New Year's path
The Vienna New Year's Trail was the year 1990 / 91 the first time by the city of Vienna organized the Vienna Tourist Board and the Vienna Chamber of Commerce to the number of visitors from St. Stephen's Square and digging away on the Inner City to distribute and to revive the Vienna Tourist Board during the winter months .
The New Year's Eve Trail in Vienna is currently one of the largest New Year's Eve celebrations in Europe, with around 700,000 to 800,000 visitors.
Venues
On New Year's Eve 1993/94, the New Year's Eve Trail led over a length of approximately two kilometers to the main venues:
- At the court (focus here was the Brazilian Night with samba music, reggae and salsa)
- Judenplatz (modern Jewish music was presented here)
- Neuer Markt (the waltz tent was located here, music by Strauss, Lanner and Stolz was on offer)
- Hoher Markt (Radio CD hosted a large disco with live music here)
- Lugeck (screening of old Austrian films with Paul Hörbiger, Hans Moser, Romy Schneider and others)
- Friedmannplatz (there was a karaoke stage here)
- Karajanplatz (Here the New Year's Eve performance of the " Fledermaus " in the State Opera was broadcast live on a large screen)
In the course of the following years, due to its great success, the New Year's Eve Trail around Rathausplatz , Löwelstrasse, Graben, Freyung , Kärntner Strasse and Haus der Musik was expanded, with the focus on the various squares also shifting and changing.
Swatch Soul City
On New Year's Eve 1997/98, the “ Swatch Soul City Vienna 97 ”, a snowboard competition, was organized by WIP Sportmanagement GmbH for the first time. For this purpose, a ramp was built on the Kaiserwiese near the Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel . The Ferris wheel itself has been redesigned into an oversized Swatch watch.
In 2001/02 the ramp reached a height of 26 meters, a length of 91 meters and a width of 18 meters. The snow required for the 30 centimeter thick layer of snow was produced using snow cannons in the stadium pool. For emergencies, a snow depot was also created in Sankt Corona using a snow cannon.
The city hall correspondence last mentioned this event in 2002/03.
Candles instead of rockets
From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, the Spittelberg was a branch of the Vienna New Year's Eve Trail. According to the motto “candles instead of rockets”, firecrackers and rockets were frowned upon.
Entertainment program
The entertainment program on the Vienna New Year's Eve Trail starts at 2 p.m. and ends at 2 a.m.
In the afternoon one stage offers a children's program, another first a quick boil course in waltz dancing and later waltz and operetta music. On a lucky mile, guests can find out about their personal fate in terms of work, health and love in the New Year. Music of almost all styles is offered on the individual seats.
gastronomy
The restaurateurs in the 1st district are primarily responsible for the gastronomy, with at least 70 stands, where they offer cold and warm Austrian and international specialties to eat as well as drinks ( sparkling wine , mulled wine , punch , but also non-alcoholic).
Special New Years Eve trails
Normally the Vienna New Year's Eve Path does not have a special motto, its only goal is to enable visitors to have a happy New Year. A few were held from a special perspective.
EU accession and Mochovce nuclear power plant (1994/95)
The turn of the year brought Austria's accession to the EU . To draw attention to this from a culinary point of view, a sparkling wine company served blue sparkling wine or mixed drinks made from it from midnight onwards, together with some restaurateurs.
The environmental protection organizations Greenpeace , Global 2000 and Anti Atom provided information about the Mochovce nuclear power plant and the danger that this and other nuclear power plants pose for Austria at an information stand organized by the City of Vienna's press and information service . The Austrians also had the opportunity to lodge a written objection to the construction of the Mochovce nuclear power plant.
Introduction of the euro (1998/99)
On the occasion of the introduction of the euro , colorful New Year's Eve hats were distributed and interested parties were informed about the new currency.
Y2K (1999/2000)
Since so-called Y2K computer problems and related technical problems of all kinds were feared because of the turn of the year to the year 2000, emergency power devices were set up on the New Year's Eve trail as a safeguard against a possible power failure . This should avoid a mass panic caused by a possible power failure.
Year of Water (2002/03)
On the occasion of the “ Year of Water ” proclaimed by the UN in 2003 , an oversized ice cube designed by the ice artist Gert Hödl from Villach was set up on the New Year's Eve Trail by the Ministry of the Environment in cooperation with the Vienna Waterworks .
Tsunami (2004/05)
On the occasion of the flood disaster caused by a tsunami in Asia , the City of Vienna appealed for donations to benefit those affected. In cooperation with “ Neighbors in Need ” , more than 25 collection points have been set up on the New Year's Eve Trail. The proceeds from the donation boxes, from collections of the Red Cross , the Workers' Samaritan Association and a canceled fireworks display in Vienna's Stadtpark totaled 85,803.13 euros.
