Secession, Vienna Travel Guide

The Secession Building, located in Vienna's Innere Stadt district, is a key landmark of the Vienna Secession movement. Founded in 1897 by Gustav Klimt, Josef Hoffmann and other artists, the Secession sought to break free from historicism and promote innovative art. Joseph Maria Olbrich designed the Secession Building as a space for these artists to exhibit their work.Completed in 1898, the building's architecture caused a stir. Olbrich ignored Baroque ornamentation, embracing geometric forms. The building's white walls and gilded dome, made of approximately 3,000 gilt laurel leaves, stand out against the city. The dome, nicknamed "the golden cabbage" by locals, symbolizes victory, dignity, and purity. The motto of the Secession, "To every age its art, to every art its freedom," is inscribed above the entrance.The building's most famous feature is the Beethoven Frieze by Gustav Klimt. Created in 1902, the 34-meter-long frieze is an interpretation of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The frieze illustrates humanity's desire for happiness in a world filled with suffering. Today, the Secession Building continues to host contemporary art exhibitions, bridging its historical legacy with modern artistic expression.