Near the baroque Hofmannsthal-Schlössl in Kaltenleutgebner Straße in the 23rd district, the glass mosaic „Gestalten aus den Werken Hugo von Hofmannsthals“ (Figures from the Works of Hugo von Hofmannsthal) by Hermine Aichenegg from 1956 shows the life dates and motifs of well-known works by the Austrian writer. His rewritings of Greek tragedies, stories and essays, as well as his comedy plays, are among the most valuable contributions to Austrian poetry.

The painter Hermine Aichenegg, who died in 2007, is considered an unjustly forgotten representative of Viennese modernism in the upheaval of post-war Vienna in the 1950s. In addition to numerous oil and paper works, her murals can be discovered in public spaces in Vienna, Eisenstadt and Perchtoldsdorf.

One of the most important baroque palaces in Vienna – the Palais Kinsky – built by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt for the Field Marshal Wirich Philipp von und zu Daun was completed in 1719. After various changes of ownership, it was taken over by Rosa Countess von Kinsky in 1790 and is now owned by the foundation left by Billa founder Karl Wlaschek and also houses the mausoleum built for him there.

Behind the stylishly decorated façade with a portal based on the Roman model is the remarkable staircase as an optical frame for the ceiling fresco, which shows the glorification of Count Daun. Among other things, Daun was involved in important battles in the Spanish. He later succeeded Prince Eugene and was the father of Leopold Daun, the commander under Maria Theresa in the Seven Years‘ War.

The Bohemian noble family Kinsky was until 1945/1948 an extensive property owner in today’s Czech Republic and produced a number of important men and women in military and political positions, especially the Nobel Peace Prize winner of 1905 Bertha von Suttner.

Wünsche euch ein frohes neues Jahr und alles Gute für 2023!
Wish you a happy new year and all the best for 2023!
Le deseamos un feliz año nuevo y todo lo mejor para 2023!
Bonne année et meilleurs vœux pour 2023!
Vi auguriamo un felice anno nuovo e tutto il meglio per il 2023!
Желаю вам счастливого Нового года и всего наилучшего в 2023 году
Вітаємо Вас з Новим роком та бажаємо всього найкращого у 2023 році
新年のご挨拶と2023年のご活躍をお祈りいたします。
祝你新年快乐，2023年一切顺利
أتمنى لكم سنة جديدة سعيدة وكل التوفيق في عام 2023!
Życzę Wam szczęśliwego nowego roku i wszystkiego najlepszego na rok 2023!
Prajeme vám šťastný nový rok a všetko najlepšie v roku 2023!
Přeji vám šťastný nový rok a vše nejlepší do roku 2023!
Vă dorim un an nou fericit și toate cele bune pentru 2023!

St. Stephen’s Day on Dec. 26 is celebrated in memory of St. Stephen the deacon and arch-martyr, the namesake and patron saint of the Cathedral of St. Stephen in Vienna, Austria’s national shrine. The approx. 1.5m high original statue of the north tower from 1480-1490 is considered one of the highlights of the Wien Museum. The holiday was probably founded in the 6th century under the Roman Emperor Justinian.

Stephen was one of the 7 deacons ordained by the apostles in Jerusalem, came into conflict according to legend and was stoned to death after his defense speech as the first martyr of Christianity. This also explains the (youthful) depiction as a deacon with a gospel book and (often three) stones.

(Wien Museum inv. no. 556, CC BY 4.0, photo: Enver Hirsch – edited)

Ich wünsche euch allen frohe Weihnachten und eine friedliche Zeit!
Wish you all Merry Christmas and a peacefull time!
Je vous souhaite à tous un joyeux Noël et une période de paix!
Auguro a tutti voi un buon Natale e un periodo di pace!
Les deseo a todos una Feliz Navidad y mucha paz.
Życzę Wam wszystkim Wesołych Świąt i spokojnego czasu!
Desejo-vos a todos um Feliz Natal e um tempo de paz!
Prajem vám všetkým veselé Vianoce a pokojný čas!
Я желаю всем вам счастливого Рождества и мирного времени!
Бажаю всім щасливого Різдва та мирного відпочинку!
Saya mengucapkan Selamat Natal dan waktu yang damai bagi Anda semua!
Ik wens jullie allemaal fijne kerstdagen en een vredige tijd!
मैं आप सभी को मेरी क्रिसमस और एक शांतिपूर्ण समय की कामना करता हूं!
メリークリスマスと平和な時間をお祈りします！
أتمنى لكم جميعًا عيد ميلاد سعيدًا ووقتًا هادئًا!

