What is remarkable about the Austrian capital Vienna? Story.

Vladislav Batarin

Vein - the capital of modern Austria and at the same time one of 9 federal districts. The Danube flows nearby. Modern Vienna is a border city: the border with Slovakia is 60 kilometers away.
It is argued that “Venna” (from Celtic means “white city”, which may indicate appearance the first settlers, for example: the ancestors of the Slavs and Germans were often called white and light, or maybe not) - the first name of the settlement, which supposedly existed 4000 years ago ( this is the first chronological version: 2000 BC. e.). Initially, on the site of the future Vienna there was a minor Celtic settlement Vedunia(perhaps reminiscent of the Russian word “vedat” - “veda”, or is it simply “river-Danube-don” from the word “dun-dno-don”), which gradually grew into the small town of Vindomina (Vindomina lat. - I’d like to say - "Military settlement house"), which was located on the mountain Leo poldsberg (also an interesting toponym with “leo” - lion), north of the center of modern Vienna.
Read the next official version. The history of settlement of the territory of today's Vienna begins during the Neolithic (6000 BC) with the spread of agriculture and cattle breeding along the Danube (perhaps these historians believe that there was a settlement for 4000 years, but exactly without a name, if we consider the first version to be absolutely correct). For class agriculture The Vienna Basin provided optimal conditions: fertile soils, an abundance of water sources and a favorable climate. The most significant pre-Roman settlement was the settlement on Mount Leopoldsberg, whose history begins in the mid-Bronze Age and ends just two generations before the arrival of the Romans. It turns out that somewhere around 40-50 years before the Romans no one lived on the mountain or nearby, but then where did such interesting chronological and topological versions come from? Of course, the Romans founded the city - that's a fact. But when?
According to the third pre-Roman version It is believed that the first human settlements on the territory of today's Vienna existed a little to 25,000 years ago. (It should be noted that these absolute numbers do not mean anything, since the radiocarbon method is often very inaccurate, and if you follow the same relative radiocarbon method, then in central Russia the first settlements of SENIOUS PEOPLE appeared 40,000-50,000 years ago. All this only says that in Rus' people lived and worked earlier than in Europe, but when exactly is not clear).
On the other hand, where did historians even get this figure: 25,000, if there are any ancient pre-Roman artifacts? not found on the territory of modern Vienna.
Roman history. A city was formed that was under the rule of the Roman Empire - Vindobona ( Isn’t it also distorted: “Vienna on the river: Don-Danube?”), which was considered a military center. The remains of a Roman settlement (believed to be from the 1st century BC) can be seen at Hoher Markt and Michaelerplatz, and a statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius can be seen in the courtyard of the Hofburg.

Photo. Hoher Markt Photo.Michaelerplatz

We read other historians.“The history of Vienna as a locality begins in the middle of the 1st century AD(almost 1,000 years difference from the previous version) with the beginning of construction on the territory of today's old city of an outpost of the 15th Roman legion. This outpost was given a name of Celtic origin "Vindobona", which means "the land of Vindos", where "Vindos" is a Celtic name. In parallel with the military camp, the civilian city began to develop.” Oh, those Celts! If the unproud Roman conquerors wanted to use old Celtic names for their new military settlement, then who would have given them these toponyms if, for two generations before the Romans, no one, according to historians, lived on the territory of Vienna!? And according to another version: there was no life before the Romans for more than 1000 years in this place! Or are the Romans the same Celts, only armed?
One way or another, archaeological excavations do not confirm the version of the presence of any pre-Roman settlement on the territory of today’s old city.
It is officially believed that at the beginning of the 5th century AD. Vindobona survived a severe fire, and by the end of the 5th century the Romans abandoned the area. Like this! Again for a long time the city was uninhabited! But until now the topography of the center of Vienna includes almost the entire topography of the Vindobona camp! Maybe these Romans left not so long ago? Or did they not leave at all, but began to be called differently? It seems that historians cannot summarize the chronology, well, there is not enough invention, like the Romanovs, to completely fill the empty centuries of history. Feeling that the historical version is bursting at the seams, some historians admit that after the Romans left, some people lived there, who found refuge near the then still standing walls and used the materials left behind by the Romans to build houses. Historians write that they do not know what this settlement was called, but most likely it was something between the Kelto-Roman “Vedunia” - “forest stream”, as today’s river Vienna was then called, and the Old Germanic “Venia”. That is, they know about the events of 6000 years ago and the place names of those Celtic times, although they are not archaeologically confirmed, and about the events of 1500 years ago - almost nothing at all! This is not the first time in history that such strange forgetfulness has occurred. We should take an example from the Romanov dynasty - everything is fine with the history of Russia, “everything is known,” “everything is explained and written down.” Although in both cases it is still “truth”!
They write that in addition to this settlement on the territory of today's Vienna in those days there were several Avar and Slavic settlements. The names of some Slavic settlements still live in the names of today's districts of Vienna: Wehring, Döbling,...What an omission! They didn't rename it enough! Although we tried for many years. Take Hitler, this friend of some Aryan historians already in the 20th century tried to correct this omission: in Germany he renamed a lot of Slavic ancient place names into German ones. Not everywhere, however, I was able to do it. And “incorrect” Slavic place names have been preserved in some places.
More stories. In 433, the Byzantine emperor Theodosius II (allegedly 408 - 450) allowed the Huns to occupy Vindobona, where at that time the main population was Alans and Ostrogoths(otherwise someone would teach the “Gothic style” in architecture!). It is believed that at the beginning of the 6th century Pannonia (the territory of modern western Hungary, eastern Austria and part of Slovenia) was captured by the Langob. ard ami (possibly even the Horde - only this was not the 5th century AD, but 800 years later). But most likely, the military “Romans” were replaced by military builders of the same nationality, then by peaceful builders and settlers. They were called differently from the outside, and these different professional names subsequently began to be mistaken for the names of different peoples.
"Early Middle Ages". Allegedly, in 800 AD, in the east of his state, the Frankish king Charlemagne (747 - January 28, 814) organized the Avar Mark (Awarenmark in German) - a border territory between the Danube and the Drava, created to protect the empire from attacks by the Avars. Under the reign of Charlemagne, the city becomes the capital within the Ostmark - the eastern province (within the framework of the New Chronology, this Karl appeared much later). The name “Austria” allegedly appeared in the 10th century AD. and then the count family of the Babenbergs received this region. And in documents dating from 996 (sometimes written in documents from 976), starts to be mentioned the name "Ostarrich", and as they say, - this is Austria. For the first time margraviate Eastern stamp as "Ostarrîchi" (German) is mentioned in the document of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto III (980 - 1002) dated November 1, 996 (Text of the document: Monumenta Germaniae Historica. T. II. Hannover, 1888. S. 647).

First written mentioning Vienna as "VEINS" .

The first comes from the 9th century written mention of Vienna (check the authenticity of the documents!): in the old Salzburg annals there is a record dated 881 that a battle with the Hungarians took place near “Venia”, “... bellum cum ungaris ad Uueniam...”. However, it is not clear whether the river or the city of “Venia” is meant here. There is also no clarity about how this battle ended. In the 9th century, the Carolingians who came from the west built a small castle (apparently not preserved) and a church that has survived to this day in the northeastern part of the former Roman camp Saint Ruprecht . (We are told that there is a possible architectural confirmation of real antiquity, for chronicles can also be falsified!) Let us consider this antiquity.
Church of St. Ruprecht, Ruprechts-Kirche (German: Ruprechtskirche).
The most ancient Church of Vienna. Dedicated to Saint Rupert of Salzburg, the patron saint of salt traders. According to legend, it was laid supposedly in 740 Archbishop of Salzburg (another version - between 796 and 829) . Even earlier, there was a “House for Prayer and Reflection” on this site, but is there any confirmation of this? The nave and lower part of the tower rise by the 11th century. The church is located in the northern part of the Old Town, near the Hoermarkt square. The architectural decoration belongs to the Romanesque style. But first mention of it as the oldest temple in Vienna dates back to 1200. After the destruction of the Roman settlement, the city began to grow around the church. It was a place of worship before this function was transferred to St. Stephen's Church. In the Middle Ages, the church was the seat of the Salt Administration, which distributed salt and ensured its quality. In 1276 building suffered because of strong fire and was partially rebuilt. Later parts of the Ruprechtskirche remade many times. This is how the choir was built in the 13th century, and the south nave in XV century. In 1622 the temple was rebuilt again, this time in Baroque style. During World War II, the Ruprechtskirche was heavily damaged by bombing and fires. The church contains the oldest bells in Vienna, dating back to by 1280, and also dated to approximately 1370 year, a stained glass window depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Child. It also contains a statue of St. Rupert and a sarcophagus with the relics of St. Vitaly. We see that in reality the existing church is first mentioned at the beginning XIII century(at best, and the rest are legends). The church burned many times and was rebuilt many times, and as a result, at best, we see buildings XI century AD., but rather - not earlier XIII century, and the bulk of the artifacts date back XVII century.
In 1145 Henry II Jazomirgott (Emir-Goth!), Margrave of Austria from 1141, made Vienna his residence. In 1147, on his orders, construction began on the majestic Romanesque Gothic St. Stephen's Cathedral, and in 1155 he founded a monastery Schottenstift . But it’s one thing to start building, another thing is when it was actually built, what was preserved, and how it was dated!

Schottenkirche Church (Scottish Church) .

The church is made in the early Baroque style and is located next door to the Schottenstift monastery - this is a working monastery in the city center! The figure of its founder - Henry II Jasomirgott - is depicted on external wall churches. Allegedly in 1155 he invited Irish Benedictine monks to Vienna and founded the “Scottish” monastery. Ireland was called Scotia Major in medieval Latin Great Scotland), and the monasteries founded by the Irish are still known as “Scottish”. But there are other versions, for example, that Scotland-Scotia-Scythia is a region in central Russia, and here, moreover, it’s also “GREAT”! In 1160 - 1200 the “Scots” built the first church in the Romanesque style. This church burned in 1276. IN XIV - XV centuries Scottish Church rebuilt in the Gothic style, and in XVII century- in Baroque style. (IN 1638 the church burned down again- from a lightning strike). The new, preserved monastery complex was built by the architects Andrea d'Allio (the younger) and Silvestro Carlone, the altar was carved by Joachim von Sandrart. The old altar has also been preserved 1470, curious not only as an example of Gothic, but also as evidence of what it was Vienna 15th century(the altar depicts views of the city). In 1773-1774, the architect Andreas Zach built a new house for the school and priory, which received the name “chest house” for its appearance. In 1825 the fountain of the “Black Mother of God” (German: Schwarze Muttegottes) was built.
That is, we see that in reality the existing monastery dates back to the 17th-18th centuries with an altar of the 15th century. This is the official archaeological dating of historical buildings that actually exist in our time.

A monument to Henry II stands near the wall of the Schottenstift monastery, where he was buried.

On September 17, 1156, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa (1122 - 1190) issued a document called the "Little Privilege" (Privilegium minus lat.) to Henry II Jazomirgotta (1107 - 1177). This document elevated the Margraviate of Austria to the rank of a duchy, proclaimed its complete independence from Bavaria, and established the right of succession to the Austrian throne by the Babenberg dynasty in both the male and female lines.
In 1137-1147 the first church was built on the site of St. Stephen's Cathedral; the modern cathedral was built in the XIII-XV centuries.

