The monument to the founding of the first Austrian republic in 1918 proved a little contentious. Politics is never simple.
- Unveiled in 1928
- Features busts of three politicians
- Each played an important role in the development of Austria’s welfare state
- Join a short walking tour* around WWII sites & memorials
- See also:
Denkmal der Republik
(The monument with parliament behind)
You might be forgiven for thinking that Vienna’s monuments switch between Habsburg personalities and era-defining composers. Here an imperious Joseph II, there a brooding Beethoven.
But more recent history also has its memorials, not least those in remembrance of those who suffered under Nazi oppression.
Another 20th-century example is the Monument of the Republic, located right next to the Austrian parliament building. It is, however, not quite what it seems.
The monument commemorates the proclamation (later enshrined in law) of the first Austrian republic on November 12th, 1918.
With WWI over, the Habsburgs done for, and the Austro-Hungarian empire disintegrating, local politicians announced their intention to create the Republic of German-Austria.
If you’re wondering why you’ve never heard of the Republic of German-Austria, it’s probably because it struggled for international recognition and lasted for less than a year.
In 1919, the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye signed between the allies and the nascent state obliged the latter to call itself the Republic of Austria and abandon any designs on merging with Germany.
The city-sponsored monument to the moment when Austria began the change from a centuries-long monarchy to a democracy was unveiled on the tenth anniversary of that initial proclamation.
(Unveiling of the monument on November 12th, 1928, as photographed by Richard Hauffe; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 49342/136; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)
Three bronze busts form the centrepiece:
- Jakob Reumann (bust by Franz Seifert)
The mayor of Vienna from 1919 to 1923 and an important figure in efforts to improve the life of the working class in the misery of the post-WWI city.
Reumann was a major player in the development of the social housing programme for which Vienna still enjoys worldwide acclaim.
- Victor Adler (bust by Anton Hanak)
The founder of the Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei, which was the forerunner of today’s Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs (SPÖ): the political party that supplies Vienna’s mayor and is the senior partner in the city’s coalition government.
At the time of writing, the SPÖ is also a coalition partner within the national government of Austria.
- Ferdinand Hanusch (bust by Carl Wollek, who we know from the Mozartbrunnen)
The first social minister in the new republic (from 1918 to 1920) and another important figure in the development of the welfare state that continues today.
Given the exclusively left-wing nature of these three individuals and the existence of other candidates (from all sides of the political spectrum) with a greater role in the actual establishment of the republic, the monument did not meet with universal approval.
(From left to right: Reumann, Adler, Hanusch)
Differing views across politics on the desirability of the republic in its current form also complicated the monument’s reception. These were not times of gentle consensus, either.
Irrespective of the wider contributions of the featured individuals, the installation became a bit of a bugbear for those on the right wing.
After Austria slipped into fascist ideology in the 1930s, the monument obviously failed to match the prevailing authoritarian reality. It was covered and eventually put in storage.
Following the defeat of the Nazis, cleaning, and repair (the Hanusch bust had to be recast by sculptor Mario Petrucci, for example), the monument returned to its current position in 1948.
How to get there
The monument lies on the central giant Ring boulevard, next to the Ring/Volkstheater subway and tram station. You would pass it on my suggested route for a self-guided tour.:
Subway: the U3 and U2 lines both stop at Volkstheater station.
Tram/bus: the lines D, 1, 2, 46, 52 and 71 all stop here, as does bus line 48A.
Address: Schmerlingplatz, 1010 Vienna