Old & New

An old building reflected in the facade of a modern building in the city center.

Sunday Flowers #266

"The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world's joy." - Henry Ward Beecher

MQW

People Matching Art Works #2

People Matching Art Works #1

WOW!

Some weeks ago I went to see the exhibition "WOW! The Heidi Horten Collection" at the Leopold Museum. The show features more than 170 works from 100 years of art history and is the first public presentation of one of the most impressive European private collections.

Sunday Flowers #265

"An optimist is the human personification of spring." - Susan J. Bissonette

Tree

Spring is springing, but some trees still look rather winterly...

Otto Wagner Hospital #7 - Details

Here's detail of a door of one of the 60 pavilions of the Otto Wagner Hospital. I also love the reflection of the edifice vis-à-vis.

Otto Wagner Hospital #6 - Details

The verandas especially caught my eyes. Here you see the veranda of the pavilion in this photo.

Otto Wagner Hospital #5 - Details

I have to say that my recent walk on the area of the Otto Wagner Hospital made an impact on me. At first I loved the quiet atmosphere and the architecture, but passing by all the pavilions of the psychiatric hospital with the metal-grilled windows and balconies and finally reading the whole history of the Otto Wagner Hospital I got a bad feeling.
Nevertheless I want to show you some beautiful architectural details like this porch roof of an administrative pavilion.

Finally...

Finally nature is awakening! During my last walk along the Old Danube on Friday I saw some eagerly awaited signs of spring.

Kahlenberg - Viewing Platform

During the weekends with fine weather the viewing platform on top of the Kahlenberg is usually crowded because everyone wants to enjoy the beautiful view of the town. Fortunately on Easter Monday there were not too many people.

Sunday Flowers #264

"Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own." - Charles Dickens

On my Way to Kahlenberg

On Easter Monday I climbed the Kahlenberg for the third time this year. On my way I enjoyed this view of the town.

Otto Wagner Hospital #4

In the 1960s the western part of the area of the Otto Wagner Hospital was again converted into a center for pulmonolgy and the eastern part into a psychiatric hospital. Since 2000 the hospital houses also a neurological hospital, an advanced care clinic and a nursing home. In 2020 the facilites will move out and the area will be the third location of the Central European University.

Otto Wagner Hospital #3

In 1938 the Otto Wagner Hospital was converted into an institution for Nazi eugenics and housed individuals identified by the Nazi as "life unworthy of life". An indefinite number of individuals classified as afflicted by hereditary illnesses were sterilized against their will. In 1940 3.200 of the 4.300 patients were transported to extermination camps. The then "free" pavilions were converted into the Am Spiegelgrund clinic which consisted of a reform school and a sanatorium for children. The sanatorium included a so-called Children's Ward where sick, disabled and otherwise "un-educable" adolescents were abused and subjected to harsh medical experiments. Some died by lethal injection and gas poisoning, others by disease, undernourishment, exposure to the elements and "accidents" relating to their conditions. A total of 789 children lost their lifes... 

Otto Wagner Hospital #2

After World War I the area of the Otto Wagner Hospital that housed the private patients was converted into a sanatorium for consumptives. Some pavilions are still housing a center for pulmonology. The pavilion in this photo houses the department for the diagnostics and therapy of tuberculosis.

Otto Wagner Hospital #1

The Otto Wagner Hospital, located in the 14th district, consists of 60 pavilions and was designed by Otto Wagner and Carlo von Boog. Originally it was a psychiatric hospital - at that time the largest and most modern of such institutions in Europe. We start our tour with the administration building.

Happy Belated Easter!

Due to yesterday's theme day I'm one day late in wishing you a happy Easter! 

April Theme Day: One Colour

This photo is from the archive. I took it during an instawalk at the Lower Belvedere in October 2016. The light in this staircase changed every few minutes from one colour to another.

Click here to view the thumbnuals of all participants in the theme day.