Historically there were many different markets in Vienna, and many of today’s street names reflect this: Kohlmarkt, Heumarkt, Hoher Markt, and Bauernmarkt to name a few. Aside from the names that harken back to these earlier times, however, there is little other evidence that would clue you in to the fact that these areas used…
In February 2018, the former Grand Etablissement Gschwandner was reopened under the name “REAKTOR” as a new place of arts and culture. The Etablissement Gschwandner was an extension of the typical Viennese Heuriger, which had been run by the Gschwandner family since the 1830s, and it was built in 1877. It was among the most…
The Palais Fürstenberg, located in the first district, is among Vienna’s most picturesque buildings that is usually closed to the public. It is not precisely documented when exactly and by whom the neoclassicist Palais was designed, but it was probably built around 1720 and the style was influenced by the architect Lukas von Hildebrandt. The…
The history of the building that houses the Kärtnerstrasse location of the Art & Style shop came as a surprise to this SV explorer, which is not a small thing at all considering that this explorer is already used to the fact that Vienna holds a secret behind every stone. The surprise of Michael Klier…
As far as Austrian architects go, Anton Brenner may not be the most famous but he really shouldn’t be overlooked. Born in Vienna in 1896, he led a rather fascinating life. He was born to parents of modest means, and came of age just as the First World War broke out – meaning that he…
Vienna’s busy contemporary art scene of fairs and events Yes, a huge, inflatable, golden head of Karl Marx appeared on the roof of an office building. This time Marx got on the building to make an artistic statement and not a political one (even if some would correctly say that art is always political). The installation…
Together with excellent tap water, fresh air, urban silence and Mahlzeit, Vienna’s trams are part and parcel of the list of things that make this beautiful city tick. Like most things that function almost flawlessly, it is easy to just take them for granted as something that has been here forever and will be here…
On June 27, 1976 a group of activists, referring to themselves as the Arenauten, occupied the abandoned area of the St. Marx slaughterhouse to protest the lack of alternative culture venues for young people. Eventually the activists had to move to a part of the slaughterhouse built in 1908. That is where the story of…
Vienna is full of history and it is hard to walk around the city center without passing by some building with an interesting story. One of those places is the Palais Niederösterreich, located more or less in the middle of the Herrengasse (translated as “The Lords’ street”) and meters away from the famous Café Central. …
Out in the 14th district is a rather unassuming house that has quite a history. Since 2010 it has housed the Bahá’í Center Austria, which is the Austrian seat of a religion that originated in Iran in the 19th century, and currently centered in Haifa, Israel. But the building began life in 1903 as a…
