Old Town Hall

The building of the Vienna Town Hall was built in 1872-1883 according to the project of architect Friedrich von Schmidt. Here are the office premises of the mayor of the city and the municipality. The town hall also hosts meetings of the Landtag.

By the middle of the XIX century, numerous Viennese suburbs became part of the city, its area and population increased significantly. The building of the Old Town Hall on Vipplingerstrasse has ceased to meet the needs of the city. In 1868, a competition was announced for the construction of a new town hall, in which the German architect Friedrich von Schmidt won.

Initially, the new town hall was going to be built opposite the City Park, however, part of Glasis Square in Josefstadt was allocated for it, used for parades. There was a long disagreement between the city and the monarchy.

For the new town hall, as for many buildings built at this time on the Ringstrasse street, which was built instead of the city wall, an eclectic style was chosen. The facade of the building is a magnificent example of a secular structure in the neo-Gothic style. The exterior, and, above all, the tower is 105 meters high, made in the traditions of the Flemish Gothic town hall, hinting at medieval urban freedoms. The seven courtyards of the town hall give the building the appearance of a baroque palace.

The building occupies a land plot of about 20,000 square meters, the total area of the premises is 113,000 square meters.

The main hall of the town hall is 71 meters long and 20 meters wide, decorated with sculptures of famous Viennese people. The hall and adjacent rooms are used for exhibitions, concerts and balls. In total, the town hall hosts about 800 events a year.

On Friedrich Schmidt Square, behind the town hall building is a monument to the architect of the town hall Friedrich Schmidt by Edmund Hofmann von Aspernburg and Julius Dininger in 1896.