Gothic Church of Maria am GestadamGestade) , allegedly built on the foundations of an ancient Roman building in the middle 12th century. The original Romanesque structure burned down a century later, and XIV century erected in its place new gothic temple. A high bell tower with a filigree finish was added in the first half XV century.
Church of St. Peter. There is a legend that the church was built on the site of a Roman barracks, and was probably a military church. But when did these “Romans” live? The official story is this: the construction of the supposed end VIII century, which burned down in the XIII century. The current building from the 18th century built in imitation of St. Peter's Basilica in Italian Rome.
Go ahead . External sign any medieval cities were its surrounding walls. Vienna city walls were built no earlier than early 1200 AD. At that time, at the beginning of the 13th century, Vienna was an integral part of a vast network of trade relations. Merchants also used the Danube for intensive contacts with Venice. The expansion of the city and development is also reflected in the increase in the splendor of a number of churches. Construction was also growing in the suburban area at that time. On June 15, 1246, near the Leitha River, the last representative of the male line of the Babenberg dynasty died in a battle with the Hungarian king Bela IV. Frederick II the Warlike.
IN XIII century the city passes into the hands of the Habsburg dynasty, their family became fateful not only for Vienna, but for the entire country. During their reign, such architectural structures were built as Hofburg, St. Stephen's Cathedral, Schönbrunn, Belvedere, almost all museums cities , beautiful buildings on the Ringstrasse and others majestic buildings. The Habsburg family determines the course of history not only of Vienna, but of all of Austria until 1918. Again it turns out that the real dawn of Vienna, confirmed archaeologically, begins only at best from the 13th century AD! Maybe it was then or a little earlier that the city was founded? It is very likely that the main events in the capital of the Eastern Land unfolded only when the Horde of Batu appeared on the horizon of Western Europe in 1236-1242, and construction began quite quickly and even beautifully immediately after that.
Austria in 1250 was captured by the king of Bohemia, Wenceslas I Przemyslovich (1205 - 1253), who transferred the duchy to his son Ottokar II (1230 - 1278). In 1253, after the death of his father, Ottokar II became king of Bohemia. Ottokar II ruled Austria for 10 years, until in 1276 newly elected Emperor Rudolf I Habsburg did not pass at the Reichstag of 1274 in Frankfurt a law on the return of all imperial lands that had passed into other hands after the death of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. On August 26, 1278, one of the largest battles of the Middle Ages took place - the “Battle of Dry Krut” (or on the Moravian Field), where the combined army of Emperor Rudolf I and King Laszlo IV of Hungary (1262 - 1290) defeated the Bohemian army, and Ottokar II, who led it, was killed (Biography of Ottokar II; Tarnowski L. Die Schlacht auf dem Marchfelde. Historische Erzählung aus Österreich"s Vorzeit. Breslau, 1839). Since the end of the 13th century, Vienna has been a stronghold of the Habsburg dynasty.

Transition to gothic occurred around the 13th century. Gothic architecture and Gothic style had a noticeable development over the course of 200-250 years and became leading in local culture. What the rulers supported - the Babenbergs, and from 1282 - the Habsburgs. In the 14th century, the city landscape was redesigned in the Gothic style, which prevailed until the beginning of the 17th century! (That is, from the beginning to the end of the Horde possession). An example is the redesign of St. Stephen's Parish Church. In 1282 Rudolf I turned the Duchy of Austria into a hereditary possession of the dynasty Habsburgs, which retained it until 1918. The first Duke of Austria became the son of Rudolf I, Albrecht I (1255 - 1308). In 1358, Duke Rudolf IV (1308 - 1356), on the basis of a document called the “Great Privilege” (Privilegium Maius, lat.), tried to turn Austria into an archduchy (this act was supposed to increase the status of Austria within the empire and actually turn the dukes into rulers independent of the emperor ), but Emperor Charles IV (1316 – March 18, 1378) refused to recognize the document. After Albrecht II of Habsburg, Duke of Austria (as Albrecht V) (1397 - 1439) received in 1483 the honorary title of “King of the Romans” (Rex Romanorum, Latin - a title preceding the title of Emperor, which was achieved after the coronation by the Pope), Vienna before his death (October 27, 1439) became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1453, Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg officially recognized Austria as an archduchy. The portrait shows Frederick wearing the ducal crown. OK. 1460

In 1453, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg, Duke of Austria (as Frederick V from 1457) (1415 - 1493) officially recognized the "Great Privilege" and Austria became an archduchy. In 1469, Frederick III obtained the consent of the Vatican to establish a prince-bishopric in Vienna and Wiener Neustadt (German). For the last 10 years, Frederick III ruled jointly with his son Maximilian I. The incessant Hungarian raids on Austria and the lack of funds put the emperor in such a difficult situation that in exchange for making peace with the new king of Hungary, Matthew Corvinus, the emperor promised to recognize him as the rightful king and pay huge indemnities. Failure to fulfill these promises led to a new war in 1481. Having seized Frederick's hereditary possessions in Austria, Matthew Corvinus triumphantly entered Vienna on June 1, 1485, turning it into his capital. Only after the death of Corvinus on April 6, 1490, Vienna returned to the Habsburgs.
Cathedral of St. Stephen. Stephansdom (or maybe simply - St. Stephen's House. A well-known possible analogy: “Notre Dame (House)”) is the symbol of Vienna, and St. Stephen is the patron saint of the capital of Austria. Under the cathedral there are ancient catacombs - the burial place of representatives of the Habsburg dynasty. Its interior decoration is very beautiful, and a Turkish cannonball, which hit the cathedral during the Turkish siege of the city in the 16th century, is embedded in its spire. On the walls of Stefansdom you can see the measures of length, size and weight, by which goods were checked when purchasing in the Middle Ages, and from its observation deck there is a magnificent view of the Danube and Vienna. The history of the temple is no less interesting than its architectural delights. Build this temple started back in 1137 Romanesque style. After 10 years it was consecrated. But "fires" no mercy structure. The fire of 1258 destroyed the first Cathedral. In 1359 the Cathedral was erected again, it became much wider than its predecessor, and then rebuilt and completed many times. The next test for the temple was the years of World War II, but after the destruction the Cathedral was restored.
From the Romanesque style (not earlier than the 13th century), only the “Giant Gate” of the basilica with a carved portal and two towers has been preserved in the cathedral on the western portal of the temple. In the lobby - "Samson tearing the mouth of the lion." (Perhaps Samson, and perhaps Hercules. Just as analogies with the Savior are possible. This plot is traditional for a number of churches in Russia and Europe of the 12th-13th centuries.).
The portal, located on the southwestern side, is called “Singing”, because only choristers and men entered the temple through it. And the women walked to the church through the Bishop's portal. The North Tower of St. Stephen's Cathedral houses the cathedral's largest bell, weighing 20,183 kg. It's called Pummerin ( Boom gelding) and sounds only 10 times a year, was cast from “Turkish” cannons in the early 18th century, but crashed and was rebuilt in the mid-20th century from old metal. The temple has many stained glass windows and sculptures, and under the main altar of the crypt there are urns containing the ashes of representatives of the Habsburg dynasty. Double-headed an eagle (XV century) decorates the spire of the Eagle Tower.

The late Middle Ages - the history of Vienna.

Times of Frederick III. Coat of arms of Vienna (1461)

Periods of Turkish siege (1529 and 1683 ) .

First Turkish siege. In 1529 the city was besieged by the Turks. Vienna was not conquered. With an almost 20-fold superiority of the enemy, the defenders of Vienna managed to win a decisive victory over him. Already in 1530, work was carried out to replace the ineffective medieval city walls (How ineffective if they fought back so successfully! But did they fight back at all or was there only a threat and not from the Turks?). Most construction activity in the city until the mid-17th century focused on fortifications. At that time, Vienna became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and the residence of the emperor. But was there a siege? There are too many questions and mysteries, and no obvious traces of that siege have been preserved, except for that core. And was that cannonball on the temple Turkish?
Second Turkish siege in 1683. Combination modern fortifications and valor on the part of the city's defenders allowed the city to withstand the onslaught. The fortress walls, as well as individual buildings in the city center, suffered serious damage. The suburbs were in ruins. The allied troops of the Catholic countries inflicted defeat on the Turks under the walls of Vienna, after which the Ottoman Empire forever abandoned its campaigns of conquest. Everything here is logical both from the point of view of losses - there was severe destruction, and from the point of view of realpolitik - the Ottoman Empire forever abandoned aggressive campaigns.
Hofburg. The majestic complex of the imperial palace ( XIII - XIX centuries.), built on the site of a Bavarian fort ( 1278 g.), located slightly southwest of the Graben and Josefplatz. It is believed that it was built over the course of 6 centuries . The premises of the palace house the Spanish Riding School - the famous winter arena of the Habsburgs ( 1735 g.), exhibition of treasures "Schatzkammer" (in her collection made in 962 (?) year crown of the Holy Roman Empire and the Austrian imperial crown), a separate room of the “Burgundian treasury” (regalia, ceremonial vestments, jewelry and relics of the order Golden Fleece and the Dukes of Burgundy, including the “Sacred Lance” with which the Savior was pierced), the imperial reception hall and the bedroom of Kaiser Franz Joseph. In separately standing buildings The complex houses the Vienna House of Arts, the unique Austrian National Library (XVIII century), which contains more than 2 million books, notes, manuscripts and ancient manuscripts, as well as the court church of the Augustinkirche and one of the richest art collections in the world - the Albertina Gallery (1800). ).
In memory of the deliverance from the epidemic, a monument was erected in the city center in 1693. Plague Column (or Pestzoile).
Vienna's most beautiful building from the Baroque era is considered Karlskirche church , designed by Johann-Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and his son Joseph-Emanuel for Emperor Charles VI in memory of the plague of 1713. A remake, but unusual: we see a combination of architectural elements characteristic of different cultures: the central part of the facade resembles an ancient Greek temple, the side chapels are stylistically borrowed from the Italian Renaissance, the roofs of the chapels are similar to Chinese pagodas, the triumphal columns of the Roman style are reminiscent of the minarets of a mosque.

Neighborhoods of Vienna.

On the banks of the Danube, 70 km west of Vienna, lie the ruins Durnstein fortress (no earlier than the 12th century.), whose prisoner, according to legend, was the English king Richard the Lionheart.
Heiligenkreuz Abbey (German: Stift Heiligenkreuz, Monastery of the Holy Cross) is a Catholic monastery in the Austrian village of Heiligenkreuz (federal state of Lower Austria). Located in the southern part of the Vienna Woods, southwest of Vienna, approximately 25 kilometers from the city center. The monastery belongs to the Cistercian order, founded in 1133 (not earlier), one of the oldest and largest active Cistercian monasteries in Europe. But… in 1683 the monastery was besieged by the Turkish army and burned. After the defeat of the Turks at the Battle of Vienna and the elimination of the Ottoman threat, the monastery was gradually restored and expanded. Many buildings of the monastery were during this period rebuilt in Baroque style.
Salzburg is also proud of its cathedral (“founded” in the 8th century, rebuilt in 1611-1628.).

High Market and Ankerur . The Hoher Markt is, together with the Berghof and the Ruprechtskirche, the oldest part of Vienna. Under its pavement, archaeologists discovered the remains of the Roman camp of Windbonne. During excavations, the remains of houses that stood on the sides of the Roman camp, the houses of legates and the command of the legion were brought to light. Descending at house number 3 to a depth of 5 m, you can see the remains of the houses of Roman military leaders, a wonderful sight for lovers of ancient history. In addition to the ruins of the walls of both houses, what remains of the German building is also visible. It is said that it was in this place that Emperor Marcus Aurelius died of the plague. In the Middle Ages, there was a noisy fish market in this place, and there were houses of guild corporations. In the XIV-XV centuries. the Palace of Justice and the pillory were located here. Once there was a scaffold here, and sentences were announced from the balcony. The last execution took place in 1703. In the past, Hohe Markt was one of the most prestigious areas of Vienna, where magnificent burgher mansions were built. But most of them died in a fire in 1945.
In the center of the square is the Betrothal Fountain, also called the Joseph Fountain, depicting the Betrothal of the Virgin Mary to Joseph (sculptors Johann von Erlach and his son Fischer, who reconstructed the fountain: 1732). The fountain was erected by order of Emperor Leopold I in honor of the patron saint of St. Joseph, since the emperor’s prayers were heard, and his son and heir Joseph I returned alive from a military campaign.

