Schmerlingplatz
The Schmerlingplatz located on the 1st Viennese district, the Inner City . It was named in 1893 after the politician Anton von Schmerling .
history
The area of today's Schmerlingplatz originally belonged to the suburb in front of the Widmertor. From the 16th century it was part of the glacis in front of the Vienna city walls . In the 19th century this was the parade and parade ground. In 1870 it was decided to block the area in front of the Palais Auersperg . In 1873 the Reichsratsplatz was built , which was renamed Schmerlingplatz in 1893. The square was designed by architect Karl Seidel and designed by city gardener Gustav Sennholz.
A low point in the history of the First Republic took place on July 15, 1927 on Schmerlingplatz with the Vienna Justice Palace fire. The civil war-like incidents were triggered by a political court judgment (the Schattendorfer judgment ) that was perceived as scandalous . Workers protested in front of the parliament on Vienna's Ringstrasse ; they were pushed to the Schmerlingplatz next door by the police. There, the Palace of Justice was set on fire and stormed by protesters, while police fired into the crowd, killing 89 people.
In 1995 the green space between Parliament and the Palace of Justice on Schmerlingplatz was named Grete-Rehor-Park . In 2010, a small part in the middle of Schmerlingplatz was renamed Leopold-Gratz-Platz .
Location and characteristics
Schmerlingplatz is a large, irregular square that extends from a bend in Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring in the east to Auerspergstrasse in the west. The square itself can be almost divided into two halves, which are occupied by green spaces. In the middle, the Palace of Justice protrudes into the square in a wedge shape , the roundabout there was specially named Leopold-Gratz- Platz. Tram line 46 runs across the square, while tram line 49 and bus line 48A also run on the edge. At Auerspergstraße there was an exit to the U2 underground line until 2003 (the Lerchenfelder Straße underground station no longer exists ).
The Schmerlingplatz has several monuments and a peripheral construction with important monumental buildings in the historicist style, which belong to the ring road zone.
Buildings
Grete Rehor Park with the Republic Monument
The green space on Schmerlingplatz, named in 1995 after the politician Grete Rehor , is located between the Parliament and the Palace of Justice. The park consists of numerous trees and several benches. Located on the narrow side of the Ringstrasse is the Republic Monument , which was erected in 1928 to mark the tenth anniversary of the Republic of Austria. Depicted are the three social democratic politicians Jakob Reumann , Victor Adler and Ferdinand Hanusch , whose busts were created by Franz Seifert , Anton Hanak and Mario Petrucci . In 1934 the monument was demolished by the dictatorship, and in 1948 it was erected again.
On the side facing the parliament is a bust of Franz Xaver Gabelsberger , the inventor of shorthand. It was created in 1966 by Rudolf Schmidt-Rodaun in bronze on a granite stele. The fact that all plenary sessions are stenographed there forms the relationship between the monument and parliament.
Ludwig Anzengruber Monument
In the green area near Auerspergstrasse, surrounded by trees, is a large monument to the Austrian folk poet Ludwig Anzengruber . The bronze statue stands on a rock, while the figure of Steinklopferhannes, a figure penned by Anzengruber, sits in front of it. The memorial was created in 1905 by Johann Scherpe .
Not far away is the foundation stone for a monument that was planned for the 300th anniversary of the relief of Vienna from the Turks in 1983. So far, however, it has not gotten beyond the cornerstone.
No. 1–3: "Bartenstein Block"
This block was the first free-standing building block that was realized in the town hall district. It was built from 1873 to 1874 by Josef Hudetz and Moritz Hinträger in a strictly historical style. The house Schmerlingplatz 2 has a remarkable entrance, which is equipped with Corinthian pilasters and half-columns to the stairwell. The building block is located on the corner of Bartensteingasse 1-5, he therefore also Bartenstein block is called.
No. 4-5
The strictly historical semi-detached house was built in 1874–1875 by Heinrich Claus and Joseph Gross in the form of the Viennese Neo-Renaissance . It has base arcades and shallow corner projections as well as balconies and is square in stone. The building is directly adjacent to the rear of the parliament (Reichsratsstrasse).
No. 6: Parliament
The left, southern side facade of the parliament building , which was designed by Theophil von Hansen from 1871 to 1883, is located on Schmerlingplatz . It is one of the most important buildings in the Ringstrasse zone and historicism in Vienna. The front of the parliament is at Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring 3.
No. 7: Palais Epstein
The Epstein Palace was built in 1868–1871 by Theophil von Hansen for the banker Gustav Ritter von Epstein . It is designed in the form of the Viennese Neo-Renaissance and is located at Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring 1. The building now contains various parliamentary offices.
No. 8-9
The twin house on the corner of Hansenstrasse 2-6 was built by Carl Schumann in the Viennese neo-Renaissance style in 1870–1872 . The foyer of the house at Schmerlingplatz 8 has a pilaster structure and a wrought iron lantern in the dome. Tram lines 46 and 49 run in front of the house.
No. 10: Palace of Justice
The Palace of Justice was built in 1875–1881 by Alexander Wielemans von Monteforte . Its main facade faces Schmerlingplatz. It is a building of the Italian palace type in the forms of the German Renaissance. After the severe damage in 1927, Heinrich Ried made changes between 1928 and 1931, especially in the roof area and the central projection. The main facade has numerous statues and figures by Michael Drobil , Alfred Hofmann, Karl Stemolak and Theodor Stundl, the driveway is flanked by two monumental lions by Emanuel Pendl . The statue of Justitia , also by Emanuel Pendl, is located above the main staircase in the magnificent auditorium .
The building is the seat of the Supreme Court , the General Procuratorate, the Vienna Higher Regional Court, the Vienna Higher Public Prosecutor's Office and the Vienna Regional Court for Civil Law Matters. The headquarters of the Ministry of Justice is in the Palais Trautson , adjacent to the Palace of Justice to the west.
literature
- Felix Czeike : Historisches Lexikon Wien Volume 5. Kremayr & Scheriau, Vienna 1997
- Federal Monuments Office (ed.): Dehio-Handbuch Wien. I. District - Inner City . Berger, Horn 2003
- Peter Autengruber : Parks and Gardens in Vienna . Promedia, Vienna 2008
Web links
Coordinates: 48 ° 12 '25.4 " N , 16 ° 21' 27.4" E