Historical Center of Vienna

The historic center of Vienna was classified as a UNESCO site in 2001 for three main reasons. One, the urban and architectural qualities of the site are a testimony to a continuous exchange of values throughout the second millennium. Two, the city has been universally recognized since the 16th century to be the musical capital of Europe. Three, the historic center’s aforementioned urban and architectural heritage are especially well-illustrated by three important periods of cultural and political development in Europe – the Middle Ages, the Baroque Period, and the Grunderzeit period.
Vienna developed from early Celtic and Roman military settlements into an important medieval and baroque city. The Habsburgs controlled Austria from the 13th century, but it wasn’t until the 16th century that the family moved the imperial court to Vienna, thus making the city the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Habsburgs loved music and patronized great musicians and composers, thereby drawing great talent to the city. This in turn helped Vienna to become the leading musical center of Europe. Vienna has an abundance of monuments, castles, gardens, and parks. Its grand buildings are rather severe, however. The Imperial Palace was originally built as a fortress to protect against the Turks and the Hungarians, and fortifications were constructed around the city. These fortified walls were dismantled on Napoleon’s orders after 1809 and the city was extended even farther. Although Vienna began to lose some of its defensive character with the imperial gardens and public park built on the sites cleared by Napoleon, its military origins are still evident.

Below is a description of some of the sites that we visited in the historic center:

Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral)
The symbol of Vienna, Stephansdom lies at the center of the city and is a focal point for visitors. With its spire which soars 410 ft. into the air, it is the highest cathedral in Austria. Negotiating 434 steps in this tower will bring you to a viewing platform with a panoramic view of the city. Begun in 1359 and finished in 1433, is said to be a masterpiece of the German Gothic School and one of the two finest spires in the German-speaking world (the other being in Freiburg, Germany).

The exterior of the church is unique with its roof of green, yellow, and blue glazed chrome tiles with zigzag motifs. One side of the roof depicts the imperial two-headed eagle, symbol of Austria.

A second tower should have reached the same height as the south tower, but was never completed. It is uncertain why work on the north tower was never finished, but probably the imperial purse ran dry and the Gothic style went out of fashion. An interesting legend offers another explanation: “Puchsbaum (master builder) fell in love with the daughter of the cathedral’s architect, Johann von Prachatitz. The architect promised to give his daughter to Puchsbaum, provided he managed to finish the tower in one year. Aware of the impossibility of the task, Puchsbaum asked the devil for help. The devil agreed, on the condition that the master builder should never say the name of God or the Holy Virgin. One day while Puchsbaum was working on the scaffolding, he caught sight of his betrothed and could not refrain from attracting her attention by calling out her name, “Mary! Mary!” The devil immediately caused the scaffolding to collapse, hurling the builder to his death. After this disaster, the workmen refused to continue building the accursed tower.”

This unfinished tower contains Austria’s largest bell, weighing in at 21 tons. Originally cast in 1711 from 180 bronze cannons captured from the Turks in 1683, it was destroyed in 1945 at the end of the Second World War. It was recast in 1951.

Another interesting detail on the exterior facade of the Cathedral is a bust of Christ dating from about 1440 in which he appears to have a toothache. In fact, it is nicknamed “Lord God with toothache.” The story goes that several young nobles, punished with a bad toothache after having blasphemied, were relieved from the pain after having repented in front of the crucifix. Christ took their pain on himself, and from then on appears to have a toothache himself.

The interior of the church brings a peacefulness. The altar is a masterpiece of artistry. Two brightly-colored stained glass windows depict palaces and religious figures in vivid blues, yellows, and reds. The tall and narrow windows surround an arched painting, more somber in color. Statues crown the whole and a large bouquet of white flowers provides a pretty finishing touch.

Chandeliers run the length of the cathedral and the large windows lining the sides feature small pale monochrome panes. The numerous paintings all have brown, gold, and deep red tones and are framed in bronze or gold. Stephansdom has two pipe organs. The one at the back of the cathedral was especially impressive, mirrored as it was by an exceptionally beautiful oval window with panes in blue, red, and violet flowering patterns.

The Gothic pulpit portrays the four Fathers of the Church. Their expressive faces makes one wonder what they’re thinking about. Carved details on the piece illustrate the smbolic significance that is always present in medieval religious art. The frogs and toads creeping up the banister represent evil thoughts, and the lizards chasing them symbolize good thoughts.

Also of interest are the catacombs, which include a mass grave of victims from the 1713 plague. The victims’ bodies were thrown down shafts, whose openings could be sealed to avoid contamination. Later on, it was prisoners who were given the responsibility of bringing this scene to order. Also in the catacombs are rows of urns containing the internal organs of the Habsburgs (one privilege of being a Habsburg was to be dismembered and dispersed after death – their hearts are in a church in the Hofburg Palace).

St. Michael’s Church
Dating from the 13th century, St. Michael’s Church is simpler than Stephansdom, but still richly decorated. It was the former court parish church. Upon entering the church, you hear German choral music and the first thing that greets you, on the right-hand side, is a small sculpture of a human face and one of a skull. Under the first sculpture is an inscription with Mozart’s name and the year 1791, the year he died. The high altar features an impressive array of angels, clouds, and golden sunbeams.

