Antique map - Vienna 1903

Historical map of Vienna (Plan von Wien zu Anfang des XIX. Jahrhunderts), published in 1903 by Prof. A. L. Hickmann: the fortified city, the former Glacis, the Hofburg, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Prater and the Danube Canal.

This historical map shows the city of Vienna (Plan von Wien zu Anfang des XIX. Jahrhunderts), taken from Professor A. L. Hickmann’s book “Wien im XIX. Jahrhundert” and published in 1903. With great topographical accuracy, the document depicts the capital of the Austrian Empire in the early 19th century, before the major demolition of the medieval ramparts under Emperor Franz Joseph I. In 1903, Vienna was the splendid capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (k. u. k. Monarchie), with a population of nearly 1.8 million.

Vienna’s history at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was marked by nostalgic fascination with its imperial past and a dazzling cultural boom (the Vienna Secession, the Ringstraße and café culture). Published in 1903, this map is an invaluable historical record: it documents Vienna’s urban layout as it stood in the early 19th century, when the Old Town was still entirely enclosed by its bastioned walls (Basteien) and separated from the suburbs by the vast, undeveloped Glacis, the exact site of the future prestigious Ringstraße boulevard.

Places and districts shown:

• The fortified city (Innere Stadt) and its bastions: the historic heart is shown enclosed by its formidable walls and bastions, home to St. Stephen’s Cathedral (St. Stephan), the imperial Hofburg Palace and the Burgtheater.

• The Glacis belt: the vast, open green expanse of the Glacis completely surrounds the historic city, marking the boundary with the surrounding suburbs.

• The Danube Canal (Donau-Canal) and the Wien River: the Danube Canal borders the city to the northeast, while the Wien River (Auf der Wien) flows through the southwestern districts.

• The Prater park and Leopoldstadt: beyond the Danube Canal lie the Leopoldstadt district and the immense wooded grounds of the Prater (Der obere Prater, Der untere Prater).

• The historic suburbs (Vorstädte): the map encompasses the former suburbs of Rossau, Alsergrund, Josefstadt, Neubau, Mariahilf, Gumpendorf, Wieden, Landstraße and Erdberg.

• The Linienwall (outer customs wall): the fortified outer line of the Linienwall (future route of the Gürtel) marks the city’s outer limits in the early 19th century.

• Legend and index of 72 landmarks: a large cartouche on the left (Erklärung der Ziffern.) lists 72 major sites and buildings in the imperial city (palaces, churches, ministries, hospitals and barracks).

Map details: this map, entitled “Plan von Wien zu Anfang des XIX. Jahrhunderts”, was produced for A. L. Hickmann’s book by the k.u.k. publishers Alfred Hölder and Th. Bannwarth in 1903, and uses a harmonious color scheme: built-up blocks and major buildings are highlighted in shades of pink-purple and violet, the Glacis, gardens and Prater in pale green, and waterways in blue-gray. A compass rose and explanatory color scale complete the map.

In short: for anyone interested in the history of Austria and the Habsburgs, the urban development of the Ringstraße, the Prater or retrospective cartography of the Belle Époque, this map offers an exceptionally elegant view of the imperial capital.

What area does this map of Vienna cover? It covers the imperial city of Vienna in the early 19th century: the fortified city at the center, the Glacis belt, the Prater and Leopoldstadt to the northeast, as well as all the suburbs (Alsergrund, Mariahilf, Wieden, Landstraße) up to the Linienwall rampart.

In what year was this map published? This retrospective map was published in 1903 by the k.u.k. publisher Alfred Hölder in Vienna.

Reproduction of the “Plan von Wien zu Anfang des XIX. Jahrhunderts” (Prof. A. L. Hickmann), published in 1903 by Alfred Hölder (k.u.k. Court and University Bookseller) in Vienna.

Printed on 200 g/m² textured art paper. Landscape orientation, standard sizes 50x70 and 70x100: easy to frame.