Café Schwarzenberg
Encyclopedia
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. It is located at Kärntner Ring 17 across from the Schwarzenbergplatz
Schwarzenbergplatz
Schwarzenbergplatz is a Vienese square in Vienna, Austria. It is actually more a like a small, open street than a square, and it runs between the Kärntner Ring section of the Ringstraße and Lothringerstraße. Travelling south, the street, Schwarzenbergstraße, becomes Schwarzenbergplatz after passing...
. Unlike most traditional Viennese cafes, the Cafe Schwarzenberg did not cater to a clientele of artists and intellectuals. The interior is notable for having remained largely unchanged since it was opened in the 19th century.
History
In 1861 Café Schwarzenberg was opened by a married couple with the family name Hochleitner. It quickly became an important meeting place for influential financiers. Among the famous frequent guests was the renowned architect Josef Hoffmann, one of the founders of the Wiener WerkstätteWiener Werkstätte
Established in 1903, the Wiener Werkstätte was a production community of visual artists. The workshop brought together architects, artists and designers whose first commitment was to design art which would be accessible to everyone...
movement. Many of his creations were drafted at Café Schwarzenberg.
After 1945, the occupying Soviet Army used the space for various events. As a result of this the decor was damaged by gunfire, the results of which were apparent as late as 1979.
Café Schwarzenberg was run by the Österreichischen Verkehrsbüro AG until January 1, 2008. It was then purchased by Vivatis Group.
The Café Schwarzenberg is a popular spot with both tourists and locals. As well as hosting a wide variety of cultural events such as readings and concerts, the cafe hosts Kaffeehausmusik ("Cafe Music") on several evenings during the week. In the Viennese ball season, the Cafe Schwarzenberg is one of the few cafes to offer early morning breakfasts for the ball attendees.