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Early settlements date back to the late Stone Age (5000 BC). The Celts established the kingdom of Noricum in 200 BC. This was conquered by the Romans in 15 BC, who later set up a garrison, Vindobona, in AD 100.

With the death of Franz Joseph I in 1916, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy lost its uniting figure. Karl, his successor, was not able to secure peace. The empire’s defeat in World War I resulted in the Habsburgs losing both their lands and their crown.

As he was epileptic and physically weak, the country was ruled by Ferdinand’s advisors (1835–48).

When a new European map was drawn in 1918 at the end of World War I, the small Republic of Austria emerged. However, the country was struggling both economically and politically. Social unrest led to a civil war in February 1934, followed by a period of authoritarian rule.

As the last Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the Napoleonic Wars and Vienna Congress came under the reign of Franz II (1792–1835).

He came to power aged 18 and epitomized the monarchy as no other emperor before him (1848–1916).

Another great composer commemorated in Stadtpark is Franz Schubert, seated on a marble base. The monument was commissioned by the men’s choir Wiener Männergesangs-verein, which specialized in Schubert’s songs, and was created by Carl Kundmann in 1872.

The motto of Friedrich III (1440–93) was AEIOU – “Alle Erde ist Österreichs Untertan ” (All Earth Is Austria’s Subject).

The construction of this Rococo church was decreed by Empress Maria Theresa in 1755, and her favourite architect Nikolaus Pacassi (1716–90) completed the building in 1763. The plain, cubic structure with a red tiled roof and a green cupola was the church to the nearby military hospital. The interior is decorated with elaborate stucco work and behind the high altar is the painting Christ on the Crucifix by Peter Strudel, the founder of Vienna’s first art school. The church has been the Polish national church in Vienna since 1897.

The Geymüller-Schlössel is a little gem off the beaten track. The entire summer palace, both inside and out, reflects the Biedermeier style. The palace is owned by the Museum for Applied Arts and houses a collection of some 170 clocks, among them an early Viennese flute clock (c.1800) playing music by Haydn.