Michaelerplatz (Michaelerplatz ). Near house no. 6 there is an excavation site of ancient Roman ruins, similar to fragments of a fortress wall. ancient settlement. Through the Michaelertor gate you can enter the Hofburg Castle. Initially, the Michaelerkirche was surrounded by a cemetery, which was closed in 1508. On both sides of the main entrance from Michaelerplatz there are 4 figures of Hercules, as well as two fountains: “Austrian Dominion on the Sea” - “Macht zur See” (Rudolf Weyer, 1895) - on the left and “Austrian Dominion on Land” - “Macht zur Lande” "(Edmund Helmer, 1897) - on the right. Church of St. Michael (Michaelerkirche, German: Michaelerkirche) is the parish church of the Roman Catholic Church in Vienna, the former court and Barnabit church of St. Michael. The slender pointed tower of the church. Located in the Inner City, in the eastern part of Michaelerplatz. The three-nave basilica was founded in 1221 by the monks of the Order of St. Michael. In the 14th century there was a church expanded, and in the 16th century rebuilt in Gothic style. From the 13th to the 18th centuries, the Michaelerkirche was one of the three parish churches of Vienna, along with St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Scottish Monastery. The parish of the Michaelerkirche included the imperial residence. In 1724 - 1725 the church acquired a baroque appearance. In 1792 the western façade was decorated in a new way. In the vast crypt of the Church of St. Michael, the bodies of the deceased were naturally mummified due to special climatic conditions and are available for inspection

Photo. Michaelerplatz

Application. Roman artifacts of Vienna.

Photo. Vein. Roman burial - mill

Photo. Vein. Roman burials - part of the gate

In this regard, of particular interest is the complex "Scythian camp" located on the highest point of the island of Khortitsa, which is crowned by the largest surviving Khortitsa mound, “Zorovaya Mogila”. In the beginning. In the 20th century, there were 129 mounds on the island of Khortitsa. Of the 28 burial grounds that were once part of the Zorovaya Mogila mound group, only 3 have survived. In 2005, archaeologists reconstructed another 8 mounds, among which one was explored and restored, two were restored on the site of the destroyed ones, and the rest are mock-up mounds and sanctuary of Ares. In the museum under open air Many stone artifacts have been collected: millstones(symbol of prosperity and fertility), roller or harman (device for threshing grain), stupas(for crushing grain), statues, anthropomorphic steles, etc. Like the Romans, in particular in Vienna. Just like the Greeks in the catacombs of Cappadocia (Türkiye) (see photo), etc.

Photo. Catacombs of Cappadocia. Millstone.

We looked at all the oldest churches in Vienna. In Vienna and Austria it suggests itself next conclusion: Taking into account the old chronicles (the veracity, chronology and innocence of which would also be good to check) and the preservation of archaeological sites in Vienna and the surrounding area, we can say: we will not find chronicles with mentions of Vienna earlier than the end of the 9th century AD, but most likely as well as about “Austria” - we will not find any mention earlier than the end of the 10th century AD. Stone buildings (in separate parts) date back, at best, to the period no earlier than the 11th century, and then only for small parts of buildings. Basically, buildings and structures were built no earlier than the 13th century, and taking into account all the reconstructions and repairs, all buildings mainly date back to the 15th-18th centuries AD.

