Austrian Parliament

Here stands the most complicated parliament building in 19th century Europe. This Greek temple on the Ringstrasse, with its massive columns and Athena statue out front, opened in December 1883 to house delegates from 8 nations speaking 11 different languages. Czech, Polish, Ukrainian, Italian, German, Slovenian, Croatian, Romanian and more echoed through these halls.

Danish architect Theophil Hansen spent nearly 10 years designing every element. Emperor Franz Joseph insisted on Austrian materials, so Hansen chose white marble from Laas, a village in Tyrol. The stone proved tougher than the famous Carrara marble. It has weathered pollution better for over 140 years.

Walk inside and you will find the Hall of Columns, where 24 marble pillars hold up the ceiling. Each one weighs 16 tons and was carved from a single block of marble.

The sessions got intense. Mark Twain witnessed debates in the 1890s and described the electric atmosphere: everyone shouting opinions, languages flying across the chamber, politicians acting like batteries throwing off sparks.

After World War I ended the empire in 1918, delegates gathered at the ramp where you stand now and proclaimed Austria a republic.