Venice in Vienna

Poster, around 1895

Porta nuova entrance at the Praterstern , two adapted viaducts of the connecting railway , 1895

Photo from 1894

Venice in Vienna, site plan

The Venice amusement park in Vienna was one of the first theme parks in the world. It was opened on May 18, 1895 in the Vienna Prater . Contrary to what the name might suggest, the facility was not located on the Venediger Au but to the south on the grounds of the Kaiserwiese.

history

The use of the Kaisergarten located between Praterstern , Exhibition Street and Prater Hauptallee as a place for the establishment of an entertainment establishment dates back to 1890/91 when Emperor Franz Joseph I and his two brothers Karl Ludwig and Ludwig Viktor bought the property to the English investor group Kaisergarten -Syndicate limited , for whose project the librettist Camillo Walzel (1829–1895) acted as general director.

In the following years, the entrepreneur Gabor Steiner (1858–1944), together with the architect Oskar Marmorek (1863–1909) and supported by the writer and journalist Ignaz Schnitzer (1839–1921), built a 50,000 m² architectural appearance of Venice on the site . The whole complex was grouped around three large squares ( campi ), each of which was surrounded by various reconstructed historical palazzi . Outside of these buildings, the three squares were washed by an artificial watercourse, which was bordered by houses in several places on both sides. The approximately 1 km long canal had a minimum width of five meters and a slight gradient in order to achieve flowing water. Two large basins, extensions of the canal, were used to get on and off as well as to accommodate the larger gondola traffic that this caused. The boat trips offered on the canal took place in original Venetian gondolas , which were moved by real Venetian gondoliers .

Outside the three squares and the canal area, there was a pavilion that served as a restaurant, a café with a terrace, a three-dimensional panorama and a puppet theater.

The project was a huge success that attracted people from all walks of life en masse. “We're going to Venice tonight!” Was a saying of the time.

Every year for the summer season, the park was expanded to include new attractions. Around 1897, the Prater's current landmark, the Ferris wheel , was added. In addition, Gabor Steiner leased a piece of land on which the glassblowers could be observed in the “Tower of Murano” to Walter Basset Basset (1864–1907), and thanks to the good contacts that Gabor Steiner made due to the success of his Venice replica Members of the Viennese prominence had been able to socialize and after initial difficulties the building permit was finally granted.

In 1894 Ignaz Schnitzer (1839–1921) had the idea of ​​commissioning a circular painting entitled "Emperor Franz Joseph and his time" for the fiftieth anniversary of the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I. It was executed by the history painter Ernst Philipp Fleischer (* 1850, † approx. 1927), it was exhibited at the beginning of the exhibition street (location in today's Venediger-Au-Park, at that time address Prater No. 143 ) in a specially designed by Oskar Marmorek Rotunda.

(Operetta) composers such as Carl Michael Ziehrer , Franz Lehár , Josef Hellmesberger jr. , Karl Komzák , Edmund Eysler , Oscar Straus , Richard Heuberger , Oskar Nedbal , Carl Wilhelm Drescher and others celebrated successes here. Well-known singers and actors such as Fritzi Massary , Mizzi Zwerenz , Annie Dirkens , Ludwig Gottsleben and Richard Waldemar performed in the park.

After the establishment of Venice in Vienna, Carl Caufal (1861–1929) designed and built the so-called Dogenhof for Praterstrasse 70 from 1896 to 1898, based on the model of Ca 'd'Oro in Venice.

Despite the annually new attractions, the Viennese's enthusiasm already subsided after five years, so that the artificial Venice only existed for about six years. After that, drained lagoons gave way to the construction of a 2000-seat summer theater. In 1901 “Venice in Vienna” became the “International City”, then the “Flower City”, from May 2nd 1903 the “Electric City”, from May 1st 1914 “Congress City in the Kaisergarten”.

Several years before 1916, Venice in Vienna had been transferred to the Kaisergarten establishment, both structurally and in terms of content (with specialty theaters, restaurants, dance and champagne bars, wine taverns, etc.), which from the spring of 1914 became real estate and was managed by Alfred Hugo Winter, a landowner, stood, who at the beginning of his management set the structurally extensive thematic focus of old Vienna ( Revue Anno 1814 with Arnold Korff ) and who soon became insolvent after taking over the business.

The old buildings of “Venice in Vienna” and all of their descendants up to 1914 were only demolished in January 1916. On July 1, 1916, the “ Vienna War Exhibition ”, architecturally planned by Karl Witzmann (1883–1952) , was opened on the vacated grounds of the Kaisergarten and parts of the adjacent Gallitzinwiese .

After the end of the Second Vienna War Exhibition in 1917, it was prevented that, as rumored, the property would be built with rental apartments ( interest barracks ). In connection with Venice in Vienna , the establishment of a Constantinople in Vienna was considered likely. In January 1918 the property was offered for sale to the municipality of Vienna, but the municipal council rejected this because the demand was too high.

Water slide (replaced by the Olympic Arena in May 1903 )

literature

• vh:  "Venice in Vienna". In:  Wiener Bauindustrie-Zeitung , year 1895, No. 35, May 30, 1895 (XII. Year), p. 613 f. (Online at ANNO ). .
• Venice in Vienna. In:  Oesterreichische Illustrirte Zeitung , No. 25–26 / 1895, June 21, 1895, pp. 5–8. (Online at ANNO ). .
• Norbert Rubey , Peter Schoenwald: Venice in Vienna. Turn-of-the-century theater and entertainment city . Ueberreuter, Vienna 1996, ISBN 3-8000-3542-1 .

