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Former performing places of the bands Strauss and Lanner

„Apollosaal"

Splendidly furnished amusement establishment at the Schottenfeld holding about 8 000 persons. Does not exist anymore.

 Some peculiarities of the equipment:

Dance hall with pearl lusters, wall paintings, statues and living trees "Roman circus" with a dome supported by 40 columns and a statue of Joseph II.
Garden hall with Turkish tents, billiards, living trees, a basin and a rose grove
Dining hall with 32 Ionic columns
Rose alley

 1807 (April-December) built by Sigmund Wolffsohn, the founder of the k.k. privaten Maschinen- und Bandagenfabrik
1808 (January 10th) inauguration
1812 bankruptcy of the builder
1819 new owner: Johann Baptist Höfelmayer, confectioner; after his death, the Apollosaal goes to the heirs
1831/32 emergency hospital during the cholera epidemic
1839 sale and closing (May 2nd)
1876 (January 27th) destruction by fire, the ruin is pulled down

„Casino Zögernitz"

Casino in the Biedermeier style with garden. Built in 1837. Popular rendezvous place of the Viennese bourgeoisie in the second half of the 19th century. Scene of concerts and public festivals. Does not exist anymore.

„Cortisches Kaffeehaus"

Summer café with semicircular covered walk at the place of today's Burgtheater. Does not exist anymore.
History of the "Cortisches Kaffeehaus": End of the 18th century: inn "Ochsenmühle"
Beginning of the 19th century: lemonade tent, managed by Peter Corti
1820-22 redesigned as summer café
1855 fundamental renovation
1872 demolition

„Cortisches Kaffeehaus"

Built in 1822/23 by Pietro Nobile. Renovated in 1956. Maintained till today.

„Dianabad-Saal"

First indoor swimming pool of Europe; during the winter months used for events. Does not exist anymore.
History of the Dianabad: 1804 inauguration of the "Altes Dianabad"
1829/30 alteration and enlargement
1841-43 building of the first covered swimming bath of Europe
1860: the nearby establishment "Sperl" is closed, for this reason the importance of the Dianabad as hall of events is growing strongly
1867 (Febraury 15th): first performance of the Strauss waltz "An der schönen blauen Donau"
1878 new enlargement after plans of Otto Wagner
1893 demolition
1913 rebuilding of the Dianabad
1945 heavy war damages
1965 demolition
1974: the "Neue Dianabad" is built on a part of the old premises.

Today, the office building of IBM is on the land of the former Dianabad.

„Dommayers Kasino"

The "Parkhotel Schönbrunn" is on its place today. The casino was particularly good situated because of the immediate proximity to the palace gardens of Schönbrunn and the parish church of Hietzing.

By "Kasino" was understood a combination of inn and café with concert and dance hall frequented by the officers and the nobility as well as by the rich bourgeoisie. The casinos opened at 8.00 a.m.; there was no closing hour, because they closed only when the last guest left the house.
History of the "Dommayers Kasino"
1787 built as café
1815 terminus of the "Zeiselwagen" plying between Vienna and Hietzing
1823 new owner: Ferdinand Dommayer
1833 (June 24th): inauguration of "Dommayers Kasino"
1843 (March 22nd): last performance of Joseph Lanner
1844 (October 15th): first public performance of Johann Strauss, Son
1858 new owner: Franz Dommayer, son of Ferdinand Dommayer
1899 new owner: Paul Hopfner
1907: Hopfner closes and pulls down the casino
"Hopfners Parkhotel Schönbrunn is built and inaugurated already one year later.

„Erstes Kaffeehaus"

Already at the end of the 18th century, the Hauptallee (main alley) of the Prater was a popular promenade of the Viennese. In the eighties (probably in 1786), three cafés were built here, the "first", the "second" and the "third" café.
History of the "Erste Kaffeehaus":

1810/11: the owner Matthias Benko builds a music stage for concerts
1814 Ludwig van Beethoven's last public performance as pianist
1824 Joseph Lanner's first performance at the Prater
1922 reopening as "Hauptallee-Kasino"
1938 closure 
1945 destroyed in the battles for Vienna

„Lichtenbergsches Etablissement"

Amusement local, rebuilt from a barn by Matthias Lichtenberg in 1794, with one-storied, long austere ballroom and spacious courtyard. Joseph Lanner performed dance concerts here. The hall became an ill-famed meeting place and was therefore officially closed "for various deficiencies " on February 28th 1847.

