Vienna, Austria: The Habsburg and The Metropolis Part 2


The capital of the Central European landlocked country is the seat of Habsburg dynasty, who reigned a vast area in Europe. Vienna is considered a reminder of a colorful history of the Austrian nation, which was challenged by the Protestantism and Ottoman Empire. The metropolis provides a glimpse of the Austrian alliance with Hungary in the 18th century and with Germany during the First World War. Today, Vienna is the most populous federal state in Austria, a center of democracy and melting pot of European cultures and influences. These are the few reasons why I was interested in visiting Vienna.

This is the second part of short visit in Vienna, Austria. Click herefor the Part 1.

1.       Wiener Opernball


The Vienna Opera Ball is the social center for the ball season in Vienna Carnival. It houses the largest meeting place for creative artists, entrepreneurs and politicians from home and abroad, which has an economic factor in the Austrian capital.



2.       Donnerbrunnen


It is popular name of the designer who built the mountain. It functioned as a flour market well in the 18th century. It was a symbol of good government, four ages and temperaments in Austria.

3.       Domkirche St. Stephan


This is most important religious building in Austria, which served as a witness of the Habsburg and Viennese history. It is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and today has become one of the most popular tourist destinations.

4.       Deutschordenkirche


The Church of the Teutonic Order or the Church of Saint Elisabeth of Hungary was built in the 14th century. They constitute one of the oldest treasure collections in Vienna, covering the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods.

5.       Katolische Kirche St. Peter


This Baroque Roman Catholic church has been inspired by the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The dome however was built differently due to the limitation of space. The church is largely obscured by the surrounding buildings and is only visible on its front view.

6.       Mariensäule


This is the bronze copy of the consecrated column statue, Maria. There are several copies of the original column statue in Austria.

7.       Kirche am Hof


The church at the court or the Church of the nine choirs of angels was built in 13th century. The Romanesque architecture has been the original design of the church, until it was changed into Gothic and Baroque.

8.       Katolische Kirche Maria am Gestade


The church is one of the oldest Gothic churches in the Austrian capital. Originally, it was used by the sailors traveling along the Danube river.

9.       Lessing Denkmal


This is one of the Lessing memorial in Germany and Austria. Lessing is an important poet of the German Enlightment and was considered as the first German dramatist.

10.    Judensplatz Holocaust Memorial


This is the Nameless Library is the central memorial for the Austrian victims of the Holocaust. It is composed of the steel and cement.

11.    Vermählungsbrunnen


The Wedding Fountain illustrates the marriage of Mary, Joseph and the High Priest. During the Second World War, the fountain was damaged by bombs and constructed again thereafter.

12.    Theodor Herzl Stiege


These stairs are named after Theodor Herzl, who is the father of modern political Zionism. He formed the World Zionist Organization, which promoted the migration of Jews back to Palestine to form the Jewish state, Israel.

13.    Ruprechtskirche


This is the oldest church in Vienna, Austria. During the Middle Ages, the church was the seat of salt office to distribute salt to buyers, ensuring quality and monopoly. It overlooked the salt merchants on the Danube channel.

14.    Griechengasse


This is the part near the old meat market. It was named after the Greek settlers in the area or the two Greek churches located in the area.

15.    Jesuitenkirche


The Jesuit Church is known as University Church, near the University of Vienna buildings. It was dedicated to Saints Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier and was rededicated to the Assumption of Mary.

16.    Statue Karl Lueger


The statue is a memorial for Karl Lueger, an Austrian politician and the former mayor of Vienna. He founded the Austrian Christian Social Party and was viewed as a nazist. He was credited for the transformation of the city of Vienna into a modern city.

17.    Österrichesches Museum für angewandte Kunst


The Museum of Applied Arts is a decorative arts museum. It was the first museum to acquire art work using cryptocurrency bitcoin.

18.    Stadtpark


This is the large municipal park designed in the English style, running through Vienna River. The Caroline City Gate in the park is a popular site of entertainment.

19.    Wienfluss


The Vienna River flows through the Austrian city. The river bed is almost completely concrete to stop devastating floods, which frequently accompanied with cholera.

20.    Kursalon Wien


The Kursalon is a popular place for dancing and concerts. It was designed in accordance to the Italian renaissance. Before, a spa pavilion was built which serves mineral water, which was believed to have healing properties.

21.    Hochstrahlbrunnen


This is the one of the most important squares in central Vienna, which has a large fountain that looks like a geyser, which marked the first pipelines from the Alps to Vienna.

22.    Heldendenkmal der Roten Armee


The Soviet War Memorial is a semi-circular white marble enclosing a Red Army figure. This commemorates the thousands of Russian soldiers, who died in the Battle for Vienna in the Second World War. Interestingly, after the fall of Vienna, the Austrian capital was divided into four occupation zones for the Allied forces, namely American, British, French and the Russians.

23.    Belvederegarten


The park was built during the period of extensive construction in the Austrian capital during the reign of the Habsburg dynasty.

24.    Schloss Belvedere


This is a historic building complex, consisting two Baroque palaces, which currently houses the Belvedere museum. This was used as summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy, who was the commander for successful military campaign against the Ottoman Empire.


Personally, visiting Vienna, Austria helped me understand the history of countries in Central Europe. I never understood the role of Austria in First World War, the European monarchies, its rivalry and alliance with France and Germany and in the Cold War. The historical significance of the Austrian capital is undoubtedly big. Today, we only see the buildings in the metropolis, but it is up to us to dig deeper on their historical meaning, and that what I did. 

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