Web links

Commons : Venice in Vienna  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Venice in the Prater. In:  Viennese latest news. Sonn- und Mondagsblatt , No. 17/1895 (Volume II), March 4, 1895, p. 5, bottom left. (Online at ANNO ). .
• Attractions on the occasion of the Emperor's birthday in 1898. - See: Volksprater and “Venice in Vienna”. (...) In a particularly festive way (...). In:  Neue Freie Presse , Morgenblatt, August 19, 1898, p. 7, center (online at ANNO ).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Local report. The Kaisergarten project. In:  Neue Freie Presse , Morgenblatt, No. 9455/1890, December 21, 1890, p. 6, center right. (Online at ANNO ). .
2. ↑ ^{a b} v. h .: "Venice in Vienna" .
3. ↑ Ignaz Schnitzer: Vienna Round Painting Society. The Kaiser anniversary picture. Designed and painted by Prof. E (rnst) Ph (ilipp) Fleischer based on the basic motifs and information provided by J (gnaz) Schnitzer. Vienna Round Painting Society, Vienna 1898, OBV ;
   Little chronicle. (…) The Kaiser’s viewing of the Kaiser’s anniversary circular painting. In:  Neue Freie Presse , Morgenblatt, No. 12088/1898, April 19, 1898, p. 5, center right (online at ANNO ). ;
   Little chronicle. (...) The Kaiser anniversary picture. In:  Neue Freie Presse , Morgenblatt, No. 12111/1898, May 12, 1898, p. 5, center right (online at ANNO ). .
4. ↑ ^{a b} ( advertisement ):  The flower city "Venice" (...) Great Vienna Festival. (...) II. Concert of the giant orchestra (...). In:  Neue Freie Presse , Morgenblatt, No. 13664/1902, September 7, 1902, p. 19, bottom center. (Online at ANNO ). .
5. ↑ Theater and Art. (...) "Venice in Vienna". Master Komzak as the conductor of the giant orchestra (...). In:  Montags-Zeitung , No. 1198/1902 (XXIXth year), September 8, 1902, p. 2, center right. (Online at ANNO ). .
6. ↑ ^{a b c} Re-opening of “Venice”. (The electric city). In:  Neue Freie Presse , Morgenblatt, No. 13888/1903, April 26, 1903, p. 11, center right. (Online at ANNO ). .
7. ↑ Carl Caufal. In: Architects Lexicon Vienna 1770–1945. Published by the Architekturzentrum Wien . Vienna 2007.
8. ^ ^{A b} Karl Marilaun:  Preview in the Vienna War Exhibition. In:  Tages-Post , Sunday edition, No. 121/1916 (LII. Year), May 20, 1916, p. 1 f. (Online at ANNO ). .
9. ↑ Old Vienna 1914. The congress city in the Kaisergarten. In:  Reichspost , Morgenblatt, No. 202/1914 (XXI. Volume), May 1, 1914, p. 7, center right. (Online at ANNO ). ;
   Daily news. (...) Old Vienna in the Kaisergarten. In:  Deutsches Volksblatt / Deutsches Volksblatt. Radical medium-sized organ / telegraph. Radical Mittelstandsorgan / Deutsches Volksblatt. Daily newspaper for Christian German politics , morning edition, No. 9094/1914 (XXVI. Year), May 1, 1914, p. 5, center right. (Online at ANNO ). .
10. ↑ Local report. (...) Old Vienna in the Kaisergarten. In:  Neue Freie Presse , Morgenblatt, No. 17858/1914, May 14, 1914, p. 10, bottom right. (Online at ANNO ). .
11. ↑ From the courtroom. (...) The collapse of the "Kaisergarten" (...). In:  Neue Freie Presse , Morgenblatt, No. 18476/1916, January 29, 1916, p. 13, top center. (Online at ANNO ). .
12. ↑ The opening of the war exhibition in the Kaisergarten. In:  Neue Freie Presse , Abendblatt, No. 18627/1916, July 1, 1916, p. 3, top center. (Online at ANNO ). ;
    War exhibition. Vienna 1916. May – October. k .k. Prater. Kaisergarten . 1 sheet poster. Society for the graphic industry, Vienna 1916. - Online .
13. ↑ The Vienna War Exhibition. (Built by architect Professor Karl Witzmann). In:  Der Architekt , year 1916, pp. 123–128 (main part). (Online at ANNO ). ;
    Official catalog of the Vienna War Exhibition in 1916. With an exhibition plan, two small plans and many illustrations . Published by the Working Committee. "Industrie" printing press, Vienna 1916. - Full text online .
14. ↑ The second war exhibition. Opening on Saturday. In:  Neue Freie Presse , Morgenblatt, No. 18944/1917, May 19, 1917, p. 7, top right. (Online at ANNO ). .
15. ↑ Daily report. (...) The garden of projects. In:  Wiener Allgemeine Zeitung , 6 Uhr-Blatt, No. 11742/1917, June 6, 1917, p. 2 middle. (Online at ANNO ). .
16. ↑ theater. The Kaisergarten will not be built! In:  Neues 8-Uhr-Blatt , No. 972/1917 (Volume IV), December 10, 1917, p. 3, top left. (Online at ANNO ). .
17. ^ Urban Chronicle. The fate of the "Kaisergarten". In:  Fremd-Blatt with military supplement Die Vedette , morning edition, No. 29/1918 (LXXII. Year), January 31, 1918, p. 8, bottom right. (Online at ANNO ). .

Remarks

1. ^ The amusement establishment "Venice in Vienna" Aktiengesellschaft was filed for bankruptcy or liquidation in May 1914. - See: bankruptcies. (...) amusement establishment "Venice in Vienna" public limited company. In:  Official Journal of the Wiener Zeitung , No. 108/1914, May 12, 1914, p. 597, column 3 below. (Online at ANNO ). .