Vein

Vienna was built on the ruins of the Roman military camp of Vindobona, and its first flowering came in the 12th century under the rule of the Babenbergs. The city on the Danube became a center of trade and culture. In 1278, Austria fell to the Habsburgs and their rule lasted until the end of the First World War in 1918. The Habsburgs showed special love for Vienna and made it their residence. In 1365, Vienna became, thanks to Duke Rudolf IV, a university city. He also began the Gothic reconstruction of Stefansdom.
In the XVI and XVII centuries the city had to go through difficult times. Twice, in 1529 and 1683, the Turks tried to capture Vienna. On September 12, 1683, a joint Austro-Polish army led by Duke Charles V Leopold of Lothring managed to lift the Turkish siege of Vienna.
And between the two Turkish sieges in 1679, the largest plague epidemic in Austria broke out in Vienna. Almost a third of the population - and Vienna then had about 100 thousand inhabitants - fell victim to the Black Death. The plague column on the Graben now reminds us of this catastrophe.
But the 17th and nascent 18th centuries were also the time of the Baroque. In Vienna you can find excellent examples of Baroque architecture: Belvedere Palace, Schönbrunn Palace, Karlskirche or Josephsplatz.
Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II are considered the greatest reformers among the Habsburgs. During the reign of Maria Theresa, compulsory schooling, and Joseph II, being a supporter of enlightenment, issued a decree guaranteeing freedom of religion and abolished serfdom.
The year 1804 is a turning point in Austrian history. Kaiser Franz II proclaimed Austria an empire and in 1806 renounced the crown of the Holy Roman Empire, founded in 800 by Charlemagne.
After the fall of Napoleon in 1814–1815, the Congress of Vienna was held in the imperial capital, redistributing power in Europe. The next 30 years, the Biedermeier era was the culmination of the cultural history of Austria (Beethoven, Schubert, Raymund, Nestroy).
For a long time, the reign of Kaiser Franz Joseph 1 was marked by the incredible rise of Vienna. On his instructions, construction began on the Ringstrasse, along which all important government agencies, erected in the style of historicism.
The next cultural peak in the history of Vienna coincided with the turn of the century - it became the era of Art Nouveau.
The First World War led to the fall of the Danube Monarchy. The main features of the First Republic were the economic crisis, inflation and internal political struggle, which resulted in a civil war in 1934. With the entry of German troops on March 12, 1938, Austria ceased to exist for 7 years. The creation of the Second Republic followed the declaration of Austrian independence in April 1945. The 10-year occupation ended with the signing of a state treaty on May 15, 1955.
Today, Vienna is home to several international organizations, including one of the permanent missions of the UN since 1979.
Vienna in the Middle Ages
The history of Vienna dates back to the era of Ancient Rome. Back in the first century AD, the Romans built a military camp on the banks of the Danube, at the crossroads of important transport and trade routes, and gave it the name “Vindobona”. But after the departure of the Romans during the Migration of Nations, Vienna lost its significance.
Vienna's new rise came during the Babenberg era. Under Leopold IV in 1137, Vienna was first mentioned in charter as a city. At the same time, construction began on the Stefanskirche church in the Romanesque style.
Situated on the banks of the Danube, which was one of the most important transport routes in the Middle Ages, Vienna became a meeting place for the Crusaders on their way to the East. Vienna was also the scene of the most spectacular kidnapping of the time. At the direction of Duke Leopold V, the English king Richard the Lionheart, who was returning from the 3rd Crusade, was detained and imprisoned in the Durnstein fortress. Most of the ransom received was then used to improve the fortifications of the city. Under Duke Leopold VI, the Babenberg court in Vienna became a cultural center. The Duke was considered a patron of art and gathered around him such famous poets as Walter von der Vogelweide and Reinmar von Hagenau.
In 1278, Austria passed to the Habsburgs after the new Kaiser Rudolf I defeated the Bohemian king Przemysl Ottokar at the Battle of Dürnkrug, who did not recognize him as Kaiser and himself laid claim to Austria.
Under Duke Rudolf IV the city flourished again. In 1365 he founded the University of Vienna, Rudolfina, and began the construction of the Stephanskirche in the Gothic style. In 1469, Kaiser Frederick III received permission from Pope Paul II to create the Bishopric of Vienna. The dream of the entire Habsburg family has finally come true.
As the Middle Ages came to an end, Kaiser Maximillian I (1493 – 1519) managed, thanks to a successful marriage policy, to significantly increase the power of the House of Habsburg. He himself married Mary of Burgundy and received the Netherlands for Austria. He married his grandchildren to the royal heiresses of Bohemia and Hungary and secured his rights to these neighboring countries. In addition, Maximillian was a significant patron of the arts. He founded a musical chapel at court and contributed to the flourishing of the “Danube School” in painting.
In subsequent centuries, the development of the city slowed down. The transition from the Middle Ages to modern times was characterized by the Turkish threat - in 1529 the Turks laid siege to the city for the first time - and a major plague epidemic. The teachings of the reformers, especially Martin Luther, outlined the enormous conflicts and wars that marked the next centuries.
Vienna in the Baroque era
The period between two Turkish sieges (1529 and 1683) was marked by religious schism and the 30 Years' War (1618 - 1648), which left Vienna largely untouched but led to a serious economic decline. In the religious conflict, the House of Habsburg, who were deeply religious Catholics, took the side of Rome and became the center of the Counter-Reformation in Europe.
After the severe plague epidemic of 1679, which killed 30 thousand residents of Vienna, and another confrontation with the Turks in 1683, the city gradually began to come to life, and culture reached unprecedented heights. especially in all musical parts (Christoph Willibald Gluck, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) and in architecture. The expression of a new perception of life was the Baroque, which to this day determines the face of the city.
In honor of the happy end of the plague epidemic, Kaiser Charles VI built the Karlskirche church. The construction was led by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, one of the most famous architects of the Baroque era. and it was already completed by his son Joseph Emmanuel.
The “pragmatic” sanction of Charles VI, which allowed the inheritance of the throne through the female line, opened the way for his daughter Maria Theresa to the throne (1740 – 1780). True, Bavaria, France and, especially, Prussia tried to challenge its dominance, but this only led to new wars.
Maria Theresa carried out administrative reforms and introduced six years of compulsory schooling in Austria. During her reign, the Schönbrunn Palace was completed in the Baroque style (and some elements were made in the Rococo style). The first designs of the palace, created during the time of Leopold I, also belong to Fischer von Erlach. According to them, the palace should have been located on a hill, where the pavilion stands today. But due to lack of funds, the project was changed and the palace was built in its present form.
Everyday life was strikingly different from the splendor of the buildings: taxes and prices were constantly rising, there was not enough housing, and terrible sanitary conditions caused more and more epidemics.
Joseph II, son and heir of Maria Theresa (1780 - 1790), was very interested in the ideas of enlightenment. He created a central imperial administration. abolished serfdom among the peasants and issued a decree on “tolerance.” guaranteeing freedom of religion to all subjects.
For two more famous Baroque buildings, Vienna should be grateful to Prince Eugene of Savoy, who liberated the city from the Turkish threat. For this commander, Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt built a summer residence, the Belvedere Palace, and a city palace in the Himmelpfortgasse lane (now the Ministry of Finance is located here).
Vienna in the Biedermeier era
Late XVIII - early XIX centuries have passed under the sign of significant changes. The French Revolution of 1789 and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars significantly changed the political landscape of Europe. After most of the German princes went over to Napoleon's side, Kaiser Franz II drew the appropriate conclusions and founded the Austrian Empire in 1804 (as Franz I). In 1806, he renounced the crown of the Holy Roman Empire, which was founded by Charlemagne.
After the victory over Napoleon, Vienna became the venue for the Congress of Vienna, which was supposed to draw up a new political map of Europe. The Congress of Vienna was accompanied by numerous magnificent festivities and balls, and this became the reason for the appearance of the famous expression: “the congress is dancing.” The congress participants, led by the State Chancellor of Austria, Prince Clemens Metternich, were determined to restore the old order and political balance in Europe. Metternich created such a system of police state (censorship, surveillance of everyone, ban on meetings), which became for the man of the Biedermeier era the basis for his contradictory behavior, oscillating between bourgeoisness and protest.
After this, public life became inaccessible to citizens, their activities moved to the private and cultural sphere. A new Biedermeier style emerged, which became the pinnacle of Viennese culture. People met in the domestic circle at poetry evenings or concerts, or went to coffee houses, where, according to the Metternich system, a certain freedom of speech was still allowed. The theater experienced its heyday, staging works by Ferdinand Raimund, Johann Nestroy and Franz Grillparzer. Nestroy's works were especially popular because of their hidden criticism of the political system.
During the Biedermeier era, Vienna became the undisputed musical capital of Europe. Different composers worked in the city at the same time: Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and Johann Strauss - father. Thanks to the waltz compositions of Johann Strauss, a new dance began its triumphal march around the world - and this despite the fact that the waltz was initially considered an obscene dance. At the same time, there was a rise in painting. Every wealthy citizen of Vienna considered it his duty to ask a famous artist to paint his portrait. And now these paintings by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Rudolf Alt or Friedrich Amerling, as well as furniture in the Biedermeier style, are sold at international auctions at very high prices.
Political oppression, economic crises and crop failures caused increasing anxiety among the population. Social tension between different layers could not be resolved and the deceptive idyll of the Biedermeier era ended with the March Revolution of 1848.
Vienna in the era of Greenland
The Biedermeier era ended with the revolution of 1848 and the abdication of the incompetent Kaiser Ferdinand I. His 18-year-old nephew Franz Joseph I then ruled the Habsburg Empire for 68 years and had a huge influence on the nascent era of the Gründerism. In 1857, he ordered the demolition of old decorations around the city center. At this site a magnificent wide street arose - Ringstrasse, which was inaugurated in 1865. The new boulevard was built up through the efforts of many prominent architects: Theophil Hansen (Parliament, Exchange), Gottfried Semper and Karl Hasenauer (museums of the history of fine arts and natural history, Burgtheater), Heinrich Ferstel (University, Votivkirche), Friedrich Schmidt (Town Hall), Eduard van der Nüll and August von Siggardsburg (Statsoper).
Buildings were built at that time in the historicist style. It looked like this: the forms of previous styles were taken as a basis, which were then used in their greatest possible splendor. The degree of industrialization of Vienna, like the whole of Austria, was constantly growing. But despite this, Austria still remained an agricultural country. Artists and scientists who came from all over the monarchy shaped the spiritual life of Vienna. This contributed to the opening of new institutes, and the Vienna School of Medicine, represented by Billroth, Semmelweis and Freud, gained worldwide fame. The popularity of music from Vienna was determined, on the one hand, by serious works (Brahms and Bruckner), on the other, by light waltzes and operettas (Lanner, Strauss, Suppe).
Among the intelligentsia, the artist Hans Makart (1840 - 1884) set the tone, while important had not only his works, but also the lifestyle he created. The time of late historicism was called after his name the time of Macarthyism.
Vienna's population grew from 430 thousand in 1857 to 820 thousand in 1890. In 1901 the number of inhabitants reached 2 million. In 1873, Vienna hosted World's Fair. But soon after its opening, Vienna was rocked by a stock market crash and many speculators were left with nothing. Austria lost Lombardy and Tuscany, and after the Battle of Königgrätz with the Prussians in 1866, also Venice. According to the 1867 agreement with Hungary, two independent and equal states, Austria and Hungary, were united only on the basis of their subordination to one sovereign, as well as a common financial system, foreign and military policy. The official name of this complex, “Austro-Hungarian Monarchy,” still represents a deep cultural and historical concept. The aging Kaiser Franz Joseph I had to endure several difficult personal blows. In 1867, his brother Maximillian, Kaiser of Mexico, was assassinated. In 1889, his son Crown Prince Rudolf and his beloved Baroness Marie Wetzer committed double suicide. And in 1898, Empress Elizabeth (Sisi) was assassinated in Geneva by an anarchist. Heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand and his wife were shot dead on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo. This assassination attempt led to the outbreak of the First World War, and with it the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Kaiser Franz Joseph died during the war on November 21, 1916 at Schönbrunn Palace.
Vienna in the Art Nouveau era
The historicism of the 19th century turned out to be a passed stage. Art Nouveau (in German – Jugendstil) got its name from the magazine Jugend, founded in 1896 in Munich. It became a major cultural movement at the turn of the century and left a significant mark on Vienna. The origins of Art Nouveau date back to the works of English graphic artists of the 19th century. Along with the “floral” direction, which uses a smooth play of lines, reminiscent of the forms of the plant world, a more strict and abstract direction has appeared.
Vienna became one of the most significant centers of Art Nouveau. As a sign of their departure from traditional style, a group of mostly young artists, among them Gustav Klimt, Koloman Moser, Karl Moll and Otto Wagner, founded the Vienna Secession in 1897. The magazine "Ver Sacrum" became important element new art. Architect and co-founder Joseph Maria Olbrich built the Secession group's exhibition hall in 1898, near the Naschmarkt. This geometrically strict building, only lightly decorated with modernist elements, became the harbinger of a new philosophy in architecture. This building is crowned by a dome of gilded foliage, visible from afar, nicknamed by the residents of the city the “golden head of cabbage”. They were either skeptical about this new movement in art or simply did not recognize it. It did not correspond to their taste, which was cultivated by the magnificent weight of historicism. Kaiser Franz Joseph himself considered the construction of a residential and business building by Adolf Loos on Michaelerplatz square directly opposite the Hofburg as a provocation. The average person called it “a house without eyebrows”; this impression was created by the façade, completely devoid of decoration. To achieve at least some agreement with the tastes of the population, flower boxes were attached to the windows.
Other notable Art Nouveau architects include Otto Wagner and Joseph Hoffmann. The entire city metro system, all stations (today these are lines U6 and U4) were created according to designs by Otto Wagner. Other impressive examples of Art Nouveau architecture are the Postal Savings Bank building, the Am Steinhof church, the majolica house on Linke Wienzeile, built by Otto Wagner, and the sanatorium in Punkersdorf (architect Joseph Hoffmann). Art Nouveau artists sought to embody their ideas not only in architecture, but also changed the general life concept, which included interior decoration, furniture and household items. This idea was consistent with the creation of the Vienna Workshops in 1903, initiated by Joseph Hoffmann and Koloman Moser. Today, dishes, glasses, cutlery, as well as furniture, decorations and textiles made in the Vienna Workshops can be recognized as examples of perfect craft art.
The economic crisis of the 1920s and the growing demand for industrially manufactured and therefore cheap goods led to the closure of the workshops in 1932.
Joseph Mart Olbrich (1867 – 1908) was a co-founder of the Vienna Secession and the creator of the Secession building, which is without a doubt one of the most significant examples of Art Nouveau.
Adolf Loos (1870 - 1956) - a representative of a clear style in construction, adhered to the concept of expediency in architecture and refused decorative elements.
Joseph Hoffmann (1868 - 1918) sought to simplify architectural forms. Author of numerous villa projects in Vienna (including interior decoration).
Koloman Moser (1868 - 1918) is without a doubt one of the most versatile artists of his time. He was both an artist and a graphic artist; he worked to order, designed books, and created costumes and stage sets. As a co-founder of the Vienna Secession and the Vienna Workshops, his first priority was to oversee the transition from "floral" art forms to geometric designs.
Gustav Klimt (1862 - 1918) - the most important representative of Viennese Art Nouveau, had a huge influence on the Vienna Workshops. His paintings from decorative ornament are world famous.
Egon Schiele (1890 - 1918) - his later works have a number of characteristic features: the harmony of modernity is destroyed - the feeling of joy of life is in the shadow of death and oblivion.
Vienna and music
Why did great musicians always appear in Vienna, or did it magically attract them to itself? This is probably due to the city’s position between the modest North and the romantic South, at the intersection different cultures, in the middle of picturesque nature. In the 18th century, Vienna became the musical center of Europe. This time, when Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven worked, went down in the history of music as the “Viennese Classics”. Joseph Haydn laid the foundation for the classical symphony. In addition, he is considered the father of the string quartet.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart moved to Vienna in 1781. The Viennese aristocracy admired him as a virtuoso pianist, but did not recognize him as the musical genius for which he is known today. Ludwig van Beethoven was a student of Joseph Haydn and, unlike him and Mozart, a recognized genius who could afford to live well on royalties from his works and performances. His music took new directions, and it is worth noting the musicality of the public, which received his works with enthusiasm. When Beethoven died in 1827, the whole of Vienna saw him off on his last journey.
The next king of music was Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828), a real crown, who wrote more than 600 songs and in many of them used truly folklore. In the Biedermeier era, the time of home music came, and the passion for dancing of the Viennese became legendary. Folk dancing contributed to the birth of the waltz. The first composers who sought to win the hearts of the public were Joseph Lanner (1801 - 1843) and Johann Strauss the Father (1804 - 1849). But Johann Strauss son (1825 - 1899) did it best. On March 28, 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra gave its first concert. Since 1869 it has been located in the building of the Musical Society (Musikverein). In contrast to the Philharmonic, folk music also had its own ensembles (Schrammeln). They played ennobled versions of Viennese songs. And today such an ensemble can be found in a good Viennese restaurant, offering its own young wine.
Among serious musicians, the works of Johann Brahms (1833 - 1897) became very famous. Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903) brought his songcraft to perfection. Just like Anton Bruckner (1824 - 1896), he created large symphonies that differed from classical forms. The critics didn't understand him, but the public loved him. In his songs and symphonies, Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911) reflected the decadent mood of the last decades of the monarchy and pointed the way to modernity.
Arnold Schoenberg (1874 - 1951), Alban Berg (1885 - 1935) and Anton Webern (1883 - 1945) followed new paths. They used atonality and justified the dodecaphonic technique. Ernst Krenek developed the concept of atonality. Gottfried von Einem's 1918 opera The Wedding of Jesus led to one of the last opera scandals. The National Opera (Statsoper) still occupies a special position, since it has a permanent repertoire and can use probably the best opera orchestra in the world, the Wiener Philharmoniker.
Modern Vienna
From an artistic and spiritual point of view, modern Vienna dates back to the end of the 19th century, when the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy began. On November 12, 1916, the "Republic of German Austria" was founded. But in the arts and sciences, Austria retained its status as a great power. Berg, Schoenberg, Strauss, Schnitzler, Hofmannsthal, Werfel, Horvath, Sigmund Freud lived and worked in Vienna.
The most serious problems of the young state were unemployment, housing shortage and inflation. Between 1923 and 1933, "Red Vienna" built about 60,000 apartments, the most famous quarter being the Karl-Marx-Hof. This social construction of apartments has become an example for the whole of Europe. From a political point of view it was a turbulent time. In 1928, riots broke out, which led to a fire in the Palace of Justice. Dozens of people died in subsequent street battles. In February 1934 it flared up Civil War. Bundeschancellor Dollfuss was killed during the failed National Socialist putsch.
His successor, Dr. Kurt Schuschnigg, was unable to provide effective resistance to the growing pressure of Hitler and the National Socialists. On March 12, 1938, German troops entered Austria, and until May 1945 the country disappeared from all political maps. And to this day, concrete masses of air defense towers remain in Vienna, like silent witnesses of wartime. On April 27, 1945, the independence of Austria was proclaimed. The first 10 years of the Second Republic were a brutal time, with human suffering and economic collapse compounded by the burden of occupying forces. Vienna was divided between the 4 victorious states.
After the difficult years of reconstruction and the return of freedom to Austria (the signing of the State Treaty on May 15, 1955), Vienna again became the world center of music. The Vienna Philharmonic, Symphony Orchestra, State Opera, Volksoper, Theater an der Wien and Burgtheater can be counted among the best cultural institutions in the world.
In the political world, Austria managed to secure the status of a neutral state. In 1956, Vienna became the seat of the International Atomic Energy Service (IAEA). After the opening of the “International Center” in 1979, which Viennese residents simply call UNO-City, the city became the third permanent location of the UN after New York and Geneva and finally came into the spotlight of the world community.
The fall of the Iron Curtain and the collapse of the communist Eastern Bloc returned Vienna to the place it had occupied throughout its history: the lively and vibrant center of Central Europe. Competition from Budapest and Prague and the recovering regions will ensure continued positive growth in the coming decades.

