Austrian Parliament Building

by - 15.2.08

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12 February 08

It was a nice day then and I went out with the kids to go ice skating. It was also a great opportunity as we were able to pass by this building for some photos.

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The Austrian Parliament building was designed by Roman and Greek historians and scholars, adorned obviously by greek artistry. There were many proposals to its design but the Imperial Commission chose Theophil von Hansen's plan.

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In front of the building is one of the biggest and most famous sculpture of Pallas Athena (Greek goddess of wisdom). During the Austro-Hungarian empire, politics was in chaos that the locals would joke that the sculpture of Athena turned her back against the people inside the building out of frustration.

A significant part of the artworks in the building has been damaged during World War II and has been recently undergoing restoration.

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15 comments

  1. That parliament building is simply magnificent. It must've been quite a feat for the restoration team to get the job done, but oh so worth it.

    Whenever I think of that damned WWII and all the beautiful buildings that were destroyed and the senseless killing, I cringe.

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  2. Wow! impressive, majestic and lovely. I really wish to come and visit your city one day. In the meantime, I am glad I can enjoy your great photoblog.

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  3. Fenix, so true, thinking of future wars makes me wish I'm dead by then. lol. I hope I can get photos of the interior, but that's possible only if I go there alone (3 kids following me would be noisy...)

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  4. Thanks Dorothee...drop by anytime and come by to see the city personally. =) good day!

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  5. Very impressive building and great sculpture! Great shots.

    Thanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo. Happy Heart's Day!

    joy
    A Pinay In England
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  6. Thanks Joy! Would visit you again!

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  7. Great pictures; Vienna certainly has a lot to offer for a photographer. I love your photoblog and will return often.

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  8. @clueless in Boston: certainly does...even for me who always have 3 kids around... =) Thanks for dropping by. Good day!

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  9. I cans see your photo! Says unvaiable.

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  10. Please try again later uma por dia (Please leave your real name so I can address you correctly, thanks) I am not sure why but I hope they load later. Thanks for informing me.

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  11. Ok Maria, I updated it and removed the censorship. Thank you again!

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  12. You know there is a statue in Athens that looks just like this one. At the moment it is under wraps and covered with scaffolding as it is being restored. As soon at it is visible again, I'll get a picture and we can compare notes. Really interesting post, and amazing photographs.

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  13. the d in d&t: Thanks! I'll wait for your photo. Greek sculptures are really awesome, my dad would always bring home some small souvenirs from there and we had them on display at home (Philippines) =D Good day!

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  14. The sculpture of Pallas Athena looks very appealing!

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