!!!Ringstraße

Ringstrasse (popularly called "Ring"), Vienna´s 
sumptuous city boulevard enclosing the first district (on three sides, 
joined by the quay of the Danube Canal in the north-east). Built along 
the former defences of the city (bastions and glacis) following a 
decree issued by Emperor Franz Joseph I on December 20, 1857. Three 
projects by L. C. F.  Foerster, A.  Sicard von Sicardsburg, 
E. van der  Nuell and F. Stache won an international competition held 
in 1858. The Ringstrasse, which is unique with regard to its 
conception, is 6.5 kilometres long, 57 metres wide, is 
flanked by 2 avenues, and was opened on May 1, 1865. The monumental 
buildings along the Ringstrasse, completed between 1869 and 1888, were 
built according to plans by Sicard von Sicardsburg and E. van der 
Nuell (State Opera), G.  Semper and C.  Hasenauer (Museum of Natural 
History and Kunsthistorisches Museum, Burgtheater and Neue Burg), H.  
Ferstel (Votivkirche, New University building, Museum of Applied Art 
and Akademie fuer angewandte Kunst (Academy of Applied Art)), T.  
Hansen (Stock Exchange, Parliament, Akademie der bildenden Kuenste 
(Academy of Fine Arts), and the former Heinrichhof). These buildings 
were largely financed by the money obtained from selling the lots on 
which the fortifications and glacis had been laid out. Public gardens 
in between the buildings are the Burggarten, the Volksgarten, the park 
in front of the Town Hall and the Stadtpark. The historicist style of 
the buildings has become known as the Ringstrasse style. Compared to 
the buildings of the  Gruenderzeit in other large cities, the private 
houses along the Ringstrasse are of restrained elegance, to such an 
extent that they were not regarded as palaces for the moneyed 
aristocracy and were therefore not designated as "palais" as 
were other buildings of similar scale; today, these buildings mostly 
house offices and shops. The Ringstrasse is also famous for its luxury 
hotels; the previously famous Ringstrasse cafes are gradually 
disappearing. The section of the Ringstrasse between the Town Hall and 
Parliament serves for parades, demonstrations and rallies ( May Day). 
As the Ringstrasse is closed to heavy freight traffic, a second street 
lined with houses was built parallel to the boulevard at the outer 
edge of the former glacis (popularly still called: 
"Lastenstrasse" ("freight road")).

!Literature
R. Wagner-Rieger (ed.), Die Wiener Ringstrasse - Bild 
einer Epoche, 11 vols., 1969-1979; K. Eggert, Die Ringstrasse, 1971; 
G. Kapner, Die Denkmaeler der Wiener Ringstrasse, 1969; N. Nemetschke 
and G. Kugler, Lexikon der Wiener Kunst und Kultur, 1990.


%%language
[Back to the Austrian Version|AEIOU/Ringstraße|class='wikipage austrian']
%%

[{FreezeArticle author='AEIOU' template='Lexikon_1995_englisch'}]
[{ALLOW view All}][{ALLOW comment All}][{ALLOW edit FreezeAdmin}]