Altes Rathaus: Vienna's Historic Heart

The Altes Rathaus, or Old City Hall, is located in Vienna's Innere Stadt (1st district) at Wipplingerstraße 6/8. Originally donated to the city council in 1316 by Frederick the Fair, it has been owned by the city ever since. The building has undergone several rebuildings, resulting in a mix of architectural styles. While the exterior reflects the style of Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, the interior features Baroque official rooms, with some Gothic elements still visible. The building's history is rich and varied. It was the site of Franz III. Nádasdy's execution in 1671, following the Magnate conspiracy. In 1848, during Vienna's March Revolution, the People's Security Committee held meetings here. The Vienna city council last met in the Altes Rathaus on June 20, 1885. Today, the Altes Rathaus houses the municipal offices for the 1st and 8th districts, the Innere Stadt local history museum, and the Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance. Key features include the Andromeda Fountain in the courtyard, created by Georg Raphael Donner in 1741, and the Gothic Sankt Salvator church behind the courtyard. The council chamber was redesigned between 1851 and 1853 by Ferdinand Fellner the Elder. The building's facade on Wipplingerstrasse features a slightly recessed central section with a grand entrance.