A special history is associated with the former women’s hospice of the cooperative health insurance funds in the 19th district. Opened in 1909, it was the first hospital built by a health insurance company in Vienna and functioned as a maternity clinic for more than 65 years until it was taken over by the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences as an administrative building in the 1980s.

Originally built for workers‘ wives who had to give birth at home under often poor hygienic conditions with a high complication rate, the facility developed into a renowned maternity clinic with an outpatient clinic and later also a training center for doctors.

With a total of more than 100,000 births, this building was not only responsible for up to 25% of all babies born in Vienna at times, but also made a significant contribution to the further development of birth techniques and thus to the reduction of maternal and infant mortality.

PS: the building also the last stop of my guided tours (D/E) through the Cottage Quarter – for details and dates see my Cottage-Tour.

The Baroque Golden Carriage was commissioned from the French designer Nicolas Pineau in 1738 by Prince Joseph Wenzel I of Liechtenstein for his official entry as ambassador of Emperor Charles VI in Versailles and can be seen today in the Lichtenstein Garden Palace in Rossau.

Later, the carriage also found a historically significant use: on the occasion of the wedding of Joseph II in Oct. 1760 – the eldest son of Maria Theresa – the prince and his bride Isabella of Parma arrived in Vienna in the specially adapted gala carriage. This bridal procession, with an entourage of 98 carriages representing the entire high aristocracy of Europe, is also prominently depicted in the Ceremonial Hall at Schönbrunn Palace in Martin van Meytens‘ cycle of paintings.

The gold-leafed grand carrosse with masterfully executed applications, carvings and paintings in the type of a berline also features technical innovations. The design of the chassis improved stability and maneuverability, and the suspension of the cabin with leather straps increased tilt resistance.

The Roman Catholic pilgrimage church Maria Grün in the Prater near the Lusthaus from 1924 was built as a continuation of a forest devotion for school children of a nearby elementary school located there. Maria Grün refers to the image of Mary with the Child sitting in the Prater meadows above the main altar.

Lively pilgrimages were abruptly interrupted by WWII and the church was also severely damaged. After reconstruction and renovation in 2009 the simple church building with portal house and sacristy annex together with a small chapel and a popular Stations of the Cross with representation of the Holy Sepulchre (= a structural imitation of the rotunda in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem) can be seen.

Since 2000, the site has also been the seat of the AIDS chaplaincy of the Archdiocese of Vienna, with a memorial for deceased HIV-infected persons.

The „Wehrmann in Eisen“ (Soldier in Iron) from 1914 was erected to attract donations in the course of WWI to support war widows and orphans and is today located in the Rathausarkaden (City Hall Arcades) in Vienna’s Stadtplanungshaus (City Planning Building) directly next to the entrance to the MUSA, a location of the Wien Museum.

In the course of so-called war nailings, those willing to donate could hammer a nail into the limewood figure in the shape of a knight, designed by the avowed National Socialist Josef Müllner. Originally placed at Schwarzenbergplatz, there are about 500,000 nails in the sculpture. During WWII, the action was repeated in favor of the Heroes‘ Memorial in the Outer Burgtor and the base of the figure was nailed.

As a trigger for the idea, the medieval „Stock im Eisen“ (stick in the iron) on the square of the same name near St. Stephen’s Cathedral is considered the oldest surviving nail tree and found in the 20th century a large number of imitators throughout Europe.

The saying above the figure reads:

Der Soldat von Wien erinnert sich der Zeit,
Als unerschöpflich wie des Krieges Leid
Liebe war und Barmherzigkeit“

(The soldier of Vienna remembers the time,
When inexhaustible as the war’s suffering
Love was and mercy)

As early as 1234, during the reign of the Babenbergs, the rectangular Neuer Markt (New Market) was created in the city center in the course of a city expansion. 30 years later a surviving town fire testifies to a dense settlement of around 150 buildings. The square quickly developed into a center for the movement of goods to the south. Later, festivities and tournaments were held in the area, which was also called the Mehlmarkt (Flour market) by the population.

The center – reopened after almost 4 years of construction work – is enthroned by the Thunder Fountain, created in 1739, with allegorical representation of important rivers of the Archduchy of Austria. In addition to a number of historic residential buildings and palaces, the imperial crypt as the central burial place of the Habsburgs is one of the highlights worth visiting.

The so-called Maysederhaus with the store of the renowned jeweler A.E. Köchert with the famous „Sisi stars“ is also well worth a visit.