Hofburg Imperial Palace
This imperial palace was the favorite residence of the Habsburgs. It became progressively larger over the centuries, and no traces are left of the original building, which was built during the 13th century. It had originally been built as a fortress against the attacks of the Turks and Hungarians on the city, which lasted until the end of the 17th century. In their efforts to turn it into a palace, the sovereigns continually enlarged and embellished Hofburg, which accounts for the widely differing styles in the various buildings.

The Hofburg complex is at the very center of the city and is comprised of buildings, squares, and gardens covering a total of 28,703 sq. yards. It was in 1533, when Ferdinand, the King of Bohemia and Hungary, moved the administration of the States of Prague to Vienna, that Hofburg became the imperial residence, and remained so until the end of the Habsburg reign in 1918. The Hofburg is a colossal creation which symbolizes the Habsburg dynasty and their once-colossal Austro-Hungarian empire.

The immense complex houses the Imperial Apartments, the Spanish Riding School, the royal chapel, the National Library, and numerous important museums. There are 2600 rooms in the Hofburg Palace, 20 of which are on public display. These include the rooms of Maria Theresa and her son Josef II (which are now used by the President of Austria), and the apartments of Franz Josef and Empress Elizabeth (Sissi). Two ballrooms are stil in use, where the Emperor’s Ball takes place every year.

Objects which can be seen on a tour of the Hofburg Palace include insignia of the Habsburg Monarchy and relics belonging to the royal house. Impressive and beautiful precious stones and jewellery are showcased, as well as ceremonial and coronation garments and robes, and insignia and regalia of the Holy Roman Empire. The finest piece in the jewellery collection of the Holy Roman Empire is the imperal crown, which was most likely made in the monastery of Reichenau Island (see Germany, UNESCO sites) or in Milan for the coronation of Otto I the Great in 962. The Holy Lance in the collection was seen since the 13th century of being the lance that had pierced Christ’s side. Also noteworthy are the awards and distinctions from the Order of the Golden Fleece.

The renowned Spanish Riding School is only one of a few places left in the world where it is possible to watch a display of the “haute ecole” dressage, which dates from the 16th century. Riders teach their horses a series of movements, most of them stemming from Renaissance military exercises. All horses are from an old Spanish breed which was famous at the time of Caesar.

The royal chapel, built between 1447-49, is the only remaining medieval building in the Hofburg. It is where the Vienna Boys’ Choir sing for Sunday Mass. Another court chapel preserves in 54 small silver urns the hearts of all the Habsburgs since Emperor Matthias.

The Austrian National Library, stretching back to the Habsburg rule in the Middle Ages, is one of the most important librairies in the world, containing 6.7 million items. The library gradually expanded from an imperial court library into an academic institute, and is now a series of departments and collections, each of which has its own specialized academic library. There is a collection of antique and valuable publications, including several thousand books printed before 1501 and a 42-line Gutenburg Bible. The Globe Museum houses the second-largest collection in the world of globes made before 1850. The Papyrus Museum is the largest in the world, containing 180,000 objects and scrolls dating between the 15th century B.C. and the 15th century A.D. Also in Hofburg is the Museum of Ancient Musical Instruments, the Museum for Ethnology (objects collected by James Cook on his world voyages once formed the heart of the collection), and the Royal Hunting and Armoury Collection (also one of the most significant of its kind in the world). The Esperanto Museum is also administered by the National Library. It is the largest artificial language library in the world.

The fortified walls around the Palace were cleared after 1809 on Napoleon’s orders and replaced by gardens and a public park. Despite these modifications and numerous alterations over the centuries, the Hofburg has not managed to lose the austerity of its military origins.

Belvedere Palace
This baroque palace was built between 1714 and 1723 as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy (France) who stopped the Turkish invasion of Vienna as commander of the imperial Austrian armies. There is a long French-style garden lined with statues of mythical creatures.

Some years later, as Montesquieu was passing through Vienna, he declared upon seeing the Belvedere and the Hofburg, “It is pleasant to be in a country where subjects live in finer lodgings than their sovereigns.” The Hofburgs were annoyed that Prince Eugene should have such a residence, and it was eventually purchased by Maria Theresa for the royal family.

The Belvedere is today one of the most beautiful, coherent, and best preserved examples of late Baroque architecture in Europe. Three museums now form part of the Belvedere Estates. A great collector of art, Prince Eugene started an impressive art collection and was largely responsible for the acquisition of the art treasures which Vienna gained during the 18th century. Important baroque art collections are now housed in the museums.

MuseumsQuartier
Opened in 2001, this cultural complex is one of the ten largest in the world. The former imperial stables now contain a large range of museums, art venues, and other attractions. It is a haven for painting, sculpture, music, dance, and theater. The purpose of MuseumsQuartier is not only to exhibit art, but to produce it. Stipends are granted to young artists for studios and apartments. In addition, workshops and events and media studios offer the opportunity to engage in discussion and to see art in theory and in practice.