Visitor numbers
As an open-air event, the New Year's Eve Trail is heavily dependent on the weather. Nevertheless, the number of visitors keeps increasing:
- 1994/95: around 280,000 people
- 1995/96: around 200,000 people (Paris, Champs Elysees around 400,000; Berlin around 70,000)
- 1996/97: around 250,000 people
- 1997/98: around 600,000 people
- 1998/99: around 600,000 people
- 1999/2000: around 600,000 people
- 2001/02: around 500,000 people
- 2002/03: around 650,000 people
- 2006/07: around 700,000 people
- 2012/13: around 800,000 people
- 2013/14: around 700,000 people
- 2017/18: around 700,000 people
economy
According to a study of indirect profitability presented in 1998, the New Year's Eve Trail brings the Austrian economy around 180 million schillings (around 13.1 million euros). Of this, around 53 million schillings (around 3.9 million euros) go to the Ministry of Finance as taxes and of this around 6.5 million schillings (around 0.5 million euros) back to the city of Vienna through financial equalization.
On the basis of 337 personal interviews with tourists and 1,000 telephone interviews with Austrians carried out by the Gallup Institute, a study was drawn up, according to which every seventh visitor to Vienna only comes to Vienna at the turn of the year because of the New Year's Eve path, which is also reflected in the Reflects the occupancy rates of the hotels.
But also the residents of the New Year's Eve were increasingly motivated to spend at least part of the New Year's Eve in downtown Vienna. Around 180,000 people - around a third - visit the 1st district just because of the events and spend around 37 million schillings (2.7 million euros).
The costs for the city of Vienna, which is responsible for the event, are in the order of 17.6 million schillings (1.3 million euros).
Technical effort
The technical effort for the event, which lasts around 12 hours, is enormous. Around 300 workers are installing the material from around 40 semi- trailers for stages of up to 120 square meters, information towers, around 70 food and beverage stands and 5 information stands, the Astro Village and so on . About 50 kilometers of electrical lines will be laid for the energy supply. The energy consumption is around 20 megawatts. In addition to the public toilets, which are open until 3 a.m., there are around 84 mobile toilet facilities.
safety
fire Department
The New Year's Eve Trail itself seldom gives the Viennese professional fire brigade any major work. She is more concerned with fires caused by improper handling and igniting of fireworks or misdirected fireworks rockets.
police
The police deploy around 200 security officers every year to stop brawling. For safety reasons, however, the ignition of firecrackers is also monitored. In 1998/99, for example, 22,000 fireworks were seized. There was only one arrest of the large number of visitors that night. The number of security men deployed is roughly the same.
rescue
The Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund is available at five locations to be able to care for patients. Mostly cuts from broken glass, injuries from firecrackers or falls, poisoning from alcohol and medication need to be treated. For example, 23 people had to be admitted to Vienna's hospitals on New Year's Eve 2001/02.
City cleaning
In order to reduce the pollution of the city a little, for the first time on New Year's Eve 1993/94, instead of cardboard or plastic cups, glasses and “ New Year's Eve mugs ” were used to serve punch and mulled wine. The artist Adolf Frohner was won over for the artistic design of these cups for 1994/95 . It is planned that the picture on these mugs will be designed by a different artist every year.
The employees of MA 48 - vehicle fleet and city cleaning already start the clean-up work in the inner city at 2 a.m. Around 120 workers with 20 sweepers of various sizes, two garbage trucks and another 25 small vehicles dispose of around 300 cubic meters of garbage. In snowfall or black ice, the winter service vehicles are also used.
In the event of tire damage due to broken glass on the vehicles used, assembly teams with spare tires are on standby.
Web links
- New Year's Eve path at the Allgäuer Zeitung
- New Year's Eve Trail at Die Presse
- New Year's Eve and Samaritan Association
- ORF on the New Year's Eve Trail
Individual evidence
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1993%2F1214%2F010.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1999%2F0101%2F001.html
- ↑ Web link: Archived copy ( Memento of the original dated December 27, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed December 31, 2014
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1993%2F1214%2F010.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F2006%2F1229%2F009.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1999%2F1207%2F015.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1997%2F1209%2F010.html
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- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1998%2F1215%2F009.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1999%2F1207%2F015.html
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- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F2005%2F0104%2F006.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1996%2F0101%2F003.html
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- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1997%2F1209%2F010.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1999%2F0101%2F001.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1999%2F0101%2F003.html
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- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F2002%2F0101%2F004.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F2003%2F0101%2F002.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F2007%2F0102%2F002.html
- ↑ a b Weblink: http://wien.orf.at/news/stories/2623167/
- ↑ Weblink: http://wien.orf.at/news/stories/2886756/
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1998%2F1222%2F005.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F2006%2F1229%2F009.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F2003%2F1230%2F006.html
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- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F2002%2F0101%2F001.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F2006%2F1229%2F009.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1999%2F0101%2F003.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F2003%2F1230%2F006.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F2006%2F1229%2F009.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F2002%2F0102%2F006.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F1994%2F1220%2F011.html
- ↑ Weblink: http://www.wien.gv.at/vtx/vtx-rk-xlink?SEITE=%2F2005%2F1230%2F005.html