„Schwenders Colosseum"

In 1835, the waiter Karl Schwender, born in Karlsruhe, leased a cow-shed belonging to the palace Arnstein-Pereira and converted it into a café. Bit by bit he purchased the neighboring properties of the Pereira family and built a big amusement establishment. At the end of the thirties, he added a beer tavern and a summer restaurant to the café. Later the "Amorsaal", where important balls were organized, the "Florasaal" and the "Harmoniesaal" were built in addition to that. Beside Schwender's private balls and the much-liked tramps' balls the herring feasts on Ash Wednesday were the most popular events at the "Colosseum". At that time, Karl Schwender belonged to the most known and most successful catering entrepreneurs of Vienna. After his death, his son took over the local. In 1897, it was closed and the whole complex of buildings was demolished one year later.

„Sophiensäle"

Initially a Russian steam bath, later an indoor pool. In winter, the big swimming bath was used as ball and concert hall. Today a event complex.

History of the "Sophiensäle": 1838 "Russian steam bath" named "Sophienbad"
1848 fundamental rebuilding (the architects were Eduard van der Nüll and August Sicard von Sicardsburg, who designed later the plans of the Staatsoper). Now, the big indoor pool (Mittelsaal - middle hall) can also serve as ballroom.
1870 rearrangement of the Mittelsaal by installation of galleries and wall paintings
1886 the "blaue Salon" (blue salon) is added
1899 renovation of the front facing the Marxergasse in the style of the Sezession

„Tivoli"

Till the sixties of this century, a former amusement complex managed as estate. Founded in 1830 by the owner of the Berlin toboggan slide, Gericke and Wagner, as fashionable designed amusement local consisting of a large building with halls and galleries. The terrace of the main building overlooked whole Vienna.

Already in 1834, the business turned out to pay not its way. Finally, an innkeeper took over the Tivoli and turned it into a snack restaurant in 1844. It was possible to regale 5000 people at the same time with white coffee or milk. The Tivoli was very popular with the Viennese, even with the members of the imperial house.

„Zum goldenen Rebhuhn"

In 1556, a roper named Wolfgang Rebhuhn lived in the house "Unter den Goldschmieden". In 1780, the house was called "Zum Rebhuhn" and had a gilt partridge in the plate above the door. Before the demolition of the house in 1879, the old "Rebhendlgasthaus" was here, where Joseph Lanner with his orchestra played the newest waltzes. Franz Schubert was also quite often a guest here. The successor local was the "Café Rebhuhn" (Wien 1., Goldschmiedgasse 8).

„Zum goldenen Steg"

At the beginning of their career, Lanner and Strauss often played at the dance hall "Zum goldenen Steg". The house was named after the wooden footbridge over the Alserbach in front of the building. It was pulled down on the occasion of the vaulting of brook in 1845.

"Zum großen Zeisig" on the Burg-Glacis, Hotel Höller

Plate name of a much-frequented tavern on the Spittelberg on the Burg-Glacis founded at the beginning of the 18th century (initially "Zum goldenen Adler"). Later, the well-known folk singers (Nagel and Amon, Fürst, Matras and others) sang their songs in the brilliantly decorated halls. About 1835, Johann Baptist Müller, called Moser, the reformer of the Viennese folk song, made his debut here and won immediately the favor of the audience. In the world's fair year 1873, a new house was built here housing the "Hotel Höller".

„Zum Römischen Kaiser"

The popular excursion restaurant "Zum Römischen Kaiser" is still today (1989) above the wine and winegrower's taverns town of Neustift. Here, on the road to Pötzleinsdorf, Ulrich der Zink received in 1385 a fief, where an inn was built later. In the 17th century, this tavern became the post station for Neustift and Pötzleinsdorf. In addition, stables were built so that the post could change their horses here. The house owed its present name to this enlargement: After Maria Theresia's husband Franz Stephan having been crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1745, the Austrian sovereign granted the privilege to all stations of the Thurn und Taxis' post to change their names into "Zum Römischen Kaiser". At the end of the last century, Neustift and Pötzleinsdorf became more and more popular as summer resorts and so the local was enlarged in 1890.

