The Ringstraße (also known as Ring) is a street in Austria's capital Vienna. It goes around the first district in almost the shape of a circle. The street is 5.2 km long and is divided into nine sections. It is one of the main sights in Vienna.
History
On December 20th, 1857, emperor Franz Joseph I. ordered to
destroy the old city walls and to build a street which should show
the glory of the Habsburg Empire. The old walls were a traffic
block because in 1850, the suburbs became part of the city as
districts II. till IX. The order of the emperor outlined the exact
size of the boulevard, as well as the geographical positions and
functions of the new buildings. The only building which was erected
by the city was the Town Hall.
During the following years, a large number of important public
and private buildings were erected. Nobility and bourgeoisie began
to build mansions along the street. Most of them were built in the
Ringstraßenstyle, which mainly quotes older styles.
Sections of the
Ringstraße
The Ringstraße has several sections. It surrounds the central
area of Vienna on all sides, except for the northeast, where its
place is taken by the Franz-Josephs-Kai, the street going
along the Donaukanal (a branch of the Danube). Starting from
the Ringturm at the northern end of the Franz-Josephs-Kai,
the sections are:
- Schottenring (named after the Schottenstift)
- Dr.-Karl-Lueger-Ring (Karl Lueger)
- Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring (Karl Renner)
- Burgring (Hofburg)
- Opernring (Vienna State Opera)
- Kärntner Ring (Carinthia)
- Schubertring (Franz Schubert)
- Parkring (Wiener Stadtpark)
- Stubenring (named after the Stubenbastei, part of the viennese
citywall since 1156)
Buildings along the
Ringstraße
- The K.u.K. Hofoper (now Vienna State Opera), in
neo-romantic style by August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van
der Nüll,
- the Akademie der bildenden Künste (Academy of Fine
Arts),
- the Justizpalast (now Federal Ministry of Justice),
- the Parliament building, in neo-attic style (a reference to the
democracy of ancient Athens) by Theophil
Freiherr von Hansen,
- the Rathaus (Town Hall) in Flemish-Gothic style by
Friedrich Schmidt,
- the K.u.K. Hofburgtheater (now Burgtheater) by Karl
Freiherr von Hasenauer,
- the University Building, in neo-renaissance style (a reference
to the beginnings of the university system in northern Italy,
- the Votivkirche, in neo-gothic style (a reference to the
gothic Cathedrals of France) by Heinrich Freiherr von Ferstel,
- the Börse (Stock Exchange),
- the Ringturm, modern 1950s style,
- the Urania observatory,
- the Kriegsministerium (now Regierungsgebäude), in
neo-baroque style by Ludwig Baumann,
- the Postsparkasse (Postal Savings Bank), in Jugendstil
by Otto Wagner,
- the Museum für Angewandte Kunst (Museum of Applied Arts)
in neo-renaissance style by Heinrich Freiherr von Ferstel,
- the Palais Württemberg (now Hotel Imperial),
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