Habsburgwarte
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| Habsburgwarte | |
|---|---|
_-_Habsburgwarte.JPG) | |
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| General information | |
| Location | Hermannskogel, Vienna, Austria |
| Year built | 1888 |
| Height | 27m |
The Habsburgwarte is a 27-metre-tall tower on the Hermannskogel in Vienna, Austria. It was opened in 1889.[1]
In the 19th century, the Klosterneuburg Monastery, which owns the land on the Hermannskogel – Vienna’s highest elevation at 544 meters – , sought to construct a permanent viewing tower but was denied permission. As an interim solution, a wooden observation structure was erected in 1877 under the care of the Austrian Tourist Club (Österreichischer Touristenklub, ÖTK). In 1883, the Club resolved to build a more durable stone tower. Construction permission was granted in 1887, and Emperor Franz Joseph I had previously approved the name "Habsburgwarte" in 1884.[2]
The tower was constructed in 1888 to mark the 40th anniversary of Franz Joseph I’s reign. It was designed by architect Franz von Neumann Jr. in a Romanesque-Gothic revival style, reminiscent of a medieval watchtower. The Habsburgwarte was officially inaugurated on 6 October 1889.[3]
In 1938, the National Socialists forced the tower to be renamed "Hermannskogelwarte".[4] In 1945, the columned loggia on the first floor was destroyed by artillery fire. Restoration took place in 1947 with the support of NIOGAS (now EVN), which has used the tower as a relay station and remote monitoring site since 1960. On 13 September 1972, the Federal Monuments Office declared the Habsburgwarte a protected historic monument. On 8 October 1974, the Austrian Tourist Club (ÖTK) decided to revert to the original historical name, Habsburgwarte.[3]
