard of former
Austrian general
German by hospital and
many the biocenter
people. campus in the
third district.

Burgtheater Universitat Wien

Imperial Court Theatre University of Vienna
Votivkirche Borse
Votive Church Stock Exchange

The Votivkirche is a fdsf

characteristic building
with two towers, covered
with finely carved
masonry that sits in the
district of Alsergrund and
is generally considered to
be among the most
significant neo-Gothic
sacral buildings in the
World.
The church plans were established in an architectural
competition in April 1854. 75 projects from the Austrian-
Hungarian empire, German lands, England, and France were
submitted. Original plans included to include the
neighbouring Allgemeines Krankenhaus and create a
campus fashioned after the plans of Oxford and Cambridge
University. The jury choose the project of Heinrich von
Ferstel (1828–1883), who, at the time, was only 26. He
chose to build the cathedral in the neo-Gothic style,
borrowing heavily from the architecture of Gothic French
cathedrals. Because of this concept, many people mistake
this church for an original Gothic church. However, the
Votivkirche has not become a servile imitation of a French
Gothic cathedral, but shows a new and individual concept.
Furthermore it was built by one single architect, supervising
the whole construction, and not by several generations, as
the cathedrals in the Middle Ages.
Construction began in 1856, and it was dedicated
twenty-six years later on April 24, 1879, the occasion of the
silver jubilee of the royal couple.
The Votivkirche has the typical form of a Gothic
cathedral :
* a façade with two slimline towers and three gabled
portals with archivolts and a gallery with statues above the
portals,
* central portal twice as wide as the side portals
* a rose window, crowned by the roof gable of the
nave
* belfries and a transept spire
* buttresses, abutments and flying buttresses