//
Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Founded at the pleasure of the Habsburgs. On 20 July 1498, Emperor Maximilian decided to hire six singing boys, the first permanent boys choir attached to the court. He also made arrangements for their education – fringe benefits that are difficult to get from a modern employer. The choir served the monarchy until its demise at the beginning of the First World War. The last Imperial Chaplain, Monsignor Josef Schnitt reestablished the Boys Choir in 1924 as a private institution. To earn money, the choir began to perform outside the Imperial Chapel. Even though they are a not-for-profit organization, the rising costs of educating the choristers from a very young age as well as providing music required establishing the Verein Wiener Sängerknaben necessary. The choir sings high mass every Sunday morning (Sep-Jun) at the Hofburgkapelle (Imperial Chapel) in the Imperial Palace, and appears regularly at evening concerts in the Musikverein.
The Vienna Boys' Choir is a choir of boy sopranos and altos based in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the best-known boys' choirs in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countries.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Filmarchiv Austria
An open-air film festival held annually from the beginning of July until mid-August, this festival hosted by the Filmarchiv Austria screens independent international films. Pre-purchased tickets can be picked up at the concierge at 19:30 before the screening.
Musik und Theater
A concert hall and multi-purpose auditorium for the Vienna Boys Choir, opened in 2012. A calendar of upcoming events is published here; tickets can be purchased at the door or online.
Vienna Criminal Museum
This museum is dedicated to the history of police and the justice system, from the Middle Ages until World War II. Exhibits relating to famous Viennese criminals are included.
Flak towers
This is a pair of anti-aircraft defense towers/bunkers, built by the Luftwaffe during World War II. During construction multiple rail tracks were laid across the park, and it is believed that hundreds of war victims were buried in mass graves on the grounds, still undiscovered. At 55 m high, the round Gefechtsturm (G-Tower, or gun tower) is the highest flak tower built during the war. The pair have proven nearly impossible to remove, and are now protected because of their historic value.
Designed by Otto Wagner, and built in 1908, this was part of a planned redevelopment of the Donaukanal. After many years of neglect the building was fully restored in 2010, and now houses a restaurant.
Johann Strauss Apartment
The 'Waltz King' lived in this elegant apartment from 1863 until 1870; his most famous piece 'An der schönen blauen Donau' (The Blue Danube) was composed during his time here. Included with the items on display is one of the composer's violins.