Data from the Press Office of the Federal Chancellor's Office

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HISTORY OF VIENNA

Vienna is a city of luxurious palaces, majestic squares, picturesque streets. A city on the Danube, surrounded by the green necklace of the Vienna Woods. The city of poets and musicians, the city is brilliant, but cozy, cheerful and thoughtful. Eternal city...

Vienna is two millennia Great history. The cradle of the city is on the “amber road”, which has long connected the Baltic Sea with the Adriatic and the Danube. From “smart” books you can read that hunters from Paleolithic times lived in the vicinity of Vienna. Finds confirm that in the 1st century BC. A Celtic tribe lived on Mount Leopold. Around the 100th year after the birth of Christ, the area was conquered by the Romans, who set up the military camp Vindobona here - you can find this ancient name of Vienna in the names of companies, banks, and various institutions. Emperor Marcus Aurelius, a famous Stoic, led the military from the camp campaigns, where he rested in God while performing his duties in 180. In the 5th century AD, the Roman Empire collapses and the troops leave the city. After the Romans left, the Huns, Lombards, and Slavs found shelter in the Vienna area. In 1137, Vienna was first mentioned in chronicles as a city (civitas), which in 1155 became the residence of the Babenbergs, and in 1237 acquired the status of a free city. Like the Ruriks and the Romanovs, there were two ruling dynasties in Austria - the Babenbergs and the Habsburgs. The first ruler of the Babenberg dynasty was the Frankish Count Leopold, a representative of the highest Bavarian aristocracy. On July 21, 976, Kaiser Otto II transferred to his the possession of the "marcha orientalis" - the Bavarian frontier in the East, which was the beginning of the 270-year reign of the Babenbergs in Austria. In 1246, in a battle with the Hungarians, on the day of his 35th birthday, Frederick the Militant was killed. His death, due to the lack of heirs, put an end to the reign of the Babenbergs. In 1282, the era of the Habsburgs began, which ended in 1918 with the fall of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. On November 11, 1918, in the Schönbrunn Palace, Charles 1, who had been monarch for only two years (1916-1918), signed his abdication. Of the numerous representatives of the Habsburgs, who for almost seven centuries determined the fate of Europe, Russian readers are perhaps best known to Maria Theresia and Franz Joseph. The reign of Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II (1740-1790) is similar to the era of Peter the Great in Russia. Among the many reforms they implemented was the introduction compulsory education, abolition of torture and serfdom. In 1848, 18-year-old Franz Joseph became Kaiser. This ascetic monarch, “the first citizen of his state,” as he liked to call himself, reigned for 68 years. His life was full of tragedies - his brother Ferdinand Max, King of Mexico, was killed, his son and only heir, Crown Prince Rudolf, committed suicide in a hunting lodge in Mayerling, his beloved wife Empress Elisabeth, whom the Austrians call by the affectionate name Sissi, fell in Geneva at the hands of the Italian anarchist Luigi Luccheni. On June 28, 1914, the heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophia were killed in Sarajevo, which was the reason for the First World War. Despite all these losses, the Kaiser lived to be 86 years old. He dies in Schönbrunn on November 21, 1916. The history of Vienna is a history of struggle and victories, destruction and Renaissance. The Turks tried to conquer it twice - in 1529 and in 1683. After their final expulsion, “Vienna gloriosa”, a city of enchanting baroque, began to emerge like a phoenix from the ashes. In 1938, the infamous “Anschluss” took place - the annexation of Austria to Nazi Germany. Vienna became the "Reichsgau" - "district of the empire". In 1945, the Red Army expelled troops from the city - a monument on Schwarzenberg Square recalls this event. Vienna, like Berlin, was divided into four zones of occupation - the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and France... This is how the city lived for ten years. On May 15, 1955, in the Belvedere Palace, a State Treaty was signed between the victorious countries, according to which the troops left Austria and full sovereignty was returned to it. Hardworking Austrians bravely took on the task of rebuilding the economy, without losing their humor and optimism. The fact that Austria is one of the most prosperous countries in Europe is undoubtedly the merit of the people who love their Home and care about its well-being. Today's Vienna is a city with 1.6 million inhabitants, a large center in which many international organizations, including the UN. During the post-war years, new buildings and residential areas were built here. HISTORICAL MONUMENTS AND ATTRACTIONS

P "Am Hof" - "At the Court" - the center of time. For centuries it was a market square where wood, coal, hay, straw, crayfish were sold - a favorite delicacy of the Middle Ages, bread. A cruel sign of the times - executions - were also carried out in this square. In the center you will see the "Marienzoile" - a column in honor of the Virgin Mary, a monument to the Thirty Years' War. In 1645, the Swedes under the command of Marshal Thorstenson rushed into the Danube Valley. Many cities and fortresses were destroyed and conquered. Vienna was in serious danger: there were no troops capable of defending the city; the townspeople of the evangelical religion sympathized with the Swedes. In this desperate situation, Kaiser Ferdinand III organized a religious ceremony and promised that if Vienna was saved, he would erect a column in honor of the Virgin Mary Mother of God in the square.

Without making an attempt to conquer the city, Torstenson withdrew his troops, and in 1646 the monument was ready. In 1667, Ferdinand's son Kaiser Leopold 1 ordered the dismantling of the stone monument, which was replaced by a bronze copy. The original was transported to the city of Wernstein, where it remains to this day. Among the historical buildings, let us draw your attention to the church and the Zeichhaus. The Am Hof ​​Church, or the Church of the Nine Angel Choirs, was built between 1386 and 1403 on the site of the chapel located here. In the 17th century (1607-1610), its interior received Baroque decoration, and in 1662 an amazingly beautiful Baroque façade appeared. On Easter 1782, Pope Pius VI blessed the assembled parishioners from the choir of this church. On August 6, 1806, it was announced in the church that Kaiser Franz 1 was laying down the crown of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. The former “City Zeichhaus” contained weapons that were issued to the townspeople in the event of an attack on Vienna. The building, built in 1550, after numerous alterations, was completed in 1731-32...The oldest church in Vienna is the Church of St. Ruprecht, Ruprechts Kirche. According to legend, it was founded in 740 by the Archbishop of Salzburg. Even earlier, there was a “House for Prayer and Reflection” on this site. The nave and the lower part of the tower date back to the 11th century, some parts of the structure possibly date back to an even earlier period. The next witness of hoary antiquity is “Maria am Gestad” - the Church of Mary on the coast. The name recalls the time when the temple was located on the banks of the Danube branch, where ships moored. In documents from 1158, the church is referred to as a “Roman shrine”. During the Turkish sieges of 1529 and 1683, the building was badly damaged. Restoration work was carried out in the 19th century. In 1327, Duke Frederick the Fair founded an Augustinian monastery. The Augustinerkirche, built somewhat later, served for a long time as the court parish church, in which numerous ceremonies took place. In 1736, the betrothal of Maria Theresa to Franz Stephen of Lorraine took place here, in 1770 - of Marie Antoinette to Louis XVI, in 1810 - of Marie Louise to Napoleon, where instead of the absent emperor, he appeared before the altar former enemy- Archduke Karl. In 1854, Kaiser Franz Joseph married the 16-year-old beauty Elisabeth von Wittelsbach here, and in 1881, their son Rudolf married Stephanie of Belgium. In 1916, Austria said goodbye to Kaiser Franz Joseph in the church. Take a look at the sarcophagus of Maria Theresa's daughter, Archduchess Maria Cristina, painted by Antonio Canova in 1797-1805. Since 1634, next to the church there has been a crypt in which 54 urns with the hearts of members of the Kaiser's family - "Herzgruft" - are kept. Nearby, under the arches of the Capuchin Church, is the Kaisergruft tomb. Like Herzgruft, it is open to public viewing. Most of the Habsburgs found their final refuge here - 144 sarcophagi, 12 of which contain the remains of emperors, 15 of empresses. The most impressive is the double sarcophagus of Maria Theresa and her husband Franz 1 Stephen. executed by Balthasar Ferdinand Moll. The last magnificent burial took place here in 1989. The Capuchin monks, in whose possession the church and the tomb are still located, opened the gates and received the servant of God Cita, the widow of the last emperor of Austria, Charles I, who ended her life at the age of 97, seven of which she spent in Austria after many years of exile. Cita, who at one time did not sign the act of abdication, owes her return to Chancellor Bruno Kreisky, who made this generous gift for her 90th birthday. There are so many theaters and museums in Vienna that, of course, we cannot talk about them all. As we travel, we will draw your attention to the most significant of them. "Albertina", which stores 200,000 originals, belongs to the world's largest collections of graphics. The museum bears the name of its founder, Duke Albert von Sachsen-Teschen, wife of Maria Theresa's beloved daughter Maria Christina. The collection's holdings include masterpieces by Durer, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Rubens, Rembrandt, Schiele and many other artists, from the 15th century to the present. A tourist who comes to Vienna for the first time first of all rushes to Stephansplatz - St. Stephen's Square fana with famous cathedral, after whom it is named.. .. Returning to Vienna after a long separation, each time you are surprised and rejoice at this amazing creation, simple and beautiful, like a mountain cliff, elevating and strengthening the spirit. Its history is inseparable from the history of Austria. The construction site of Stefansdom was located outside the walls of the Roman camp, which served as city walls in the Middle Ages, that is, in the suburbs. A cemetery arose around the new church, where burials were carried out until the 18th century. In 1732, by order of Kaiser Charles VI, the cemetery was closed. Some of the tombstones can be seen on the walls of St. Stephen's Cathedral, and there is access to the underground crypts. There are many other historical items on the walls of the cathedral, for example, a measure of the length of fabric and the size of a loaf of bread. Any medieval buyer could use them to check his goods, and if a fraud was discovered, the seller had a bad time: a baker, for example, was dipped into the Danube in his own wicker basket at any time of the year, and this often became his last swim. If you are an inquisitive tourist, then you will be able to find a “fryjung” - a ring, which, if you grabbed hold of it and fled from persecution, even if it was a criminal, you became inviolable. The construction of St. Stephen's Cathedral lasted several centuries, each of which left its traces in its architecture. C The oldest, Romanesque parts of the cathedral are the Rizentor and Hayden-Tume. The name of the portal "Risentor" - "giant gate" - is associated with a legend. When digging the soil at the base of the portal, a huge bone of a mammoth was found, which probably died during the Flood. "Heidentürme" - "pagan towers" - crown this portal, which makes up integral with the Gothic part of the cathedral. The cathedral owes much to Duke Rudolf IV of Habsburg, who decided to remodel Stephansdom in the Gothic style. The 136.7-meter-high south tower, which the Viennese lovingly call “Stefl,” was completed in 1433. The northern part, due to a shortage funds remained unfinished. In 1579, at a height of 68.3 meters, it was crowned with a Renaissance dome. Being next to St. Stephen's Cathedral, you will naturally want to go inside, where you will also meet the Beautiful. The interior of the cathedral gives an idea of different style directions- Generations of artists worked on decorating Stefansdom. The central altar depicts the execution of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. To the right of the entrance you will see a Gothic altar (1513) with an image of the Pöttsch Madonna. The cult of the Virgin Mary is characteristic of the Catholic religion, and this Madonna is especially loved and revered - you can easily see this when you visit Stefansdom. Her story is noteworthy - in 1697, by order of the Kaiser, the Madonna was brought here from Hungary, as she was credited with the miraculous property of shedding tears. A true masterpiece is the pulpit, carved from stone by Anton Pilgram (1514-1515). The staircase railings are decorated with images of toads and lizards, which has a symbolic meaning: toads are a symbol of darkness, lizards are a symbol of light, therefore, the struggle between Good and Evil. In the upper part are four fathers of the Catholic Church, whose portraits are distinguished by deep psychologism. Master Pilgram also immortalized himself - looking out of the window. In the "women's choir" there is an amazingly beautiful Gothic altar (wood carving, painting), made in 1447. The altar bears the name of the city in which it was previously located - "Wiener Neustadt". Another masterpiece is the red marble tomb of Kaiser Frederick III, decorated with 240 figures (1513). Of course, you will see much more in the cathedral and admire the creation of hands human, do not forget that this pride of Austria belongs to the whole world, and you will act nobly if you make a contribution to its maintenance. The north tower of Stefansdom is the abode of the “Pummerin” - the largest bell in Austria (weight 21.383 kg, diameter 314 cm) . Cast in 1683 after the second Turkish invasion from captured guns, it was a symbol of freedom. In 1945, during a fire, the bell fell and broke. One of the nine states of the republic, Upper Austria, donated funds for the new Pummerin, which in 1952, like Samson in Peterhof, was returned to its historical place. The ringing of the bell can be heard on December 31. This evening ("Silvester") crowds of people fill the square. The powerful roar of "Pummerin" echoes throughout Vienna, then the unofficial anthem of Austria - Strauss's waltz "On the Beautiful Blue Danube" - sounds, and to its sounds the twirling couples enter the New Year. Corks from champagne bottles fly into the air, the fiery flowers of fireworks light up the sky, and fun reigns all around. Vienna celebrates... You can immerse yourself in a glimpse into the depths of centuries by taking the metro to Stephansplatz. At construction work The Virgilkapelle chapel, dating back to the 13th century, was opened. It was once located in the dungeon of the cemetery church of Mary Magdalene, which was demolished in 1871. Stefansplatz lives a vibrant and varied life, an integral part of which is carriages - carriages. drawn by horses. Vienna is one of the few cities in the world where horses are still an equal participant in the movement. Fiacres owe their name to the Church of Saint Fiacre in Paris, a place where hackney carriages stopped. It’s nice to take a walk in them and listen to the story of the “cabin driver,” an expert and patriot of his city. Those who are particularly interested in this Viennese landmark can visit the Cabin Museum, located in the 17th district (Veronikogosse 12). On the south side, Stephansplatz is adjacent to the Stock im Eisen square with one of the symbols of Vienna - a tree trunk with nails driven into with nails, which gave the name to the square. Many legends are associated with this symbol, one of which tells that during the Middle Ages, every apprentice mechanic who came to Vienna had to drive a nail into this tree - to leave a “calling card.” A tree with nails is built into the wall of the Equitable Palais, named after an American insurance company. You will not regret if you enter the house, where you will be amazed by the architectural design of the staircase and an amazing view of the patio . Opposite this mansion is the modern introduction of the Haashaus, designed by one of Vienna's most famous architects, Hans Hollein. Since 1867, there has been a house built here for the company Philip Haas and Sons, specializing in carpets; it was the first department store in Vienna. After a fire in 1945, the house was severely damaged and demolished, opening up space for the flight of architectural thought... Today's Haashaus is a commercial paradise with expensive shops, cafes and restaurants, a mirror of the present in which the past is reflected. From Stock im Eisen Square "The two main streets of the historical center begin - Am Graben and Kärntner Strasse. Graben in Russian means "ditch". Once upon a time this was indeed a ditch outside the walls of the Roman camp; in the 13th century, a market square arose here, where the houses of the townspeople who became rich in the Crusades and through trade stood. The luxury of past centuries has been replaced by present wealth. Today, on Graben and in the adjacent streets, there live those who do not think about tomorrow. Having inherited from yesterday, they have managed to increase what they have received. The inhabitants of the Graben visit the shops located on the ground floors, the prices of which are sometimes several times higher than the minimum wage of Austrians. With the onset of cool weather, the “fur parade” begins on the Graben - elegant ladies “saunter” their fur coats. The main attraction of the Graben is the “Pestzoile” - “Plague Column”, or Trinity Column, built during the reign of Leopold 1 and reminiscent of the terrible epidemic of 1679, which claimed tens of thousands of lives. At first it was a wooden column, which in 1693 was completed by a Baroque hymn made of stone, which you can see and which became the prototype of similar monuments in many cities in Austria. Not far from the column are two fountains - "Josefsbrunnen" and "Leopoldsbrunnen", dating back to the 19th century and named after the most revered saints in Vienna. Walking along the Graben, you will not miss the patina-covered dome of the Peterskirche, an architectural monument of the 18th century, with a magnificent interior decoration .In the old days, on the site of Kärntnerstrasse there was a road to the south, to one of the lands of Austria - Carinthia. Since 1974, this street, like the Graben, has been a pedestrian zone. In the evenings it is an open-air theater, where every five meters artists and musicians from different countries demonstrate their talents. The oldest surviving house is the Esterhazy Palace (1698), which, after reconstruction, houses a casino and the most famous fashion salon “Adlmüller”. Don't forget to also visit the Hotel Sacher, which remembers the famous celebrities of the past and knows the famous celebrities of the present, and buy one of the traditional Viennese souvenirs - the signature chocolate cake, famous all over the world.

