Vienna City Hall (Wiener Rathaus)
Vienna City Hall is one of the most visited sights in Vienna. It is located on Friedrich Schmidt Square in the 1st district. It houses the offices of the city burgomaster and the municipality. About 800 different events are held in the town hall every year. The hallmark of the Vienna Town Hall is the 105-meter high tower, which can be seen even from very far away from the town hall.
History
By the mid-19th century, Vienna’s numerous suburbs had become part of the city and its area and population had increased considerably, and the Old Town Hall building on Wipplingerstrasse was no longer satisfactory for the city. In 1868 a competition was announced for the construction of a new town hall, which was won by the German architect Friedrich von Schmidt.
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Originally the new town hall was going to be built opposite the city park, but in the end a part of Glasis Square in Josefstadt, used for parades, was allocated for it. There was a long-standing disagreement between the city and the monarchy regarding this location.
Architecture
An eclectic style was chosen for the new town hall, as for many of the buildings built at this time on the Ringstrasse that replaced the city wall. The façade of the building is a splendid example of a secular building in the Neo-Gothic style. The exterior and above all the 105 m high tower is in the tradition of the Flemish Gothic town halls, hinting at the medieval urban freedoms. The seven courtyards of the town hall give the building the appearance of a baroque palace.
The building occupies a plot of land measuring 19,592 m², with a total floor area of 113,000 m². The building is 152 meters long and 127 meters wide. The building has 1,575 rooms and 2,035 windows. The construction costs of the town hall amounted to about 14 million guilders.
.The Town Hall’s 71 m long and 20 m wide parade hall is decorated with sculptures of famous Viennese. The hall and the adjoining rooms are used for exhibitions, concerts and balls. At the top of the tower is a 3.5 m high iron sculpture of the town hall guard “Rathausmann” in the form of a standard-bearer in armor modeled after the ceremonial armor of Emperor Maximilian I.
.On Friedrich Schmidt Square behind the town hall there is a monument to the architect of the town hall Friedrich Schmidt by Edmund Hofmann von Aspernburg and Julius Deininger from 1896.
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Address: Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 1, 1010 Wien, AustriaPhone: +43 1 52550
How to get there:
.By subway – U2 to Rathaus station.By bus – N25, N26, N36, N38, N58, N60, N66, N67 to the Rathausplatz/Burgtheater stop.Streetcar – 2, to the stop Rathaus (Stadiongasse).Mode of operation:The square is open 24 hours a day, the building from 9-00 to 21-00.
.The town hall staff gives guided tours on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 13:00. They are organized free of charge, but pre-registration of tour groups is required one month before the visit. Unfortunately, the tours are only in German, but even if you don’t know the language, it is still better to go inside with an organized group. You will be guided to the most interesting places and you won’t get lost.
.If you know English, you can use the touch screen computers that are installed in the building. They will tell you about all the interesting things inside.
Not all rooms and halls of the building are open to visitors. Don’t forget that this is the workplace of the mayor and the entire city administration. Many rooms that are normally open may be temporarily unavailable due to important events. The entrance to the Vienna City Hall closes at 2100 hours, but even after that time you can still walk around (you will be kicked out at 2300 hours).
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