Austria
Vienna History & Culture History

Historical Events in Vienna

  • Roman Settlement (1st Century A.D.) In the first century A.D., the Romans established a military camp which they called Vindobona. Today, this region corresponds to the city center of Vienna.

  • Babenberg Dynasty (976–1246) The Babenbergs, a noble dynasty from Franconia, ruled Vienna during this period. They constructed a fort on the Leopoldsberg and the city slowly started to grow.

  • Habsburg Rule (1278–1918) From 1278 onward, Vienna was under the rule of the Habsburgs. The city became a cultural center of Europe. During this period, the Vienna State Opera and the University of Vienna, among various other institutions, were established.

  • Siege of Vienna (1529 and 1683) Vienna endured two major sieges by the Ottoman Empire. The successful defense of the city marked the beginning of the end of Ottoman control in Eastern Europe.

  • Viennese Secession (1897) During this period, a group of Austrian artists broke away from the traditional establishments, creating their own movement known as the Viennese Secession. This movement had a significant impact on Vienna's art and architecture.

  • Establishment of First Republic (1918) After the fall of Habsburg Monarchy in World War I, Vienna became the capital of the First Austrian Republic.

  • Anschluss (1938) In 1938, Nazi Germany annexed Austria in a process called the Anschluss. This led to World War II and eventually the upheaval of the Nazi rule.

  • Second Austrian Republic (1945 onwards) At the end of World War II, Austria was divided into four zones controlled by the Allied powers. In 1955, the Austrian State Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state, with Vienna as the capital.

  • Vienna International Centre (1979) Construction of the Vienna International Centre finished in 1979, serving as a major building for the United Nations.

  • Secession Movement Recognition (2002) A significant event in Vienna's recent history includes the recognition of the Secession Building, an architectural symbol of the Vienna Secession art movement, as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2002.