Sh Jonbrunn, the summer residence of the Habsburgs, is also one of your must-sees. Like Peterhof and Versailles, this is an ensemble that combines architecture and nature, where the park becomes a continuation of the palace. Its history begins in 1559, when Maximilian II acquired a plot of land on which the Kattenburg mill was located, which, by his order, was converted into a hunting lodge. "Schönbrunn" is a "beautiful spring", so called by Kaiser Matthias. The Kaiser was crowned in 1612, and as the chronicles report, in the first days of his reign he went hunting and discovered a source with the purest water - “Schönbrunn”. The hunting lodge was destroyed during the Turkish siege of 1683. In 1692, Kaiser Leopold I decided to build a summer residence for his son Joseph and assigned this task to his favorite architect Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, one of the most famous architects of the Baroque era, who made a significant contribution to shaping the appearance of Vienna.

Fischer von Erlach developed a grandiose project with the goal of surpassing Versailles. He wanted to build a palace on a hill, thereby emphasizing the exceptional position of the monarch. Stairs with ramps were supposed to descend from the palace. Due to financial difficulties, this project could not be implemented. Instead of ceremonial gatherings, a park was laid out, the culmination of which is a palace - the Kaiser still had to get closer to the people. The “Gloriette” was erected on the hill - a triumphal arch in honor of the victory over the Prussian Kaiser Frederick II (1757 Battle of Kolin). Construction of the palace, which began in 1696, was completed in 1713. During the reign of Maria Theresa, who loved Schönbrunn and lived in it with his imperial husband and 16 children, the building was rebuilt by the architect Nikolaus Pacassi. When Napoleon's troops occupied Vienna (in 1805 and 1809), the emperor's headquarters were located in Schönbrunn. Napoleon's son from his marriage to Maria Louise of Austria - the King of Rome, the pathetic loser Eglon (“Eaglet”), and Kaiser Franz Joseph - were born and died in the palace. The interior is worthy of attention - 1441 apartments, partially available for inspection. In one of the most elegant rooms of the palace, the Hall of Mirrors, six-year-old Mozart played for Maria Theresa and her court. The pearl of Rococo is the so-called “millionth living room,” which is decorated with Chinese rosewood panels with precious Persian and Indian miniatures framed in gilded frames. In the Great Gallery, where especially ceremonial receptions are held today, the Congress of Vienna once danced. An exhibition of carriages has been opened in Schönbrunn, where carriages, sleighs, palanquins, and sedan chairs are on display. In the center of the collection is a gilded, richly decorated imperial carriage weighing 4 tons, which on coronation days they were harnessed by eight horses. The French park with topiary trees, decorated with mythological sculptures and crowned at the foot of the hill with the Neptune fountain is reminiscent of Versailles. IN summer time You can visit the palace theater where musical performances and concerts are held. There are also several museums within the park, among others. The Palm House is a glass and metal structure created in 1883, and the Zoo.

We will tell you about two more monuments of the Baroque era - the Belvedere and the Karlskirche.

The Belvedere, built by Lucas von Hildebrandt as a summer residence for one of the greatest commanders of his time, Prince Eugene of Savoy, was once located outside the city walls. After the death of the prince, the palace went to the Habsburgs. At the beginning of the century, the heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, lived here, who was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1915. The Upper Belvedere, Hildebrandt's masterpiece, completed in 1722, served as the prince's representative residence. In one of the most ceremonial halls of this palace, decorated with red marble, on May 15, 1955, the State Treaty was signed, putting an end to the 10-year occupation of Austria. Today, in the halls of the Upper Belvedere there are collections of the Austrian Gallery of the 19th-20th centuries, where you can see the most famous works Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka, artists of the Biedermeier period and modern masters. The composer Anton Bruckner died in one of the parts of the palace in 1896. Prince Eugene's living quarters are in the Lower Belvedere, built in 1714-1716, where the Baroque Museum is located. The former Orangery of the Lower Belvedere houses a collection of medieval Austrian art. Both palaces are united by an exceptionally beautiful park, which inspired many artists, including Bernardo Belotto (“Canaletto”). Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and his son Joseph Emmanuel worked on the creation of the most perfect baroque church in Vienna, the Karlskirche. The work was completed in 1739. The church is a tribute from Kaiser Charles VI for relief from the plague of 1713. The dome of the church, 72 meters high, is one of the dominant features of the Viennese landscape. They say that the idea of ​​a facade with two separate columns arose in the head of Fischer von Erlach the father, when at sunset he observed the Church of St. Peter and the Trojan Column in Rome, united in his imagination into a single whole.

E it happened on Christmas Day 1857. The peaceful burghers were still basking in their beds, inhaling the aroma of spruce needles and candles and anticipating the joy of breakfast and the morning newspaper, not suspecting that on its first page was printed the decree of Kaiser Franz Joseph on the demolition of the ramparts that had hitherto surrounded the city center. The purpose of this action is to give a more representative character to the capital, to unite the core of Vienna with the suburbs.

