The Strudlhofstiege is an outdoor staircase of architectural and literary significance in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. Located in the

Alsergrund Alsergrund (; Central Bavarian: ''Oisagrund'') is the ninth district of Vienna, Austria (german: 9. Bezirk, Alsergrund). It is located just north of the first, central district, Innere Stadt. Alsergrund was incorporated in 1862, with seven suburbs. ...

district, it is named after a former art school run by the painter

Peter Strudel Peter Strudel or Peter Strudl (ca. 1660 – 4 October 1714) was an Austrian sculptor and painter. His work forms the transition of Austria to the high baroque style. Strudel was born in Cles, Trentino. Between 1676 (when he was 16 years old) and ...

( – 1714).

History

About 1680 Peter Strudel together with his brother

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

came to Vienna from

Cles Cles (german: Glöß; Nones: ''Clés'' or ''Cliès'') is a town and ''comune'' in Trentino, in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of northern Italy. It is the main town of Val di Non. It is the main town of and is located in Val di Non. Mo ...

Trentino Trentino ( lld, Trentin), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country's far north. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous region ...

. He settled in the northern suburb where he opened his ''Strudlhof'' painting school in 1688, one of the first art colleges in Central Europe. Modelled on the

Accademia di San Luca The Accademia di San Luca (the "Academy of Saint Luke") is an Italian academy of artists in Rome. The establishment of the Accademia de i Pittori e Scultori di Roma was approved by papal brief in 1577, and in 1593 Federico Zuccari became its fir ...

or the

Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture The Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture (; en, "Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture") was founded in 1648 in Paris, France. It was the premier art institution of France during the latter part of the Ancien Régime until it was abol ...

in Paris, it was the precursor of the present-day Vienna

Academy of Fine Arts The following is a list of notable art schools. Accredited non-profit art and design colleges * Adelaide Central School of Art * Alberta College of Art and Design * Art Academy of Cincinnati * Art Center College of Design * The Art Institute o ...

. After Strudel's death, however, teaching activities ceased and the ''Strudlhof'' was demolished. The present-day ''Palais Strudlhof'', used as a hotel and conference centre, was erected in the late 18th century. The adjacent street was named Strudlhofgasse in 1907. Shortly afterwards, the Vienna city administration under Mayor

Karl Lueger Karl Lueger (; 24 October 1844 – 10 March 1910) was an Austrian politician, mayor of Vienna, and leader and founder of the Austrian Christian Social Party. He is credited with the transformation of the city of Vienna into a modern city. The pop ...

resolved upon the construction of a staircase at the end of the street, in order to create a facilitated access to the lower

Lichtental Lichtental is a part of the Districts of Vienna, district of Alsergrund, Vienna. It was an independent municipality until 1850. Notable people

* Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein (1657–1712) lived here. * Caterina Cavalieri (1755–18 ...

terrain level beyond. The designs were supplied by the architect Theodor Johann Jaeger (1874–1943), an employee at the municipal planning office. Built from luminescent Mannersdorf limestone, it today rates as an

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

(''Jugendstil'') masterpiece, resembling the

Stadtbahn ' (; German for "city railway"; plural ') is a German word referring to various types of urban rail transport. One type of transport originated in the 19th century, firstly in Berlin and followed by Vienna, where rail routes were created that co ...

architecture by

Otto Wagner Otto Koloman Wagner (; 13 July 1841 – 11 April 1918) was an Austrian architect, furniture designer and urban planner. He was a leading member of the Vienna Secession movement of architecture, founded in 1897, and the broader Art Nouveau move ...

. The stairs were ceremonially opened on 29 November 1910 and since have been restored several times. Wien Strudlhofstiege Doderer

The symmetric lower part of the staircase is centered on two fountains, with a facial mask and a fish head as waterspouts. The upper, asymmetric part gives pedestrians varying perspectives while passing by. Metal railings and candelabras create additional highlights. The picturesque construction is a popular setting for open-air choir and concert events. In 1951 the Austrian author

Heimito von Doderer Franz Carl Heimito, Ritter von Doderer; known as Heimito von Doderer (5 September 1896 23 December 1966) was an Austrian writer. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times. Family Heimito von Doderer was born in Weidlinga ...

(1896–1966) published his social novel ''Die Strudlhofstiege oder Melzer und die Tiefe der Jahre'' (The Strudlhof Steps or Melzer and the Depth of the Years), one of the main works of 20th century

Austrian literature Austrian literature () is mostly written in German, and is closely connected with German literature. Origin and background From the 19th century onward, Austria was the home of novelists and short-story writers, including Adalbert Stifter, ...

. Named after the staircase, around which some central plot points take place, it was filmed several times and adapted as a radio and stage play.

External links

*
''wien.gv.at'' - die Strudlhofstiege

{{Coord, 48, 13, 20, N, 16, 21, 28, E, region:AT_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures in Alsergrund Buildings and structures completed in 1910 Stairways Art Nouveau architecture in Vienna Art Nouveau stairways 1910 establishments in Austria