How often does a district define a city? Josefstadt does. It is Vienna’s eighth district. We stand before Hl. Josef. This area is near Vienna’s heart. It was established as a district in 1850. Borders changed later.
Josefstadt is a heavily populated urban area. Many people live and work here. In 2014, the population was 24,279. Josefstadt is Vienna’s smallest district. It covers 1.08 square kilometers. The district was named after Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I.
The district includes former suburbs. These are Josefstadt, Breitenfeld, Strozzigrund and Alt-Lerchenfeld. It also includes parts of St. Ulrich and Alservorstadt. The district borders are Alser Straße to the north. Lerchenfelderstraße is to the south. Hernalsergürtel and Lerchenfeldergürtel are in the west. Auerspergstraße and Landesgerichtsstraße are to the east.
Josefstadt became a middle-class neighborhood. Many Vienna mayors have lived here. Austria’s former president lived here too. The University of Vienna is nearby. So, many students call Josefstadt home.
Josefstadt is in the city center. It occupies only 0.26% of Vienna’s area. The district lies between the Vienna belt and the two-line. It is one of Vienna’s most densely built districts. Only 2% of the district area are parks.
Josefstadt sits on a plateau. This plateau lies between two channeled Wienerwald streams. The Alser Bach ran under Lazarettgasse. The Ottakringer Bach ran between Lerchenfelder Street and Neustiftgasse. These streams carved deep valleys before construction. This created significant height differences. The western border on Lerchenfelder belt is 204.5 meters high. On the eastern edge, Friedrich-Schmidt Square reaches 180 meters.
In the northeast, Alservorstadt lies between High Street, Florianigasse, and Feldgasse. The northern part is called Alsergrund. Alservorstadt includes the Municipal District. It also includes the Regional Court and the Museum for Ethnology. Schoenborn Park is here too.
Breitenfeld lies northwest. It sits between Florianigasse and Feldgasse. The north of Josefstädter Street and the southeast belong to Josefstadt. The Theater of Josefstadt and the Piaristenkirche “Maria Treu” are important buildings.
Around Strozzigasse is Strozzigrund. The tax office is here. Altlerchenfeld lies west and east of Strozzigrund. Several student residences are on Pfeilgasse. A small part of St. Ulrich is southeast. Most of St. Ulrich is in the adjacent district Neubau.
Let’s talk about Joseph II. He was Holy Roman Emperor. He ruled the Habsburg monarchy. Joseph was a proponent of enlightened absolutism. He was committed to secularizing reforms. This resulted in opposition. He has been ranked with Catherine the Great and Frederick the Great. He supported the arts. Mozart and Salieri were among them.
Joseph was made a member of the council of state. He began to draw up minutes for his mother. He was a friend to religious toleration. He wanted to reduce the church’s power. He tried to liberate serfs.
Joseph was impressive but not necessarily likable. Frederick II described him as ambitious. He said Joseph was capable of setting the world on fire.
After his mother died in 1780, Joseph was free to pursue his own policy. He directed his government on a new course. He attempted to realize his ideal of enlightened despotism.
Joseph undertook the spread of education. He secularized church lands. He issued the Patent of Toleration in 1781. He promoted unity by using the German language. He emancipated the peasantry and abolished serfdom in 1781.
Joseph reformed the legal system. He abolished brutal punishments. He imposed equality of treatment. He lightened censorship.
Elementary education was made compulsory. Joseph created scholarships for poor students. He allowed schools for Jews and other minorities.
Joseph’s policy of religious toleration was aggressive. He struck at papal power. He tried to make the Catholic Church a tool of the state. He suppressed monasteries.
Joseph’s Patent of Toleration in 1781 shifted religious policies. Limited freedom of worship was given to non-Catholic sects. The Edict of Tolerance in 1782 removed restrictions on Jews.
Joseph’s image in popular memory has varied. There were many monuments to him. The Czechs credited Joseph II with reforms. They condemned his policies of centralization.
Joseph also converted Vienna’s defensive glacis into a public park. This green space persisted until the Ringstrasse was built.
The people of Josefstadt are proud to live here.