“Ring” means “ring”, but in fact this boulevard has the shape of a horseshoe, the sides of which overlook the “tamed” Danube - the “Danube Canal” (due to frequent floods in 1870-75, the course of the Danube within the city was regulated) . Individual areas Ringstrasse have their own names: Parkring, Schubertring, Kärntnerring and so on. One of the opportunities to take in the panorama of the Ring is a ride on trams “1” or “2” running along the route Ring - Kai (embankment) - Ring. Many architects took part in the development of the boulevard, trying to outdo each other in originality. As a result, a conglomerate of different styles arose, once criticized as a “style mishmash”, but over the years, however, established itself as its own “Ring-Strassenstil” - art history knows a lot similar examples . You will see many interesting buildings on the Ring; let us draw your attention to the most significant of them. The neo-Gothic Rathaus - Vienna City Hall - was built in 1872-83 by Friedrich von Schmidt, the builder of Cologne Cathedral. Its central tower is topped with the “iron town hall man”, which has become one of the symbols of Vienna. In front of the Town Hall is a park decorated with fountains and sculptures of prominent Austrians, including Johann Strauss the Father and Joseph Lanner. Since November, the square in front of the Town Hall has been decorated with a huge Christmas tree, the dominant feature of the Christmas market, where both young and old have fun. In summer, the square turns into an open theater, where art festivals take place and a circus performs. There are trays with souvenirs and various foodstuffs all around - the Viennese and guests of the capital receive bread and circuses. The Parliament (1873-83) was built by the Dane Theophil Hansen. The architect spent many years in Athens, which inspired him to create a project in the Greek style. In front of the building is a fountain with a statue of Pallas Athena. Vienna's most famous drama theater, the Burgtheater, is also located on the Ring. It was built in 1874-88 according to the design of Gottfried Semper. The theater's lush interior is decorated with frescoes by Gustav Klimt and Franz Matsch. Heavily damaged during the war, the theater was reopened in 1955. The musical mecca of Vienna is the Staats Oper. The authors of its project, Eduard van der July and August Siccardsburg, drew their inspiration from the French early Renaissance. On May 25, 1869, the Opera solemnly opened with Mozart's Don Giovanni. The building, which is admired today, was at one time the subject of fierce attacks: the architects were accused of all mortal sins, and the Kaiser allowed himself to be criticized. Unable to bear such shame, van der Nyul hanged himself, and two months later he died of a heart attack in Sicardsburg. If you believe history, Franz Joseph from then on avoided expressing his opinion on issues of art, always using the stereotypical, now common noun phrase: “It was wonderful and made me very happy...”. Destroyed during the war, the rebuilt Opera was opened in 1955 almost simultaneously with the Burgtheater. In February, the most famous ball in Austria, the Opernball, takes place in Staatsoper. For one night, the auditorium and stage are transformed into a huge dance floor. An extravaganza of flower garlands, luxurious toilets, sparkling jewelry - the high society of Austria appears in all its splendor. All high state and other duties are forgotten, and after the eternally beautiful polonaise, where the white toilets of the debutantes set off the tailcoats and uniforms of the partners, when a phrase is heard that can be translated approximately like this: “Let's all dance the waltz! ”, a celebration begins that lasts until the morning... Not far from Staatsoper there is another “temple of art” - the “Musikverein”, the home of the incomparable Viennese Philharmonic. The building was built in 1867-69 by Theophil Hansen, the author of the Parliament project. On January 1, a New Year's concert is held in the “golden” hall of Mukzikverein, broadcast on television to the whole world. This concert, like the opera ball, is one of the central events of social life. Only the most famous conductors - Herbert von Karajan, Carlos Kleiber, Riccardo Muti, Zubin Mehta... On both sides of Maria Theresa Square with its monument there are architectural twins - Artistic - historical and natural history museums, built in 1871-81 by Gottfried Semper and Karl Hasenauer in the Italian Renaissance style. The pride of the Kunsthistorisches Museum is its art gallery with works by Durer, Rembrandt, Raphael, Titian, Velazquez, Dutch masters from the very big world Bruegel's collection. Ring's lungs are his parks. The most popular is Stadtpark, a city park opened in 1862. Among the numerous monuments decorating the park is a monument to the king of the waltz, Johann Strauss (sculptor Edmund Helmer, 1923). On summer evenings, an orchestra plays in the park, and you can lose yourself in a crazy whirlwind to the enchanting sounds of music familiar from childhood... The oldest park in the Ring is the Burggarten (1820), which is like a continuation of the Hofburg. Its main decoration is the monument to Mozart (1896) by Victor Tilgner. The Volksgarten, the People's Park, is charming, in Italian style. In the center of the park is the so-called Temple of Theseus, a copy of a Greek temple built by the architect Pietro Nobile for the sculpture “Theseus Slaying the Minotaur”, which is now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The marble Empress Elisabeth dreamed forever in the Volksgarten. The proximity of the Temple of Theseus reminds her of her beloved Greece...

WITH Viennese Baroque is adjacent to Art Nouveau, the largest representative of which is Otto Wagner. One of his projects is an urban Railway, which he considered as a holistic artistic object, where everything is important: pavilions and bridges, lamps and inscriptions.

The railway lines were supposed to connect Vienna's train stations, making communications in the imperial capital more perfect. Today, the pavilions, restored in historical style, belong to the metro, in one of them, on Karlsplatz, there is the exhibition hall of the Vienna History Museum. On the banks of the Vienna River, which has turned into a barely noticeable stream, you will find the Majolikahaus, built by Otto Wagner in 1898-99, the facades of which are decorated with majolica, painted with floral patterns typical of Art Nouveau. The neighboring house with gold medallions was also built according to Wagner's design. The architect's villa in the Vienna Woods, for which he chose a free Renaissance style, is worthy of attention. In 1972, the villa was purchased by the artist Ernst Fuchs, one of the founders of the Viennese school of fantastic realism. Having largely preserved the style of Otto Wagner, he turned the villa into a personal museum, where his paintings, drawings, sculptures, and furniture are exhibited. One of the most famous creations of Otto Wagner and, perhaps, of the entire “Viennese Art Nouveau” is the church “Am Steunhof” (1904- 1907), located on the territory of a psychiatric hospital. Walking around Vienna in its central part, you will undoubtedly notice a building with a lacy golden dome. His story is interesting. In 1861, the Association of Artists was founded in Vienna, who met in the House of Artists, which also served as an exhibition hall. In 1898, nineteen artists who, like the Peredvizhniki, disagreed with the conservative tendencies that then dominated the fine arts, left the Association and founded the Society of Artists under the motto: “Time has its art, art has its freedom.” The head of the “secessionists”, “apostates”, was Gustav Klimt. In the same year, the outstanding representative of the “Secessionists” Joseph Maria Olbrmch designed an exhibition hall, which became known as “Secession”. Franz Joseph was present at its opening. In 1985-86, the building was restored. Funds for the gilding of the bronze dome made of laurel leaves were donated by the then US Ambassador to Austria Ronald Lauder. During the restoration, a new hall was created, where Gustav Klimt's frieze - the artistic vision of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony - is now exhibited. In 1998, the centenary year of the Secession, the Viennese and many guests of the capital were shocked by the new appearance of the building - from snow-white it turned into red . Fortunately, this metamorphosis, carried out by the Swiss artist Markus Geiger, did not last long, and soon the facades again appeared in their original whiteness. Among contemporary Viennese artists, Friedensreich Hundertwasser is certainly one of the most original. The desire for the unusual is felt in everything - in the invented name: Friedensreich - “Kingdom of Peace”, in the appearance - the constant cap on his head, in the style of his architecture and painting. Tourists, despite the protests of the residents, are literally besieging one of the houses he designed, which is called “Hundertwasserhaus.” Hundertwasser’s style is immediately recognizable - colorful surfaces, gilded domes, deliberate curvature of walls, ceilings, asymmetry, inclusion of nature in the architecture. Something like children's drawings, they captivate with their fantastic naivety and invariably make you smile. Delighting the eye and soul is what the artist strives for. It is very problematic, of course, to feel comfortable in such a house, where the floor literally disappears from under your feet... Not far from the Hundertwasserhaus - the Kunsthaus - House of Arts, designed by him, with a permanent exhibition of the artist’s works and exhibition halls. One of the days you spend in Vienna, you will definitely catch your eye with a tower with a golden ball - this is how Hundertwasse decorated the “garbage crematorium”.

If you want to relax among greenery and attractions, visit the Prater, whose history dates back to the Middle Ages. Since 1766, the Imperial Prater, a hunting ground, has become open to the public by order of Joseph II. Since then, the Prater has become a holiday destination with entertainment and gastronomic establishments. The symbol of the Prater and one of the symbols of Vienna is the Riesenrad - a giant Ferris wheel built in 1896-97 by the English engineer Walter Basset for the Vienna World Exhibition. Rising in one of its carriages to a height of approximately 65 meters, you will be able to take in the panorama of Vienna.

Two Chinese figures today remind us of Prater's past times - Kalafati and his wife. Kalafati is so popular that in the Prater there is a volute named after him, which you can use to pay for the attraction. There is a “Lilliputbat” in the Prater - a children’s railway 4 kilometers long. There is a lot of entertainment here for any age - a “road of horrors”, a carousel, shooting galleries, modern attractions with breathtaking speed and flips in the air. Destroyed during the war, the revived Prater, as before, is one of the favorite vacation spots of the Viennese and guests of the capital.

The results of archaeological excavations indicate that the first human settlements on the territory of present-day Vienna took place already 25 thousand years ago. “Venna” is a white city, this is the name of the settlement that appeared near Kahlenberg about 4,000 years ago. Later, the settlement grew into a city, and the Roman conquerors who came to it founded the military center of Vindobona on this site. The remains of the Roman settlement of those times (1st century BC) are visible on the Hoher Markt. At the end of the 6th century, Winn was still a provincial town, and already under the reign of Charlemagne (about 800 years ago) it became the capital of the Eastern Province of Ostmark.

In the 10th century, this area was taken over by the count family of the Babenbergs. Documents from 976 contain a mention of the name "Ostarrich" - Austria. In 1156 the city of Vienna became the capital of the Babenberg domains, vassals of the Bavarian dynasty. During their reign, the first flowering of architecture began in Vienna and the historical part of the Hofburg dates back to this period. After the death of the last of the Babenberg dynasty in 1246. Vienna comes into possession of the family Habsburgs.

This determines the further course of history not only of Vienna itself, but of Austria as a whole, and right up to 1918. That year, Charles I abdicated the throne and the creation of the Austrian Republic was proclaimed by the Provisional National Assembly. During the reign of the Habsburg family, such significant historical buildings as Stephansdom - the symbol of Vienna, Schönbrunn, Hofburg, Belvedere, almost all city museums, and beautiful buildings on the Ringstrasse were built in the capital.

In its history, Vienna also experienced very difficult times: numerous epidemics (typhoid, cholera) took place here, claiming thousands of lives; the city withstood two Turkish sieges (1529 and 1683) and the Thirty Years' War; Vienna was occupied twice (in 1805, 1809). Napoleonic troops. It was Vienna that became the city symbolizing the final victory of Europe over Emperor Napoleon.

In 1938 Hitler's troops entered Austria and the country turned into an eastern province. By the time of Germany's surrender in the spring of 1945. the country was already divided into four sectors, and in 1955, as a result of the signing of a state treaty, Austria regained its independence and received the status of a neutral state. In the 70-80s. In the twentieth century, the central part of Vienna was reconstructed, as a result of which the capital of Austria again acquired the glory of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Since ancient times, Vienna has been at the crossroads connecting Eastern and Western Europe. The first inhabitants of this region were the Illyrians, they came here along the Danube from the Balkan Peninsula. From Gaul came the Celts, who around 500 BC. e. founded the city of Vindobona ("Shimmering Field").

Romans and barbarians

The Romans arrived in Vindobona in the 1st century. n. e. These were soldiers sent from Britain to defend the empire's eastern European borders. They built a garrison where the Upper Market of the Old Town is now located. The Romans repelled the attacks of the Teutons and Slavs. Emperor Marcus Aurelius waged constant wars with the barbarians. In 180 AD e. he died in Vindobona from the plague. A hundred years later, another Roman emperor, Probus, earned the gratitude of subsequent generations by planting vineyards on the slopes of the Vienna Woods. Today, in the center of the Heiligenstadt wine district, there is a street called Probusgasse, named after him.

In the 4th century. Vienna became Christian, but could not withstand the onslaught of barbarian armies. In 453, Vienna was captured by the leader of the Huns, Attila, but he died without completing his conquests. Over the next 600 years, Vienna withstood the onslaught of the Huns, Goths, Franks, Avars, Slavs and Hungarians. Despite the constant wars, in 740 the first church was built in the city - the Rupertskirche. During the reign of Charlemagne, two more appeared: Maria am Gestad and Peterskirche.