"Zum Sperl", strictly speaking "Zum Sperlbauer"

Plate on a house in Leopoldstadt, which belonged in 1701 to the imperial hunter Johann Georg Sperlbauer. The future owner Johann Georg Scherzer, married to a granddaughter of Sperlbauer, enlarged the front of the house and built at its back a tavern garden and a public dance hall with sumptuous decoration, which was inaugurated on September 29th 1807. Already before the Congress of Vienna, this amusement local had the reputation of being the first and the most distinguished of the city after the Apollosaal. In 1839, "the Sperl", where Joseph Lanner and Johann Strauss, Father played often for the dance, was rearranged modeled on important Parisian halls and was now reputed to be not only the most distinguished amusement establishment of Vienna, but also of whole Austria. Until the forties of the 19th century, the local was so popular that 20 to 30 elite balls took place here every carnival.

On September 19th 1849, Johann Strauss, Father performed here for the last time publicly, he died on September 25th 1849.

In the sixties, the establishment, rearrangement again in 1858, did not lose popularity, but distinction. Finally, "the Sperl" fell more and more into disrepute and in 1873 the local was closed and building pulled down.

„Zur goldenen Birne"

The tavern existed already in 1701. Its heyday was during the revolution of 1848 with the conductor Michael pamer (1782-1827).

Prince Rasumofsky (1752-1836, Russian diplomat and music lover) lived a few days the fire of his palace (December 31st 1814).

Adalbert Stifter (1805-1868, writer, painter, teacher) lived in the rear building of the tavern.

In 1823/24, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was among the most famous guests.

The Greek freedom hero Alexander Prince Ypsilanti (1792-1828) died here in 1828.

A commemorative tablet reminds of the sojourn of Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850, French writer).

In the middle of the 19th century, the local was very popular for the music productions performed at the garden and the hall. From 1865 on, it lost popularity by and by. When Robert Musil (1880-1942, novelist, dramatist, essayist) lived in the house Wien 3., Ungargasse 17, he wrote the novel "Der Vorstadtgasthof" referring to the "Goldene Birne".

„Theater an der Wien"

It was built in 1798-1801 on Emanuel Schikaneder's initiative after plans of the architect Franz Jäger and inaugurated with the opera "Alexander" by Franz Teyber on June 13th 1801. The Papageno portal in today's Millöckergasse dates from the time of the first construction of the theater. In the course of time, the building was restored repeatedly. In 1902, the front building was razed and a four-storied apartment house was built in its place after plans of the architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer.

The destiny of the theater was unsettled, not only stage plays, operas, operettas and concerts were performed here, but also circus shows at the beginning.

In 1803, Beethoven lived in the theater building, where a few rooms were ceded to him. He composed his opera "Fidelio" for the Theater an der Wien. Also Beethoven's violin concerto was performed here for the first time. Heinrich von Kleist wrote his "Kätchen von Heilbronn" for this stage. Albert Lorzing conducted his operas here. Many plays of Nestroy, who was won for the theater since 1831, were performed here for the first time.

Since 1874, Alexander Girardi was a member of the theater. Premières of the works of Strauss, Millöcker, Zeller and Heuberger left their mark on the program. The so-called "silver operetta age" followed in the 20th century (1900-1935). It is associated with the names of Franz Lehár, Edmund Eysler, Paul Abraham and Oscar Strauss.

A last heyday of the theater followed in 1936-38 under Arthur Hellmer, who scored a great success with Zarah Leander in Ralph Benatzky's "Axel vor der Himmelstür". With the farewell performance the theatrical work ceased on May 31st 1939. On October 6th 1945, the house was formally opened as alternative theater of the Staatsoper, heavily damaged in 1945, with Beethoven's "Fidelio". The Staatsoper used the house till 1955. Then, it was to be transformed into a functional building or pulled down. The city of Vienna prevented the demolition at the very last moment, bought the house, restored it basically or rearranged it after plans by Otto Niedermoser observing its historic character. On May 28th 1962, it was inaugurated with works of Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven as Viennese festival opera house.