Danube River Cruise #24: Vienna's Opera House and 2 Odd Deaths

Inside the Opera House

In today's blog, we'll show you and tell you about the famous state Opera House. We drove by it in the bus because it was pouring rain! Regardless, it's an amazing building and we'll show you some pictures of it (thanks to the Internet), and tell you a story about 2 mysterious deaths associated with the building. Read on!


ABOUT THE OPERA HOUSE - The Vienna State Opera is an Austrian opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera. In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian Republic, it was renamed the Vienna State Opera.

FAST FACTS - It seats 1,709 people. It offers nearly 300 performances each year.
OPENED- May 25, 1869
STYLE - Renaissance Revival architecture

Outside of the Opera House

FIRST PUBLIC BUILDING - The Opera House was built as the first public building along the Vienna Ringstrasse.
ARCHITECTS - Eduard van der Nüll, August Sicard von Sicardsburg, Josef Hlávka, Erich Boltenstern


THE TWO ODD DEATHS- In 1860, the project had been submitted to competition and won by the two architects: Eduard van der Nüll, and August Sicard von Sicardsburg.
   Their design failed to match the monumentality of the Heinrichshof  building - another building that was highly regarded. (The Heinrichshof was Built in 1860 and encompassed three building lots and was comprised of several apartment buildings) - The Heinrichschof  was destroyed in World War II. 
   Some people were have said to call this new Opera House a "train station."
"HATED IT" - Criticism from both the Emperor and a press campaign against the pair of architects described the disappointment of the Viennese public and suggested that the building was merely a half-success. After the street level in front of the opera house was raised by a meter, (3 feet) the opera was described as the "sunken chest" and - in analogy to the military disaster of 1866 - "the Königgratz of Construction."

Eduard van der Nüll

1)  Eduard van der Nüll was deeply troubled by the criticism and hanged himself on April 4, 1868. 
2)  His partner Sicardsburg died nearly 10 weeks later, diagnosed with tuberculosis. 
IDIOT ALERT - It was said that the Emperor had been so shocked by the suicide of Eduard van der Nüll, that from then on he responded to all new art phenomena with the standard phrase, "It was very beautiful, I liked it a lot."

Eduard van der Nüll was buried in an honorary grave in Vienna's Central Cemeter.  In 1875, the Van-der-Nüll street in the Favoriten District of Vienna was named after him. 

NEXT: Marching to the Imperial Palace in the Rain