5. Vienna Austria Albertina Platz, Tarouca Palace, Monument against War and Fascism

SCENES from Austria-Vienna (Wien)

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Interesting places to visit in Vienna

5. Albertinaplatz, Tarouca Palace & Monument against War and Fascism, Vienna

Vienna (Wien): The Albertina Square is surrounded by the Vienna Opera House, the Albertina and well known coffeehouses

Vienna (Wien): In 1801-1804 the Tarouca Palace was enlarged to give the present complex of buildings. The Albertina houses major exhibitions of art and has one of the largest collections of graphics, hand drawings and water colour paintings in the world.

Vienna (Wien): Once a palace, the Albertina is now the most popular exhibition area in Vienna, e.g. for traditional modern art and its valuable drawing collection includes works of the German Renaissance painter, Dürer.

Vienna (Wien): Lots of 'classical' architecture to view on the facade of the Albertina.

Vienna (Wien): The tower and spire of St Augustin's Church is on the distant right.

Vienna (Wien): The cast statue of the Hapsburg Emperor Joseph II stands guard over Albertina Platz.

Vienna (Wien): The building heading towards you contains an excellent tourist information centre on the corner.

Vienna (Wien): The Cafe Mozart, in the Hotel Sacher, in Albertina Platz. Vienna is famous for its coffee culture!

Vienna (Wien): A horse and carriage plus tourists passes the Mozart Cafe.

Vienna (Wien): In the middle of Albertina Platz is the walk-in monument sculpture - The Monument against War and Fascism, unveiled in 1988 to preserve the memory of the darkest era in Austrian history and is dedicated to all victims of war and fascism.

Vienna (Wien): It was once the site of a prestigious 19th century house that was destroyed in an air raid in the war (WWII, 1945) and many people perished taking refuge in the cellars. In 1988 the City of Vienna commissioned the Austrian sculptor Alfred Hrdlicka to design and create this monument.

Vienna (Wien): On the left are the two carved white blocks of granite of the part of the sculpture called the 'Gate of Violence'. The ensemble of figures on the right is dedicated to all victims of war. The shorter white block on the left (better pictures further down this page) is dedicated to all victims of the mass murders committed by the National Socialists in concentration camps and prisons.

Vienna (Wien): The tower and spire of St Augustin's Church, Vienna, stand out in the background.

Vienna (Wien): The two parts of the controversial 'Gate of violence' represent the occupants of Mauthausen Concentration Camp who were made to haul up huge blocks of granite from the quarry in the camp up the steep 'Stairs of Death'.

Vienna (Wien): Looking through the 'Gate of Violence' you first see the bronze figure of a kneeling Jew washing the street of slogans, so representing the degradation and humiliation the Jews suffered in 1938.

The next 'half' figure represents ???

Vienna (Wien): Beyond this is a pale coloured stone male figure merging into a block of marble represents 'Orpheus entering Hades', a reminder of air-raid victims and those who died fighting the National socialists.

Finally, at the end, is 'The Stone of the Republic'

Vienna (Wien): Above is the 'Stone of the Republic' bears excerpts from the declaration of reestablishment of the Republic of Austria in 1945.

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