DK Travel : Vienna : History & Culture

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Schubert’s Grave

Franz Schubert was buried at the Währinger Friedhof on 21 November 1828, following his early death aged 31. When the cemetery was closed down in 1872, however, his bones were moved to the Central Cemetery. There he was given an honorary grave among many of his composer friends.
Schubert’s House of Birth

Franz Schubert was born in the kitchen of this little first-floor apartment, now a museum, on 31 January 1797 and spent the first four years of his life in the property, known locally as “House of the Red Crab”. The apartment, which is entered via a wooden balcony, had only one small room facing the street. The museum presents information on the composer’s life (see p58) as well as various portraits by Schubert’s contemporaries. The highlight of the exhibition, however, is Schubert’s famous spectacles.
Schwarzenberggarten

The Baroque architect Lukas von Hildebrandt was commissioned to build a summer palace here in 1697 which was bought by the influential Schwarzenberg family in 1720. Architects Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and his son Joseph Emanuel continued adorning the palace and laid out the garden in formal French style.
Secession Building

This remarkable late 19th-century building is a celebration of the Secessionist artistic movement (see pp32–3).
Second Republic

In 1945, at the end of World War II, Vienna was divided into four zones occupied by the four Allied powers (Great Britain, France, Russia and the USA). Ten years later the last Allied soldiers left the country, and Austria regained full sovereignty with the signing of the State Treaty in May 1955 (see p23).
Servitenkirche

Although this charming church is slightly off the beaten track, it is well worth a visit. The early Baroque church and an adjoining monastery were built in 1651 by the Servite convent. The interior is decorated with stucco ornaments and frescoes, but an interesting detail is the 13th-century crucifix to the right of the high altar. Originally the “cross of gallows”, it stood at the public execution place on Schlickplatz.
Sigmund Freud Museum

The founder of psychoanalysis (see p98) lived in Vienna from 1891 until 1938, when he fled from the National Socialists to London. In his spacious apartment in Berggasse, now a museum, he wrote many famous works and case histories such as Interpretation of Dreams . His former consulting rooms and office have been turned into exhibition rooms displaying his original furniture. There is also a library and a lecture hall where conferences on Freud’s theories are held.
Spittelberg

The charming Spittelberg area consists of a few cobbled, narrow streets with pretty houses and spouting fountains between Breite Gasse, Siebensterngasse, Sigmundsgasse and Burggasse. In the 18th century the area was full of hovels, gambling dens and brothels but by the 19th century these establishments had been closed down and, over the course of time, the district became increasingly derelict. The city authorities only began to recognize the area’s charm in the 1970s, and today it’s a thriving enclave of galleries, handicraft shops and cosy pubs.
Staatsoper

The Vienna State Opera House is a landmark in a city that loves its music, and has witnessed the premiere of many world-famous works (see pp30–31).
Stephansdom

At the geographical epicentre of the city, the spectacular Gothic Stephansdom cathedral dominates the skyline with its many towers and its 137-m (450-ft) spire (see pp8–11).