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Johann Strauss monument
June 26, 1921—the Vienna Philharmonic takes their positions as crowds gather for something no one would forget. They're not here for a concert. They're unveiling what would become the most photographed monument in all of Vienna, and they seal the moment by playing "On the Beautiful Blue Danube" right then and there, making this golden figure an instant legend. Here's what gets people every time—this isn't solid gold. It's gilded bronze, and most visitors never know. Edmund Hellmer, a founding member of Vienna's radical Secession movement, created that marble arch wrapped around the statue, decorating it with dancing naiads. But the real kicker? That golden finish almost disappeared completely. They stripped it away in 1935. For fifty-six years the Waltz King stood in dark bronze. Not until 1991 did restorers bring back the glitter. Just behind where you're standing, the Kursalon is where Strauss Jr. gave his first concert on October 15, 1868—the night that made this venue legendary. You're in Vienna's first public park, opened in 1862 when the medieval city walls came down. Every stone here celebrates the man who turned Vienna into the waltz capital of the world.
Did You Know?
- : The Johann Strauss Monument in Vienna's Stadtpark was unveiled on June 26, 1921, with a grand ceremony attended by Austria’s president, prime minister, and the mayor of Vienna. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performed Strauss’s iconic 'On the Beautiful Blue Danube' during the unveiling, marking the city’s recovery from the hardships of World War I and celebrating Strauss as a symbol of Viennese resilience and musical heritage.
- The monument, designed by sculptor Edmund Hellmer, is a gilded bronze statue depicting Strauss as the 'King of the Waltz' playing his violin, standing in front of an elegant marble arch adorned with dancing figures. Interestingly, the statue was originally dark bronze but was later gilded, giving it its now-famous golden glow that makes it one of the most photographed landmarks in Vienna.
- Hidden among the park’s many monuments, the Strauss statue is surrounded by lesser-known tributes to other Viennese artists like Schubert and Bruckner. Families often enjoy a fun scavenger hunt searching for these statues, and children love to imagine Strauss conducting an orchestra of bronze musicians beneath the dancing marble figures on his arch.