Right here stands the Metropol, a beacon of entertainment in Vienna. Today, it’s a vibrant theatre. But its location carries echoes of a much darker past. This is a story of transformation and remembrance.
The Metropol we see today is at Hernalser Hauptstraße 55. It is a place for laughter, music, and performance. However, to truly understand this location, we must travel back in time. We go back to a grand hotel that once stood nearby.
Imagine Vienna in the late 19th century. The Hotel Metropole was built for the Vienna World Exhibition in 1873. Designed by Carl Schumann and Ludwig Tischler, it was a luxurious four-story building. Corinthian columns and rich decorations adorned its facade. A glass-covered inner court housed a magnificent dining hall.
But the Hotel Metropole’s splendor was not to last. The Anschluss in 1938 marked a turning point. The Gestapo confiscated the hotel from its Jewish owners. It became their Vienna headquarters. This location became the largest Gestapo office outside Berlin. About 900 staff members worked there. Most of them were recruited from the Austrian police.
The Hotel Metropole was a place of terror during this dark period. Many people were interrogated and tortured within its walls. Jews and those who resisted the Nazi regime suffered immensely here. The first order issued from this headquarters was to transport Austrian prisoners to Dachau concentration camp.
As World War II neared its end, the Hotel Metropole met its demise. Allied aerial bombardment struck Vienna on March 12, 1945. The building was hit and burned. The ruins were eventually demolished. This was an effort to erase the painful memories associated with it.
In 1951, concentration camp survivors erected a memorial stone. It was a simple act of remembrance. Later, in 1985, the city of Vienna financed a larger monument. Granite blocks from the Mauthausen concentration camp formed its base. A bronze statue of a survivor stands as a powerful symbol.
The inscription on the monument is a poignant reminder. It speaks of the Hotel Metropole as hell for Austrian patriots. It was the gateway to death for many. It crumbled like the Thousand Year Reich. Austria, however, was resurrected with its immortal victims.
The location also holds a connection to Philippine national hero José Rizal. He visited Vienna in May 1887. A historical marker commemorates his visit. He befriended Austro-Hungarian linguistic scholar Ferdinand Blumentritt during his stay.
In 2015, artists created a meta-memorial. It honored the survivors who erected the first monument. This act of artistic intervention highlights the ongoing need to remember and reflect.
Today, the Metropol stands as a place of entertainment. But it is also a site imbued with history. The past is not forgotten. It is commemorated through monuments and artistic expressions. The Metropol is a reminder that even in places of joy, we must remember the shadows of history. It is a testament to Vienna’s resilience. It is a symbol of Austria’s commitment to remembering its past.