Gussriegelstraße

Whose echoing footsteps grace the Gussriegelstraße? They are not of emperors or empresses but of everyday Viennese. The Gussriegelstraße whispers their stories, a symphony of lives lived in the shadow of grandeur. Born in 1904, Gussriegelstraße adopted an old field name, “Gussriegel”, echoing a time before cobblestones and street lamps. This street, nestled in Favoriten, the 10th district, climbs the gentle slopes of the Wienerberg. It stretches from the Quellenstraße, reaching towards the sky, before bowing to the Raxstraße. Its path, like a river, bends after Troststraße, seeking the southeast. Unlike the grand boulevards, Gussriegelstraße welcomes all. Trams trundle, buses rumble, and cars and carriages share the passage. Look! We find ourselves before the Anna-Boschek-Hof. This giant of a housing complex, erected between 1953 and 1956, stands as a testament to Vienna’s social heart. Its architects, Bauer, Bayer, Mörth, Peschel, Riedl, and Slama, dreamt of a community within a city. And so, 415 apartments, spread across six-sided blocks, became homes. In 2009, the city honored Anna Boschek, a social democrat who fought for workers’ rights, by giving her name to this haven. Heribert Potuznik’s mosaic obelisk, a 1956 masterpiece, stands guard. The playful beasts, crafted in tiny tiles, remind us that even in the city’s heart, a touch of whimsy can thrive. Gussriegelstraße is more than just a street. It’s a tapestry woven with the threads of everyday life, a testament to the enduring spirit of Vienna.