You only see what you know (Goethe)
The monument to Alexander Girardi (1850-1918) stands in the Girardipark of Vienna. Extensive traffic surrounds the white statue, so the actor and operetta singer does not have to complain about a small audience. Most people overlook the message of the sculpture, though. [German]
You find this monument of Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy–Carignano in the centre of Vienna on the Heldenplatz. Anton Dominik Fernkorn finished the equestrian statue in 1865. The pose reminds us of Prince Eugene’s role as a victorious commander.
In this summer house formerly owned by Josef von Eggenwald (Eggenwaldsches Gartenhaus), the Peace Treaty of Leoben was signed between the Holy Roman Empire and the First French Republic on April 18th, 1797. This signing was an important event at the end of the “War of the First Coalition”. [German]
A chance to see the famous Lipizzaner horses of the Spanish Riding School for free is at the Stallburg building. This former residence is placed next to the Winter Riding School. Between the training and the performances, the Stallburg is the home of the white stallions.
The Knappenwelt (Pitmen’s World) in Angertal is an open-air museum about the late medieval gold and silver smelting in the Gasteinertal area. It is a station of the Via Aurea, which focuses on gold mining in the Austrian Tauern mountain ranges. [German]
This Art Nouveau pavilion dates back to 1898. Architect Otto Wagner designed it as a station building for the Viennese Metropolitan Railway (Wiener Stadtbahn). Today the Otto Wagner Pavillon houses a museum about this famous urban planner.
The castle above the mouth of the Paznaun in the Stanzer Valley dates back to the 13th century. Several of today’s structures result from a renovation at the beginning of the 20th century. In May 1945, parts of the German Wehrmacht surrendered to American troops after negotiations in this castle. [German]
The Sebastian’s Cemetery (Sebastiansfriedhof) dates back to the end of the 16th century. It was built in the style of an Italian campo santo. You find here the graves of Mozart’s widow and Paracelsus, founder of the discipline of toxicology. [German]
This monument commemorates Franz Wirer von Rettenbach. He is considered the founder of the first Austrian saline water health spa in Bad Ischl. I found this bust in the local spa park (Kurpark). I was pretty impressed by the extraordinary size of the sculpture. [German]
The lindworm fountain (Lindwurmbrunnen) is the landmark of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee. In addition, the lindworm is also part of the local city arms. The sculpture dates back to the 16th century and refers to the foundation legend of the city. [German]
Some years ago, I saw this artwork near the Neue Galerie in Graz. The creator of this piece was Hans Hollein (1934-2014). The striking name of this work with several profound allusions: The Golden Calf (Das goldene Kalb). [German]
I am a sucker for wrought ironwork. On a walk through Graz, I discovered this image of a praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) as a decoration on a house entrance. What might have been the motivation for this work of art? [German]