III.

Places of Interest

A.

The Urban Landscape

The heart of Vienna, the Innere Stadt (Inner City), was once surrounded by defensive walls. These walls were razed in 1857, and in their place a broad boulevard, the Ringstrasse, was built and subsequently lined with imposing buildings, monuments, and parks. Among the important buildings here are the town hall (Rathaus, 1872-1883), the Burgtheater (1874-1888), the University (1873-1883), the Parliament (1883), and the Staatsoper (State Opera, 1861-1869), burned in 1945 and rebuilt in 1955. Also here is the Hofburg, the former imperial palace, the oldest part of which was built during the 13th century. The Gothic St Stephen's Cathedral (rebuilt 13th-15th century) in the centre of the Inner City has a 113 m (370 ft) steeple that can be seen from all parts of Vienna. The 18th-century Church of St Charles Borromeo features noteworthy pillars and a prominent dome. Beyond the Ringstrasse was a secondary fortified wall, the Gürtel, which also was torn down to make space for the expanding suburbs in the second half of the 19th century. These suburban settlements were eventually incorporated into the city, and a pattern of radiating roads connects them to the Innere Stadt. The names of these districts are a reminder of the former autonomous suburban settlements. Industries are today located mostly in the southern and eastern districts. The Danube Canal, which branches south of the River Danube, was completed in the 1880s. The Innere Stadt borders the canal to the south, and Vienna's second most important district is located between the canal and the river. Across the Danube are newer districts; it is here that the new international centre has been built.

The greatest period of building in the city was between 1870 and 1890, which was also the period of the most rapid population growth. Vienna's population was approximately 2.4 million in 1918. Much of the large foreign population migrated after World War I to the various successor states of the monarchy. Vienna's many monumental buildings reflect its cultural importance, and although the city exhibits a certain harmonious aspect, its buildings are of many different architectural styles. Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and typical Austrian Biedermeier designs are found together with early 20th-century barrack-like apartment buildings and modern apartment blocks of the post-World War II period.

Vienna is famous for its numerous parks, many with monuments, such as the Stadtpark and Belvedere Park, with its Baroque-style castle, where the State Treaty was signed. The principal public park in Vienna, the Prater, is situated on an island formed by the River Danube and the canal. Schönbrunn, the beautiful rococo Imperial Summer Palace, has an 18th-century park and the world's oldest existing zoo (1752); it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. To the west of the city lie the Vienna Woods (Wienerwald), rising on foothills of the Alps.

B.

Educational and Cultural Institutions

Vienna has long been known for its cultural and educational institutions. During the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, it was one of the musical capitals of the world, the home of many famous composers and musicians, including Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Brahms, Franz Schubert, Anton Bruckner, Gustav Mahler, and Alban Berg. Franz von Suppé supplied early models for Viennese operetta, and Johann Strauss the Younger brought the form to a high romantic level in Die Fledermaus (The Bat, 1874). Other composers of operettas include Karl Millöcker, Franz Lehár, Robert Stolz, Oscar Straus, and Emmerich Kalman. Vienna remains a city of strong musical heritage and is the seat of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna State Opera, and a music conservatory. Among Vienna's many major halls are the famous Musikvereinssaal (Society of Music), the home of the Vienna Philharmonic; the Theater an der Wien (built 1788); the State Opera House; and the Volksoper. Also notable are the Burgtheater, home of the national theatre, and the Theater an der Josefstadt. The most outstanding of Vienna's many schools and scientific organizations is the University of Vienna (1365) with its many institutes; it is known throughout the world, particularly for its medical school, and has a large percentage of foreign students. Other schools include the Vienna Technical University (1815), the Vienna University of Commerce (1898), the Academy of Fine Arts (1692), and veterinarian and agricultural colleges. Vienna is a city of numerous museums and art galleries. Among the most prominent are the Albertina, the Museum of the 20th Century, the Natural History Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts.