Vienna
Vienna (in German, Wien, pronounced/vi linen/(
listen)) is an Austrian city located on the banks of the Danube, in the valley of the Vienna Forests, at the foot of the first foothills of the Alps. It is the federal capital and main city of the country, in addition to one of its nine federated states (Bundesland Wien).
Surrounded by the federal state of Lower Austria, Vienna is the most populous city and largest cultural center in Austria, with a population of over 1,900,000 (2021) – 2.4 million in its metropolitan area (population similar to the one the city had in 1914). Therefore, it is the second most populous city in Central Europe (after Berlin, although according to some statistics as of 2020 it is third after Berlin and Hamburg) and the sixth largest city in the European Union. It is also the third most populous metropolitan area in Central Europe after Berlin and the Ruhr region. The official language is standard Austrian German; Viennese German, a Bavarian dialect, is also spoken.
The city has a long history, as it is one of the oldest capitals in Europe, which is why it has an important artistic heritage. During the 18th and 19th centuries" was one of the great musical capitals of the world and at the beginning of the XX century, a mecca of philosophy and political debate of the West, as well as one of the main world cultural centers.
Etymological origin
The Romans called it Vindobona, a name of Celtic origin meaning white city. Like the different Viennas, Vianas or Veanas that are distributed throughout Europe, it comes from the word beann (mount, hill or peak). Thus, beann in Scottish Gaelic and in Irish means peak or top. In Protogaelic, much closer to the original Celtic, it is written benna; Old Irish benn; in Welsh, ban and in Breton ban and benny.
History
Antiquity
The first human settlements in present-day Vienna are of Celtic origin (ca. 500 BC), later Germanic, and with the expansion of the Roman Empire to the north in the I a. C., adheres to this in the year 13 a. C. The Danube river, like the Alps, then served as a natural boundary between barbarians and Romans, and Vindobona served from then until the fall of Rome (AD 476) as a point defense of the empire The city was born as a camp of the Roman army, to control the Province of Pannonia, in which different units were based, among which the Legio X Gemina stands out, which remained in it since the area was occupied by Germanic peoples in the time of Graciano and Teodosio I.
Middle Ages
With the barbarian invasions it is occupied by Avars and Magyars. Charlemagne conquered the city in the IX century and named it the Ostmark (the eastern mark). During the High Middle Ages, Vienna was an important ally of the papacy and a supply point for weapons and food for the company of the Crusades (eg Richard the Lionheart). It was the capital of Hungary under Matías Corvino, and from the XV century until the Napoleonic wars the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, being the habitual residence of the Habsburgs.
In 1237 the walls of Vienna reached the extent they would remain until their disappearance in 1857.
Modern Age
Since the fall of Constantinople in 1453, there was a growing interest of the Ottoman Empire for Vienna, since it was the key to conquer the other countries of Europe; interest that becomes more notable during the period of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. But their efforts failed, and the Austrians emerged victorious from several sieges of the city, the first in 1529, despite initially receiving only lukewarm support from their German neighbors. The Turkish army was ill-equipped for a siege, and its task was hampered by snow and floods. Suleiman withdrew at the end of October and was unable to resume the siege on his return in 1532, when he found the defenders supported by a large army under the Emperor Charles V's brother Ferdinand.
Between the first and the second Turkish siege (1529-1532), the defensive installations were constantly reinforced and modernized. This brought as a consequence that the free spaces in front of the bastions had to be expanded over and over again to use them as firing ranges. In 1529 these spaces covered 90 m which, from 1683, were widened to 450 m. Until 1858 no building was built on this esplanade.
The third siege occurred in 1683, in the so-called Battle of Vienna, and marked the beginning of the decline of the Ottoman Empire in Europe. It was initiated by Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa, who desperately needed a military success to bolster his shaky position and tried to achieve it in a campaign against Emperor Leopold I. The Turks advanced with overwhelming force, besieging the city on July 16, but their Lack of siege artillery allowed Leopold to raise an additional army consisting of Austrian, German and Polish troops, which defeated the Turkish army in a battle fought in front of the city walls on September 12, which is also known as the Battle of Kahlenberg.
During the 18th century, the Habsburgs had made the city their capital since 1556 and its importance grew with expansion through the Danube valley. It became a main nucleus of the European Baroque thanks to the construction of important architectural works and musical creations. In 1800, before the Napoleonic wars, the city had 231,900 inhabitants.
Since the siege of 1683, in which numerous small towns that existed outside the wall were destroyed, many palaces with gardens have risen on the undulating terrain in front of the town. The starting point was the plans for the royal palace in Schönbrunn, drawn up by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. Around 1720 there were 200 rural residences. Prince Eugene of Savoy had acquired in 1693 the most beautiful plot and one of the largest with the first income that had come to him. There, after forty years of work, he built the Belvedere with its spacious gardens.
Napoleonic period
After the Austrian defeat at the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1809 (battle of Wagram), the latter stayed at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna (where - ironies of history - just a few years before Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, daughter of Maria Theresa and Francis I, Emperors of Austria). During this stay, France and Austria allied, and Napoleon married Maria Luisa, also the daughter of the Austrian emperors.
Metternich, Austrian chancellor at this time, turns Austria over to the anti-Napoleonic camp after the French defeat in Russia. After the final defeat of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna is held, an international conference convened with the aim of reestablishing the borders of Europe. The meeting took place from October 1, 1814 to June 9, 1815, which allows Austria to keep much of its territories despite having been allied with Napoleon, and from then on, Vienna, through the Chancellor Metternich, would become the lynchpin of continental European politics for the next thirty years.
Austro-Hungarian Empire
During the 19th century, especially in the second half, Vienna began a demographic boom, accompanied by urban reforms, that turned it into a great city, multiplying its population by ten in a century. In 1857, the walls were demolished by decree of Franz José I of Austria, opening a new avenue, the Ringstraße, where important buildings were built, such as the Opera, the University, the Town Hall, the Parliament, the Stock Exchange and the art history and natural history museums. The defeat of Austria in the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 and the subsequent annexation of the German states to Prussia made the unified Germany a danger to Austria, for which reason the latter had to ally with Hungary in what is known as the "compensation policy" or Ausgleichpolitik. Thus, in 1867, after the Compromise with Hungary, Vienna became the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and a world-class cultural, artistic, political, industrial and financial center. With this alliance, Austria continues to add others, so that by the end of the XIX century the empire included the current countries of Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Polish Galicia, Romanian Transylvania, Ukrainian Bucovina and Ruthenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia and Italian Trentino-Alto Adige.
Vienna reaches its demographic peak in 1916 with 2,239,000 inhabitants, making it the third largest city in Europe. This is the most glorious cultural period of the Habsburg Monarchy, with Franz Joseph I ruling the Empire (1848-1916 period). It is also the time for sumptuous Viennese waltzes at the Vienna State Opera, grand carriages cruising along Ringstraße and Kärntner Straße, as well as typical Viennese cafés.
Intellectuals of the time stand out, such as Sigmund Freud in psychoanalysis and Otto Bauer in the field of political thought, the main exponent of Austro-Marxism, ideas that would have a strong impact on Viennese society, since already in 1895 the municipal government would be in the hands of the Christian Social Party, forerunner of the current ÖVP (Christian Democrat) party. Nor should we forget on the artistic level the modernist movement, the Vienna Secession (Secession), with Gustav Klimt as the main exponent in painting, Coloman Moser in graphics and Otto Wagner, Joseph Maria Olbrich and Josef Hoffman in architecture. Contrary to these, I would also highlight Adolf Loos with his architectural rationalism. However, the First World War and the subsequent Austro-Hungarian defeat would cut short much of that splendor.
Following the assassination of Crown Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sofia Chotek, in Sarajevo by Bosnian Serb terrorist Gavrilo Princip, and overwhelming evidence of Serbian intelligence involvement in the plot, the dual monarchy declares war on Serbia and ends with the outbreak of World War I. In October 1918, Austria-Hungary and its allies defeated, the revolution broke out in Vienna that called for the dissolution of the monarchy and Austrian independence; It would be the end of the Habsburg monarchy that had ruled the country since 1278.
The Republic of Austria
Vienna became, after the Treaty of Saint-Germain, the capital of the small Republic of Austria, reduced to its current size, suffering a significant demographic, economic and political setback. Despite everything, intellectual activity continued at this time with the Vienna Circle (der Wiener Kreis), considered by many to be the most influential group of intellectuals of the century XX in Europe, among which Moritz Schlick and Ludwig Wittgenstein stand out in logical positivist philosophy (Logischer Empirismus).
During the republican-democratic period, that is, from 1918 until the dictatorship of Engelbert Dollfuss in 1934, the Social Democratic Labor Party (Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei in German) obtained an absolute majority in all the elections held for the local government, so the city became known as Red Vienna. The social democratic policy of those years was characterized by an extensive program of social housing and by strong support for education and public health, as advocated by the Austro-Marxist current. Red Vienna ended in 1934 as a result of the Austrian civil war and the victory of the Patriotic Front. Its last mayor was Karl Seitz.
World War II
Viennese cultural importance would remain until 1938, the year in which the country was invaded and later annexed by Nazi Germany. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was prohibited in the peace treaties and was the first of the expansions aimed at unifying all German-speaking countries in a single state, under a single leadership (" ein Reich, ein Volk, ein Führer"). In the city, which became the capital of the Ostmark province, on March 14, 1938, Hitler delivered his first great speech to the Viennese from the central balcony of the Hofburg Palace, a speech that It is considered one of the most emotional of the dictator and with the greatest acclaim due to its massive audience due to the euphoria that the annexation of Austria to the Third German Empire (Dritte Reich) caused in part of the population. To legitimize the invasion, a referendum was held on April 10 that was favorable to the Anschluss with 99.73%, although it lacked democratic guarantees.
During World War II, Vienna suffered indiscriminate US air raids that destroyed much of its historical heritage (the Gothic St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Hofburg Palace, the Vienna Opera, the Danube bridges, among others), which was rebuilt after the war. In May 1945 Vienna was taken by the Soviet army, who, along with the French, Americans and English, would occupy it for the next ten years under a four-party system of occupation in the city, similar to that of Berlin.
Postwar
Following the efforts of Leopold Figl and Julius Raab, the control of the four powers of Vienna lasted until the Austrian State Treaty was signed in May 1955. That year, after years of reconstruction and restoration, the State Opera and the Burgtheater, both on Ringstraße, reopened to the public. The Soviet Union signed the State Treaty only after having received a political guarantee from the federal government to declare Austria's neutrality after the withdrawal of Allied troops. This neutrality law, passed in late October 1955 (and not the State Treaty itself), ensured that modern Austria would align neither with NATO nor with the Soviet bloc, and is considered one of the reasons for the delay. at Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995.
In the 1970s, Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky inaugurated the Vienna International Center, a new area of the city created to house international institutions. Vienna has regained much of its former international stature by hosting international organizations such as the United Nations (United Nations Industrial Development Organization, United Nations Office at Vienna, and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)., the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Geography
Vienna is the capital of Austria, it is located in the center of Europe and in the northeast of Austria. It is only 40 kilometers from the border with Slovakia, only 60 kilometers from Hungary and 90 kilometers from the Czech Republic. The city has a total area of 414.65 km², making it the largest in Austria by area. Vienna lies on both sides of the Danube River, which flows through the city from the northwest to the southeast.
The mountain range of the Alps begins in the city in what is called the Eastern Alps. The area includes the Vienna Woods, which is very popular with city dwellers and is a protected landscape area of the Eastern Alps. In the city the lowest point is Lobau, with 151 meters above mean sea level, and the highest point is Hermannskogel with 542 meters. The average altitude is around 170 meters.
Climate
Vienna, according to the Köppen classification, is located in a transition zone between an oceanic climate (Cfb) and a humid continental climate (Dfb). The average annual temperature is 11.4 °C, registering minimums of -17 °C and maximums of 37 °C. Rainfall is 548 mm, without dry months.
The winters are very cold, with average temperatures around 0 °C and frequent frosts and snowfalls, with records of -17.6 °C. Summers are mild and humid and temperatures, while not usually very warm, can sometimes exceed 35°C. Autumn and spring are very variable in terms of temperatures, with autumns generally being much colder (already in November with possible snowfall), and with relatively abundant rainfall.
 Vienna average climate parameters (Innere Stadt) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Ene. | Feb. | Mar. | Open up. | May. | Jun. | Jul. | Ago. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | Annual |
| Temp. max. abs. (°C) | 18.7 | 20.6 | 25.5 | 29.5 | 34.0 | 36.5 | 39.5 | 38.4 | 34.0 | 27.8 | 21.7 | 16.1 | 39.5 |
| Average temperature (°C) | 3.2 | 5.2 | 10.3 | 16.2 | 21.1 | 24.0 | 26.5 | 26.0 | 20.6 | 14.6 | 8.1 | 3.6 | 14.9 |
| Average temperature (°C) | 0.3 | 1.5 | 5.7 | 10.7 | 15.7 | 18.7 | 20.8 | 20.2 | 15.4 | 10.2 | 5.1 | 1.1 | 10.4 |
| Temp. medium (°C) | -1.9 | -1.0 | 2.4 | 6.3 | 10.9 | 14.0 | 15.9 | 15.7 | 11.9 | 7.3 | 3.0 | -0.8 | 7.0 |
| Temp. min. abs. (°C) | -23.8 | -26.0 | -16.3 | -8.1 | -1.8 | 3.2 | 6.9 | 6.5 | -0.6 | -9.1 | -14.3 | -20.7 | -26.0 |
| Total precipitation (mm) | 38 | 40 | 51 | 45 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 72 | 61 | 38 | 49 | 48 | 651 |
| Nevadas (cm) | 18 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 67 |
| Hours of sun | 70 | 100 | 143 | 197 | 239 | 236 | 263 | 251 | 182 | 133 | 66 | 51 | 1930 |
| Relative humidity (%) | 72.4 | 65.1 | 58.3 | 51.9 | 53.7 | 55.0 | 53.3 | 53.3 | 59.4 | 64.8 | 73.6 | 77.3 | 61.5 |
| Source: Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics | |||||||||||||
Demographics
,_Vienna,_Austria.jpg)
The population of Vienna, in the first quarter of 2015, was 1,797,337 people, of whom approximately 80% are Austrians and the remaining 20% are from other countries. The largest group of immigrants is made up of Serbs, both from Serbia and Bosnia (including Montenegrins), seconded by Turks, Germans, Poles, Romanians and citizens of countries that were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (Bosnians, Croats, Hungarians, Czechs). The Viennese population has increased since 1988, especially in recent years, as a result of immigration. The metropolitan area, which spans the lands of Lower Austria, has a population of about 2,500,000.
The city, a Roman foundation, gained importance with the settlement of the Habsburgs by becoming the capital of their empire. During the Middle Ages and the 16th and XVII, the population increased slowly due to epidemics and sieges. The 18th century was a quieter period and in 1790 it already reached 200,000 inhabitants. The XIX century brought unprecedented demographic growth to the city, in keeping with the position that its state reached in Europe. In 1850, with 551,300 inhabitants, it had already passed to Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and by the mid-1870s it already exceeded one million inhabitants.
In 1910, the Austro-Hungarian capital was the third largest city in Europe, after Paris and London, and slightly above Berlin and Saint Petersburg, with 2,083,630 inhabitants, an estimated 2,239,000 in 1916, during the World War I, when it reached its historical demographic maximum. The dismemberment of Austria-Hungary was a demographic setback and the population has been up and down ever since but with a marked downward trend, always being below 2,000,000 and having not changed significantly since 1951. In recent years there has been a demographic upturn favored by the integration of the countries of Eastern Europe in the European Union.
|
|
|
|
Regarding religion, according to the 2001 census, 49.2% of the population is Catholic, 25.6% atheist, 7.8% Muslim, 6.0% Orthodox, 4.7% Protestant and the rest of the confessions does not reach 1%.
Minorities
In recent years, Vienna has increased the number of its inhabitants due to the arrival of immigrants from the former Yugoslavia, Turks (which, however, have been decreasing in recent years with many returns to Turkey), Poles, Romanians and, to a lesser extent, Slovaks, Hungarians, Chinese, Indians and Egyptians. Likewise, it is within the cities with the largest number of asylum seekers and political refugees, which is why until today the refugee communities continue to be visible, for example, as a result of the Islamic revolution in Iran and the military coups in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. Progressively, the families of Viennese Jews have been returning, who are now significantly increasing their participation in the economic life of the city.
Transportation
Vienna has an extensive network of roads and highways, and the city has an efficient public transportation system that includes trams, buses, and five lines of the Vienna Metro.
Airport
| Airport | IATA Code | ICAO Code | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Vienna International Airport | VIE | LOWW |
Port
Education
Vienna is the educational center of Austria and home to the country's best-known universities:
- University of Vienna
- University of Medicine Vienna
- Technical University of Vienna
- University of Economics, Vienna
- Vienna Academy of Fine Arts
- University of Applied Arts, Vienna
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
- University of Music and Dramatic Art, Vienna
- University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
- Sigmund Freud University of Vienna
Sports
Football
Vienna hosted the Euro 2008 final, and has two main soccer teams: Rapid Vienna, which plays at the Allianz Stadion, and FK Austria Vienna, whose stadium is the Generali Arena. Both teams play in the Austrian Bundesliga, and their meetings are known as the Vienna Derby. Rapid Vienna has participated in the UEFA Champions League, the Intertoto Cup and the UEFA Europa League. In the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League they finished third, ahead of Arsenal FC, Molde FK and Dundalk FC. Their best participation was in the 1984-85 European Cup Winners' Cup, where they finished runner-up against Everton FC. FK Austria Vienna has also competed in the UEFA Champions League, the Intertoto Cup and the UEFA Europa League. His last participation was in the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League.
Other Viennese football teams and clubs include First Vienna, which plays in the Austrian Regional League, and some currently playing in the minor leagues, such as Vienna Cricket and Football-Club, 1. Simmeringer SC (which plays in Sportplatz Simmeringer Had), Wierner AC (playing at WAC Arena), SV Schwechat (playing at Stade Rudolf-Tonn) and the Wierner Sport-Club. Most of these teams play in the Landesliga.
Vienna Sports Clubs
| Equipment | Sport | Competition | Stadium | Creation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Vienna |  Football
| Bundesliga (Austria) | Allianz Stadion | 1899 |
| FK Austria Vienna | Football
| Bundesliga (Austria) | Franz Horr Stadion | 1911 |
| First Vienna FC | Football
| First League of Austria | Hone Warte Stadium | 1894 |
| BC Zepter Vienna |  Basketball
| Österreichische Basketball Bundesliga | Wien Hopsagasse | 1999 |
| Vienna Vikings |  American Football
| Austrian Football League | Hohe Warte Stadium | 1983 |
Politics
Vienna is, by tradition, a city of strong debate of political ideas, origin of social democracy in the second decade of the XIX century (see Otto Bauer). After World War II, the preference of the Viennese has generally leaned towards the center-left of the SPÖ (Sozial-Demokratische Partei Österreichs), the Social Democratic Party of Austria, the party of the current mayor of the city, Michael Ludwig. In the municipal elections of 2010, the far-right nationalist party FPÖ (Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs), obtained 25.77% of the votes, becoming the second political force in Vienna with 27 representatives.
Quality of life
Currently (2019) Vienna has the first position in the quality of life lists of world cities, basically due to its order, cleanliness, security and high efficiency of public services, as well as the variety of transportation options. education, culture and entertainment.
Culture
In 2001, Unesco declared the "Historic Center of Vienna" as a World Heritage Site, stressing first that its architectural and urban qualities represent an outstanding testimony of a continuous exchange of values throughout the II millennium. In addition, its architectural and urban heritage illustrates very well three key periods of the political and cultural development of Europe: the Middle Ages, the Baroque period and the Gründerzeit. Finally, since the 16th century Vienna has been universally recognized as the «musical capital of Europe». Much of this legacy is transmitted in the monuments of this city, which are listed below in alphabetical order by their German names, since in Vienna they are not known under their translated names. The Spanish translation is in parentheses.
- Akademie der bildenden Künste (Academy of Fine Arts)
- Albertina, one of the most extensive collections of impressions and drawings
- Burgtheater (the imperial court)
- Heuriger, typical Viennese taverns to taste good wines, cold meats or sausages of the region found in the Viennese districts of Döbling, Favoriten or Floridsdorf, in the state of Burgenland or in the Weinviertel (part of Lower Austria),
- Hundertwasserhaus, which shows the avant-garde architecture of Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser
- Kaffeehäuser, the Viennese coffees
- Kahlenberg, a mountain in the Wienerwald (Bosque de Vienna), with the most spectacular viewpoint of the Danube River at its pass through Vienna
- Karlskirche (Church of San Carlos Borromeo), masterpiece of Baroque architecture
- Augustinerkirche (Agustinos Church), Gothic church whose crypt (Herzgruft) preserves the hearts of the Habsburgs
- Kaisergruft (Imperial Cyril), mausoleum of the Habsburg family
- Kärntner Straße and Graben, the streets with fashion shops of the most prestigious and expensive brands; they also find nice coffees, such as the coffee of Hotel Sacher, origin of the Sacherte
- Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History), one of the richest in the world
- Museum Liechtenstein (Museum Liechtenstein), opened by the ruling family of that principality. It hosts important works by Rembrandt, Rubens and Van Dyck
- Museum für angewandte Kunst (Museum of Applied Arts), is an historical and prestigious museum institute located in the famous Ringstrasse
- Museum für Völkerkunde (Ethnology Museum), which houses the controversial Penacho de Moctezuma, claimed by the Mexican government
- Museumsquartier (Music Barrium) with three modern art museums with the best of painting by Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka
- Naturhistorisches Museum (Museum of Natural History)
- Belvedere Palace, Baroque-style palace
- Schönbrunn Palace (literally, "Schönbrunn" in German means "Bella Source")
- Imperial Palace of Hofburg ("Hofburg" = "Palace of the Court")
- Schwarzenberg Palace, a Baroque palace, home of the Schwarzenberg House
- Parliament
- Wurstelprater, an amusement park with the "Riesenrad" (big theory)
- Rathaus (Heading)
- Sezession (Secession)
- Spanische Hofreitschule (Spanish riding school)
- Staatsoper (State Opera)
- Stephanskirche (or Stephansdom) (Vienna St. Stephen's Square) at Stephansplatz (St. Stephen's Square).
- Votivkirche (Votiva Church), which houses the altar of the Virgin of Guadalupe larger outside of Mexico.
Image Gallery
Belvedere Palace.
St. Stephen's Cathedral.
Museum of Art History.
Wedding source (Vermählungsbrunnen)
Schönbrunn Palace.
Vienna State Opera.
Albertina Museum.
Church of San Carlos BorromeoKarlskirche).
Burgtheater.
Vienna International Centre.
Michaelertrakt, Hofburg.
City Hall.
Hofburg Palace.
Secession building.
Monument to Maria Teresa.
Noria from Vienna.
.JPG)
Famous Viennese
Sister cities and friendship agreements
- Belgrade (Serbia)
- Bratislava (Slovakia)
- Brno (Czech Republic)
- Budapest (Hungary)
- Kiev (Ukraine)
- Ljubljana (Slovenia)
- Miami, United States
- Moscow (Russia)
- Tel Aviv (Israel)
- Warsaw (Poland)
- Zagreb, Croatia