Author: Wiener Institut für Kultur- und Zeitgeschichte

Isabella Sommer

In the Biedermeier era, Vienna’s first Russian steam bath was built, but its resourceful owner soon converted part of the location into a “multi-purpose hall”. This was later expanded, and the Sophienbad eventually became the Sophiensäle. The dancing Viennese are thrilled and spin here at balls of all kinds. Musically only the best is offered, also all “Sträusse”; play on. (Full text on ORF Topos)

Eduard Strauss I – Two Tours of America with the Strauss Orchestra

Norbert Rubey

During a concert tour of Germany Eduard Strauss got to know the American concert agent David
Blakely. After lengthy negotiations a contract was signed at the end of February 1890: concerts and
matinees were to be given in more than 70 towns and cities in the north-east of the USA and Canada
with the Strauss Orchestra (42 musicians and three assistants) between May and December 1890. In
particular, regular events were to be held on the newly opened Madison Square Garden in New York. (English full text)

German full text on ORF Topos: https://topos.orf.at/straussmania-eduard-strauss-usa100

Eduard Strauss II –
Another Viennese Kapellmeister in America and even in Japan

Eduard Strauss

Eduard Strauss I. (1835 – 1916) disbanded the Strauss Chapel, founded by his father in 1827, on the following day, February 13, 1901, after giving his last concert in New York on February 12, 1901. Eduard Strauss I was 65 years old at the time and retired to his apartment at Reichsratsstraße 9 (1010 Vienna). Some 65 years later, in the fall of 1966, his grandson, the conductor Eduard Strauss II (1910 – 1969), embarked on an extensive tour of the USA and Canada with the specially founded Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra. (German full text)

Oliver Rathkolb

It was to take nineteen years before the distinguished “Citizens’ Ball”, which premiered in 1872in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph, moved from the Redoutensaal of the Vienna Hofburgto the newly built City Hall as the “Ball of the City of Vienna”. Quite deliberately, theincreasingly self-confident bourgeoisie symbolically stood up to the “court balls” and theparticularly exclusive aristocratic “court balls”. Joining this progressive trend at the openingon February 1, 1890 were Carl Michael Zierer, who composed the Viennese Citizen (WienerBürger) waltz (op. 419), and Johann Strauss with his City Hall Ball Dances (Rathaus-Ball-Tänzen) (op. 439). (Fulltext)

Cornelia Szabó-Knotik

In the Biedermeier era, many of Vienna’s suburbs offered the pleasure-seeking city dwellers their own dance establishment. A special feature here was the “Colosseum” in the suburban town of Brigittenau. The attraction that gave it its name was a gigantic elephant made of papier-mâché with a volcano model in its giant skull. If contemporary reports are to be believed, the dancing and partying of the masses was pretty much the order of the day. (Full text on ORF Topos)

https://topos.orf.at/straussmania

Norbert Rubey

In today’s 19th district of Vienna, there was also a place dedicated to the Viennese’s dancing pleasure in the 19th century. A peasant boy from Lower Austria had the “Casino Zögernitz” built in Oberdöbling. The establishment was successful – even the famous Sträusse conducted their bands here and performed many a composition for the first time in front of an audience. (Full text on ORF Topos)

https://topos.orf.at/straussmania-casino-zoegernitz100

Manfred Permoser

The Gschwandner establishment in Hernals started out in the Biedermeier era as a typical Heuriger. In addition to food and drink, however, music has always played an important role. The legendary “Schrammeln” also played there for dancing. Thanks to various additions, the pub eventually became one of the most important entertainment establishments for concerts and balls. (Full text on ORF Topos)

https://topos.orf.at/straussmania-gschwandner100