Was this social housing project always meant to be controversial? You’re standing in front of the Türkenritthof, a seemingly ordinary housing complex in Vienna’s 17th district. Built in 1927, the Türkenritthof’s name, meaning “Turkish Ride Courtyard”, hints at its unusual backstory. It’s a name that harks back to a time of conflict and a peculiar local tradition. Following the Second Ottoman Siege of Vienna in 1683, the people of Hernals, this very district, would hold an annual parade. They called it the “Hernalser Eselsritt”, the “Hernals Donkey Ride”. Imagine this: a man dressed as a Turkish Pasha, riding a donkey backwards, mocked and jeered by the crowds. This went on for over a century, a satirical reenactment of the Ottoman defeat, before Emperor Joseph II banned it for its excessive revelry. You might wonder why this name was chosen for a social housing project in the 1920s. Some argue that the Social Democrats, who built the Türkenritthof, were reclaiming this historic event, usually celebrated by conservative forces, as a symbol of local identity. Look above the main entrance. Do you see the stone sculpture? It depicts the “Türkenritt”, the Pasha on his donkey, a visual reminder of this contentious tradition enshrined in stone.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to