Babenberg board

In 1156 stability finally arrived. A century and a half earlier, the Babenberg clan, Bavarian nobles, came to power. They ousted the Hungarians from these territories, and in gratitude, the Holy Roman Emperor gave them the Duchy of Austria.

The first Duke, Henry II Jazomirgott, built his residence where Platz am Hof ​​is now located. From this time on, Vienna's first golden age began. Art, trade and crafts flourished in the city. German merchants and artisans flocked here. The crusaders also stopped in Vienna. Scottish and Irish monks heading to Jerusalem founded the Schottenstift monastery here. During the reign of the Babenbergs, many new churches were built, the first St. Stephen's Cathedral and several monasteries. Elegant aristocratic mansions appeared along the wide streets. At the same time, a fortress was erected on the site where the Hofburg later grew. In 1200, with the money received as a ransom for the release of the English king Richard the Lionheart, powerful fortifications were built around the Old Town - where the Ringstrasse is now located. The era of minstrels has arrived. From this time the richest musical traditions of Vienna begin.

Habsburgs

In 1246, Frederick the Grumpy died, and the Babenberg male line was cut short. The country fell into the hands of King Ottokar II of Bohemia. Unlike his predecessor, who constantly picked quarrels with his barons, seduced the wives of burghers and started wars at the slightest provocation, Ottokar enjoyed well-deserved love among the Viennese.

Ottokar rebuilt St. Stephen's Cathedral and began construction of the Hofburg. When the new German king Rudolf von Habsburg set his sights on the city, the Viennese were not happy. They supported Ottokar, but in 1278 Rudolf still won.

After this, the history of Vienna was one of constant war between the Habsburgs, who sought world dominion, and the citizens, who valued a quiet life above all else. When the Habsburgs (Maximilian I, Charles V and Ferdinand I) set out to conquer the empire, Vienna remained forgotten and abandoned. The most popular among city residents were those rulers who preferred to live peacefully and engage in construction. Rudolf the Founder founded the university in 1365 and transformed the Romanesque St. Stephen's Cathedral into the magnificent Gothic one that can still be seen today. The work was completed by Frederick III. In 1469 Rome made Vienna a bishopric. The Viennese appreciated Frederick's efforts by burying him in the cathedral and engraving on the tomb a magnificent motto: AEIOU (Austriae Est Imperare Orbi Universe - All will fall before Austria, which is destined to rule the world).

XV century turned out to be quite difficult. In 1421, more than two hundred Jews were burned alive in the Jewish quarter near Judenplatz. The rest were expelled from the city. From 1485 to 1490 Vienna lived under the rule of the Hungarian King Matthias

Corwin, who went down in history with the following remark: “Let others wage wars, and you, happy Austria, make marriages. What Mars gives to others, you will receive from Venus.” Indeed, the Habsburgs expanded their empire through the advantageous marriages of numerous archdukes and archduchesses. Maximilian I (1493-1519) pursued this policy especially successfully.

As soon as Austria got rid of the Goths and Hungarians, Vienna was besieged by the Ottoman armies under the command of Suleiman the Magnificent. In 1529, the 18-day siege of Vienna began. The suburbs were completely destroyed, but the Old City survived. The Turks were forced to retreat.

During the era of the Reformation and the Thirty Years' War, the city became a stronghold of the Catholic Church. Resisting the pressure of Muslims, Vienna banned Protestantism in 1577, and in 1645 it withstood the Protestant armies of the Swedish king Gustav Adolf.

Jews were allowed to return to the city in the 20s. XVII century - the ghetto was built in the swamps of Leopoldstadt. The magnificent Baroque era began during the reign of Emperor Leopold I. It was a true celebration of architecture and music, marred only by the plague of 1679 and another Turkish siege in 1683.

For the victory over the Turks, the great soldier and scientist Prince Eugene of Savoy received a fortune and built for himself the magnificent Belvedere Palace. More modest, but no less elegant residences were built by the Auerspergs, Schwarzenbergs and Liechtensteins.

Charles VI, pretender to the Spanish throne, returned to Vienna more Spaniard than Austrian. He brought with him the stern etiquette and piety of the Spanish court. He rebuilt the 12th century Klosterneuburg Abbey in an attempt to

to create from it a kind of Austrian Escorial, and the huge Karlskirche should, according to his plan, resemble the Cathedral of St.

Peter's in Rome. Fascinated by Versailles, the king also reconstructed the Hofburg Palace. The buildings of the Spanish Riding School and the Imperial Library were also built during this period. Vienna owes its transformation into a Baroque city to three Austrian architects: Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, his son Joseph Emanuel and Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt.

Maria Theresa and Napoleon

After the feverish construction that crowned the imperial ambitions of the male Habsburgs, the people of Vienna were finally able to relax under the maternal care of Maria Theresa (1740-1780). The virtuous, kind and sentimental mother of 16 children subtly sensed the mood of the Viennese. She always patronized the arts and especially loved music. The new Schönbrunn Palace regularly hosted concerts and opera performances. Maria Theresa clearly preferred the new palace to the austere Hofburg. Its orchestra was conducted by Christoph Gluck. Young Joseph Haydn sang in the Vienna Boys' Choir, and six-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart won the heart of Maria Theresa by asking her for the hand of one of her daughters. (It must be said that the fate of this daughter, Marie Antoinette, was tragic - she was beheaded, and because of a completely different man.) In subsequent years, Gluck, Haydn and Mozart glorified Vienna as the musical capital of the world.

Maria Theresa lulled the Viennese into a false sense of security. Her son Joseph II (1780-1790) was a serious man and had little regard for his subjects. Under him, the Viennese realized with horror that revolutionary times were coming. Joseph carried out a number of reforms that made life easier for peasants, Protestants and Jews, but the conservative Viennese were not ready for this. Joseph's desire to expand the city and break down the walls surrounding the Old City shocked them, but the bureaucratic machine he created, launched to govern the entire empire, did its job.

People felt calmer when Francis II, who could hardly be called a lover of reforms, came to power. Such stability became especially important after news of the execution of Joseph's sister, Marie Antoinette, arrived from France. Looking at the strange tricolor flag soaring over the French Republic, the Viennese were ready to tear it to shreds, and with it the diplomatic relations between Austria and France. They turned out to be less warlike when Napoleon’s armies entered Vienna in November 1805 and the French emperor, after a brilliant victory at Austerlitz, settled in Maria Theresa’s favorite palace, Schönbrunn.

Once again, the Habsburgs brought into action their secret weapon, which more than once brought them success in international affairs: political marriages. In 1810, in an effort to save what was left of his empire, Emperor Franz was not afraid to marry his daughter Marie-Louise to his enemy, the French Emperor Napoleon. The Viennese did not object: they liked the quiet life much more than war.

The long 19th century

The Napoleonic era ended with one of the most important events in the history of the city - the Congress of Vienna in 1815. It was organized by the cunning Chancellor Franz Metternich. The post-war division of Europe took place at the congress. Franz happily transferred all the diplomatic work to Metternich, and he himself began organizing countless banquets, balls and concerts. Many believed that Franz achieved much greater success than his chancellor. “This congress does not work, but dances,” said the Belgian Prince de Ligny.

For the next thirty years the Viennese enjoyed quiet life. The Prater Park was then a favorite vacation spot for the royal family. The music did not stop in the city. Beethoven became the favorite of the aristocracy, but the most popular were the waltzes of the Strauss - father and son.

In 1848, Vienna was overwhelmed by a wave of revolutionary protests that swept across Europe. People demanded national independence and political reforms. A gentle, but at the same time very cunning representative of the Habsburg family, Ferdinand, hearing that the dissatisfied Viennese were advancing on the Hofburg, said: “Were they allowed to do this?” Without waiting for an answer, the emperor left Vienna. Metternich lost power. The crowd hanged Minister of War Theodore Latour from a lantern. And yet the army managed to restore order and brutally suppress the uprising.

Ferdinand abdicated the throne, and power passed into the hands of his nephew Franz Joseph. He was well aware of the burden that fell on his shoulders. Throughout the 68 years of his reign, he defended the interests of his family and sought to preserve his empire.

During the Industrial Revolution, Vienna prospered. Construction was underway on the Ringstrasse, along which the luxurious residences of the new, bourgeois aristocracy were lined up.

The World Exhibition of 1873 almost bankrupted the city, but at the same time brought it worldwide fame. People from all over Europe and America flocked to Vienna to see the new concert halls and theaters. Before the disappearance of the empire, its cultural heritage took on a monumental form. Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler, Lehár and Strauss worked here. In the Secession Gallery, young artists showed the world a new style, called Art Nouveau.

Only such a perverted mind as Sigmund Freud could imagine that the Viennese were exploring the depths of their subconscious to discover the beginnings of dark forces there. Of course, the people of Vienna did not pay any attention to this. Under the disapproving glances of intellectuals gathering in coffee shops, the city continued to spin in an endless waltz. The failed artist Adolf Hitler left the “frivolous” Vienna in disgust, blaming both his failures and the problems of the “true Germans” on the Jews and Slavs who lived there.

End of the Empire

Franz Joseph's son, Rudolf, committed suicide in Mayerling. The emperor's wife, Elizabeth, died from an assassin's knife in Geneva. Fate dealt the final blow in 1914, when his heir, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated in Sarajevo. The First World War (1914-1918), which broke out after this event, brought an end to the Habsburg Empire and plunged Vienna into economic disaster. Vienna lost the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Hungary, parts of Poland, Romania and the former Yugoslavia. All these regions made significant contributions to the economic and cultural development of the empire.

The State Opera House was headed by Richard Strauss. The old creative spirit was revived in progressive social construction. However, the city suffered from incredible inflation. Society was split, conflicts broke out on the streets between communists and fascists, supporters of the government of Engelbert Dollfuss. In 1934, Dollfuss was killed by the Austrian Nazis right in the state chancellery on Ballhausplatz. His successor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, managed to suppress the putsch, but four years later he was forced to agree to the Anschluss - Austria was annexed by Germany.

On March 13, 1938, Hitler rode triumphantly along the Mariahilfestrasse. The Viennese enthusiastically greeted the one who seemed to them the savior from the chaos of recent years. But a sad fate awaited 180 thousand Viennese Jews. The brutality of the Austrian Nazis and the indifference of many local residents shocked even those who witnessed the horrors of Nazism in Germany. The extermination of Viennese Jews left a deep mark on the history of the city, impoverishing its culture and intellectual life.

During World War II, the spirit of the city was partially preserved. The Gauleiter of Austria, Joseph Bürkel, informed Goebbels that it would be better to preserve the satirical cabaret. However, after the bombing of 1945, the Viennese had no time for humor. After the war, Vienna, like Berlin, was divided into four sectors. The old city was under joint management Americans, Russians, French and British. The Viennese endured all hardships stoically, they were supported by the ubiquitous black market.

Austria's post-war neutrality, declared in 1955, made Vienna the seat of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN Industrial Development Organization and OPEC. Chancellor Bruno Kreisky managed to return the city to its former glory as a city of world importance.

In 1995, Austria joined the European Union, and Vienna began to play again important role in European politics. However, with the coming to power right party The country's reputation was once again shaken. In subsequent years, Austria passed the EU's toughest anti-immigration laws. The Viennese are firmly in the social democratic tradition, but today Austria is divided between left and right. The country is governed by a “grand coalition”. The far right is not going to give up even after the death of its leader Jörg Haider (he died in a car accident in 2008). In the 2009 general elections they won a significant number of votes.

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