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.
The verandas especially caught my eyes. Here you see the veranda of the pavilion in this photo.
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 nature is awakening! During my last walk along the Old Danube on Friday I saw some eagerly awaited signs of spring.
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.
"Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own." - Charles Dickens
On Easter Monday I climbed the Kahlenberg for the third time this year. On my way I enjoyed this view of the town.
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.
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...
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.
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.
Due to yesterday's theme day I'm one day late in wishing you a happy Easter!
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.
The Easter display of the K. u. K. (Imperial and Royal) Confectionary Demel.
This is one edifice of the exclusive real estate project "Kaasgraben Residences" in the 19th district. The location is very quiet, next to the Viennese vineyards and a lot of beautiful villas. It must be nice to live there...
During my last walk along the Old Danube I first saw this group getting ready for their training and then once again when they were on the water. I just learned that "Eight" is one of the classes recognized by the International Rowing Federation and one of the events in the Olympic Games. The first Olympic eights race was held in 1900 and won by the United States.
Rowers getting ready for a tour on the Old Danube last Saturday.
It's still rather cold, but on Saturday it was very sunny, so I took a short walk along the Old Danube before running errands (I love this new routine) and caught these people soaking up the sun.
"That is one good thing about this world... there are always sure to be more springs." - L.M. Montgomery
Currently you can find several Easter Markets in Vienna. The Old Vienna Easter Market is famous for the 40.000 hand painted Easter eggs piled up in the center of the market. You can find there also other Easter decorations and indulge in snacks from the Austrian provinces.
This building, erected in 1914, houses the adminstrative offices of the 13th district.
For the ninth consecutive year Vienna tops the Mercer Quality of Living ranking! Since 20 years Mercer has been carrying out an annual study in order to assess the quality of life in 231 cities around the world. The survey compares the political, social and economic climate, medical care, education and infrastructural conditions such as public transportation, power and water supply. It also takes into consideration recreational offers such a restaurants, theaters, cinemas, sports facilities etc. The results of the study gave Vienna top marks and made it the most livable city in the world for the ninth time in a row. Please click here to see the whole ranking.
I was born here and never lived anywhere else, but I've travelled to several cities and I can confirm that Vienna is a really good place to live in, even if not all our buildings look like Schönbrunn Palace ;-)
The Schönbrunn Palm House was constructed in 1882. With a length of 113m, a 28m high central pavilion and two lateral pavilions, it is the largest Palm House in Europe.
Today is the first day of spring, but it still feels a lot like winter - and I'm really sick of it. If this Naiad of one of the fountains in the gardens of Schönbrunn Palace is watching out for the new season?
For some days it seemed that spring was around the corner, but then it got chilly again. Yesterday the view from Schönbrunn Palace towards the Gloriette was rather winterly.
"There are always flowers for those who want to see them." - Henri Matisse
Today this blog turns 8!!! When I published the first photo I never would have thought to keep the blog up for such a long time. Sometimes blogging is fun, but sometimes it's also stressful and I don't always manage to publish the photos in due time. But I love how I started to see my hometown in a different, more attentive way thanks to this blog. Thank you for your support by visiting my blog and commenting on the photos!! I'm looking forward to sharing more photos of Vienna with you! How about starting the new blogyear with a coffee party? (Unfortunately the sweets and coffee in this photo are not "real", but only the decoration in the window of the confectionary Demel in the city center.)
On March 1st the gastronomers were allowed by law to open their outdoor areas. It was a very chilly day, but that didn't prevent several gastronomers in the city center to put the tables and chairs outside. In the evening, when I left the office, they were covered with snow... On Saturday it was finally possible to sit outside, and the outdoor area of the "Strandcafé" on the banks of the Old Danube was filled with people.
If you can't train in your rowboat because the Old Danube is still frozen over, but the weather is fine, you and your friends put your rowing devices outside...
What's better than to interrupt your bike ride for a girl talk on the banks of the Old Danube and enjoy the springlike temperature?
After the recent cold spell it now feels like spring is on her way. On Saturday the Old Danube was still frozen over, but only ducks and swans could walk on the ice.
"Each leaf, each blade of grass vies for attention.
Even weeds carry tiny blossoms to astonish us." - Marianne Poloskey
For me seeing the sun set has something magical... So here's another photo of the sunset last Sunday.
I still love sunsets.... Here's the sunset over the Old Danube last Sunday.
A tavern on the banks of the Old Danube opened its terrace last weekend to provide the walkers, ice skater and ice hockey players with hot drinks and cakes.
I've already seen people cycling on the ice, but I can't remember to have seen an ice surfer ever before.
Another photo from my Sunday afternoon walk along the frozen over Old Danube. I'm a coward, I didn't dare to step on the ice...
Due to last week's cold spell the Old Danube is currently frozen over. Last year this was the case at the end of January, the first time in 30 years - and now it happened again... In Vienna the natural waters aren't officially authorizied, but that doesn't prevent people from walking, skating and playing ice hockey. I even saw a couple on a tandem and one guy on a moped...
"To an optimist every weed is a flower; to a pessimist every flower is a weed." - Finnish proverb
When I see mansions like this one I always wonder how it must be to live there...
Do you recognize this bench? You have already seen it in October 2017 and in January this year. I pass it eyery time I climb Kahlenberg and always think it's a good subject for a photo. Which version do you prefer?
This photo is obviously from my archive as we still have sub-zero temperatures... I can still remember how fun it was to watch the children running after the soap bubbles and trying to catch them.
Click here to view the thumbnails of all participants in the theme day.
I love to photograph couples walking hand in hand... Please click here and here for similar photos.
Sunday was the first day of the current cold spell. We had -5°C (-41°F), and I met hardly anybody while climbing the Kahlenberg, BUT I saw two or three cyclists. I love cycling, but not during winter. I admire all sportspeople who don't let themselves stop from the chilliness!
On Saturday afternoon I took another walk along the Old Danube before running errands. While in the inner districts there are no more signs of last week's snowfall, the grasslands in the outskirts are still covered with snow.
The view from the second floor of the Upper Belvedere towards the city center is much nicer in summer when nature is in full bloom...
This visitor of the Upper Belvedere didn't look like a typical art lover, but he admired the painting of "Napoleon at the Great St. Bernhard Pass" (1801) by Jacques-Louis David for quite a while...
The grand staircase leads to the Marble Hall, the Upper Belvedere's most magnificient room. The hall occupies two storeys and once served as an antechamber. On 15 May 1955 the Austrian State Treaty, that re-established a free, sovereign and democratic Austria after the end of World War II, was signed here by the Allied occupying powers (France, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union) and Austrian foreign minister Leopold Figl.
