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Palais Epstein

Austrian building and structure stubsBuildings and structures in Innere StadtHistoricist architecture in AustriaHouses completed in the 19th centuryPalace stubs
Palaces in ViennaRenaissance Revival architecture in Vienna
Palais Epstein Ansicht 3
Palais Epstein Ansicht 3

Palais Epstein is a Ringstraßenpalais in Vienna, Austria. It was built for the industrialist and banker Gustav Ritter von Epstein. The architect was Theophil Freiherr von Hansen, who also designed the adjacent Austrian Parliament Building. Unlike traditional Baroque noble palaces in Vienna, Palais Epstein was built in the late 19th century and is therefore considered a Ringstraßenpalais. It is up to five storeys high and built in the neo-renaissance style typical of its time. Following the Gründerkrach ("Founders' Crash", the 9 May 1873 crash of the Vienna Stock Exchange), Epstein had to sell the palais to the Imperial Continental Gas Association, an English gas company, to avoid bankruptcy. In 1902 it was acquired by the State and used as domicile of the Administrative Court. After conversions, it became home to the Vienna School Authority in 1922. Following the Anschluss, it housed offices of the Reichsstatthalter's building authorities. From 1945 to 1955 (the Allied occupation of Austria), the palais was domicile of the Soviet headquarters. After that, it briefly served as a branch of the Academy of Music and Performing Arts and then again for the School Authority until 2002. After a thorough refurbishment, it has been a branch of nearby parliament ever since. A permanent exhibition about the history of the palais and its owners has been set up in the basement, and there are guided tours of the bel étage (first floor), which has been restored to its original state.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Palais Epstein (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Palais Epstein
Bellariastraße, Vienna Innere Stadt

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Latitude Longitude
N 48.206388888889 ° E 16.359166666667 °
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Bellariastraße 4
1010 Vienna, Innere Stadt
Austria
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Palais Epstein Ansicht 3
Palais Epstein Ansicht 3
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Austrian Parliament Building
Austrian Parliament Building

The Austrian Parliament Building (German: Parlamentsgebäude, colloquially das Parlament) in Vienna is where the two houses of the Austrian Parliament conduct their sessions. The building is located on the Ringstraße boulevard in the first district Innere Stadt, near Hofburg Palace and the Palace of Justice. It was built to house the two chambers of the Imperial Council (Reichsrat), the bicameral legislature of the Cisleithanian (Austrian) part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Since its construction, the Parliament Building has been the seat of these two houses, and their successors—the National Council (Nationalrat) and the Federal Council (Bundesrat)—of the Austrian legislature. The foundation stone was laid in 1874; the building was completed in 1883. The architect responsible for its Greek Revival style was Theophil Hansen. He designed the building holistically, aiming to have each element harmonising with all the others. He was therefore also responsible for the interior decoration, such as statues, paintings, furniture, chandeliers, and numerous other elements. Hansen was honoured by Emperor Franz Joseph with the title of Freiherr (Baron) after its completion. Following heavy damage and destruction in World War II, most of the interior has been restored to its original splendour. The parliament building covers over 13,500 square meters, making it one of the largest structures on Ringstraße. It contains over one hundred rooms, the most important of which are the Chambers of the National Council, the Federal Council, and the former House of Deputies (Abgeordnetenhaus). The building also includes committee rooms, libraries, lobbies, dining rooms, bars and gymnasiums. One of the building's most famous features is the Pallas Athena fountain in front of the main entrance, built by Carl Kundmann after plans from Hansen, from 1898 to 1902 and it is a notable Viennese tourist attraction. The Parliament Building is the site of important state ceremonies, most notably the swearing-in ceremony of the president of Austria. The building is closely associated with the two parliamentary bodies, as is shown by the use of the term Hohes Haus as a metonym for "Parliament". Parliamentary offices spill over into nearby buildings, such as the Palais Epstein. After five years of renovations, the building is due to be reopened on 12 January 2023.

Maria-Theresien-Platz
Maria-Theresien-Platz

Maria-Theresien-Platz is a large public square in Vienna, Austria, that joins the Ringstraße with the Museumsquartier, a museum of modern arts located in the former Imperial Stables. Facing each other from the sides of the square are two near identical buildings, the Naturhistorisches Museum (Natural History Museum) and the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum). The buildings are near identical, except for the statuary on their façades. The Naturhistorisches' façade has statues depicting personifications of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The Kunsthistorisches façade features famous European artists, such as the Dutch Bruegel, among others.The Naturhistorisches Museum and the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the square adjoining them were built in 1889. At the center of the square stands the Maria-Theresia Memorial, a large statue depicting Empress Maria Theresa, namesake of the square. The Modern Art Museum in the former Imperial Stables shows contemporary works that some may consider controversial. The three museums are popular destinations for tourists.The Kunsthistorisches Museum contains numerous famous works by the Northern European masters, such as Bruegel's Tower of Babel, as well as an extensive collection of ancient world art. The Egyptian collection (Aegyptisches Sammlung) houses mummified forms, stone carvings, and the tomb of an Egyptian prince that was transported to Vienna and reassembled for Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. On the stairwell's roof are frescoes by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. The Naturhistorisches Museum houses displays of butterflies and other insects, and an extensive preserved and stuffed animal collection, the most poignant examples of which include a Przewalskii's horse, a baby Javanese rhinoceros, and a case of dodo remains. Also notable is the museum's famous Mikrotheater, showing slides of microscopic organisms, its two spider crabs which were sent to Emperor Franz Joseph by the Japanese Emperor as a gift, and the first ever human depiction of an underwater scene made from life observation and the diving bell from which it was made. The stairwell contains paintings of Emperor Franz Joseph, Empress Maria Theresa and her stuffed pet lap dog, a miniature hound.