The Neorenaissance Alte Börse building along Vienna’s Ring once echoed with the guttural barks of impatient brokers. Now you’re more likely to hear the gentle melodies of Strauss and Mozart in the old stock exchange.
- Completed in 1877
- Notable for its columned red facades
- Now an event & music venue
- Book concert tickets* in the Alte Börse
- See also:
From stocks to Strauss
(The view from Schottenring)
Many of the famous buildings around Vienna’s Ring boulevard live on what you might call the “bottom half”: the roads that run clockwise from the Urania in the east along to the University of Vienna in the west.
Many, but not all.
We have the Ringturm, for example, at the northern tip of the Ring. And a huge Neorenaissance palais dominates the middle of the northwestern stretch: the Alte Börse or Old Stock Exchange.
The clue, as so often, is in the name: when the Alte Börse first opened in 1877, it housed the actual Vienna Stock Exchange.
Empress Maria Theresa founded that institution in 1771, which stayed in its new home all the way until early 1998. At which point the Stock Exchange building on the Ring gained the prefix “old.”
Architect Theophil von Hansen gave the Börse the Neorenaissance style popular in that era of historicism, though the architecture stands out through the dominance of red between the columns and arches.
(The stock exchange floor in a photo traded by L. T. Neumann k.k. Hof-Kunsthandlung and taken by Johann Stauda around 1880 ; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 106081/77; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)
Hansen also designed several other famous Viennese landmarks, such as the Musikverein, Parliament and the Academy of Fine Arts.
This new Börse excited much interest at the time.
Emperor Franz Joseph himself visited at midday on Wednesday March 14th 1877 for half an hour, which seems to be the date considered the official opening. Though the formal handover took place the following Monday.
The public were invited to view the new construction on the Friday and Saturday after the Emperor’s visit. Newspapers noted that the invitation also extended to women…if accompanied by a man. (I assume they worried the ladies might faint at the sight of all those Doric columns.)
Thousands took up the invite.
So many, in fact, that one Archduke Friedrich had to cancel his own plans to visit. Though the Emperor and Empress of Brazil apparently popped in on the Saturday.
(Another view of the façade)
One newspaper report at the time commented on the enormous construction costs despite the use of stucco rather than marble, but described the result as (my rough translation):
…a monumental building of the first order…the large arches and huge pillars giving the main part an impressive character
The writer also marveled that the floor of the stock exchange was even bigger than the Musikverein’s concert hall.
They specifically mentioned four marble fountains as somewhere people could wash their hands after making deals of questionable purity and concluded that the overall result (again, my rough translation):
…without doubt has a rightful claim to a preeminent position among Vienna’s magnificent buildings
Parts of the building, however, served other purposes, and this multifunctionality continues today: the Alte Börse operates, for example, as an event venue and home to prime office space (and a restaurant).
Concert tickets & tips
The main hall hosts regular concerts by the Wiener Residenz Orchestra, who make use of the rich décor and excellent acoustics. Their programme covers the classical music and melodies most closely associated with Vienna. Think Mozart and Strauss, in particular.
(Booking service provided by Tiqets.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
(Nothing on your dates? Try some alternative concerts*)
How to get to the stock exchange
Given the Ring location, the Alte Börse is easily reached by a short walk from the centre of town.
Subway: just a skip and a jump from Schottentor station on the U2 line.
Tram/bus: the Alte Börse has its own tram and bus stop (Börse), reached by tram lines 1, D and 71 and bus lines 3A and 40A.
Address: Schottenring 16, 1010 Vienna