Desider-Friedmann-Platz: A Square of Remembrance

Desider-Friedmann-Platz, situated in the heart of Vienna's Innere Stadt (1st district), is more than just a square; it's a place of quiet reflection and a testament to the city's enduring spirit. Named in 1990 after Dr. Desider Friedmann, the first Zionist president of the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien (Jewish Community of Vienna) from 1933 to 1938, the square carries a weight of history. Friedmann was murdered in Auschwitz in 1944.The area now occupied by Desider-Friedmann-Platz was once the site of the Dreifaltigkeitshof, documented as early as 1204. In 1910, the buildings at Judengasse 10 and 12 were demolished, giving rise to the square and the Fleischmarktstiege (Fleischmarkt stairs), now known as Jerusalemstiege. These were incorporated into the extended Fleischmarkt, which previously only stretched to Rotenturmstrasse.The square's history is also marked by violence. In 1981, it was the site of a Palestinian terrorist attack. More recently, the square was near the location of the 2020 Vienna terror attack. Today, Desider-Friedmann-Platz is a pedestrian zone, offering a peaceful oasis amidst the bustling city center. Its location between Judengasse to the west and Jerusalemstiege to the east places it in close proximity to several important Jewish institutions, including the Wiener Stadttempel (Vienna City Temple) and a kosher restaurant.The architecture surrounding Desider-Friedmann-Platz is characterized by late classicist and early historicist buildings from the first half of the 19th century. The building at Desider-Friedmann-Platz 1, also known as Kornhäusel Tower, stands out. This late classicist residential building, constructed between 1825 and 1827 by Joseph Kornhäusel, features a nine-story studio tower. The renowned author Adalbert Stifter resided here from 1842 to 1846 and famously observed the solar eclipse of 1842 from the tower. In the center of the square stands a single magnolia tree, providing shade.