Ballhausplatz
Encyclopedia
Ballhausplatz is a square
in central Vienna
containing the building (with the address Ballhausplatz 2) that for over two hundred years has been the official residence of the most senior Austria
n Cabinet Minister, the State Chancellor, today the Chancellor of Austria
(Prime Minister). As a result, Ballhausplatz is often used as shorthand for the Austrian Federal Chancellery. Until 1918 the Foreign Ministry of Austria-Hungary
was also housed here. Similar to Downing Street
or the Quai d'Orsay
, the word Ballhausplatz (or Ballplatz for short) is a synecdoche
for the seat of power.
Ballhausplatz is located in the first district Innere Stadt
in central Vienna, a few minutes' walk from the Austrian Parliament Building
and on the edge of the grounds of Hofburg Imperial Palace
. Until 1754 the square itself did not exist, as an imperial hospital
was located there. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
erected a real tennis
house there, the Ballhaus (ball house). Later the building was used for the Imperial Court Construction Office (Hofbauamt). At the end of the 18th century the Ballhaus was ripped down.
Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt
and expanded in 1766 by Nicolò Pacassi
under the guidance of Chancellor Wenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz. Originally called the Geheime Hofkanzlei (Secret Court Chancellery), it was expanded in 1881 and again in 1902, when the Haus-, Hof-, und Staatsarchiv (today the Austrian State Archive) were added on the site of the former Minoritenkloster monastery
, next to the Minoritenkirche
. The main facade
has largely remained the same since its construction by von Hildebrandt. The interior is richly decorated with stucco
. The building suffered heavy damage during World War II
due to aerial bombardment
s, but was repaired. Located on the first floor are the offices of the Federal Chancellor, federal ministers, and conference rooms. The Government of Austria regularly meets here for cabinet
meetings.
Ballhausplatz 2 played an important role in European politics for over 250 years. It was here that Chancellor Klemens Wenzel von Metternich
held the Congress of Vienna
, which was held after Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat in 1814 and resulted in the "balance of power". Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß was murdered by Nazis
in his office in 1934. His successor Kurt von Schuschnigg gave his farewell speech shortly before Austria was annexed by Nazi-Germany in 1938 with his famous closing words "Gott schütze Österreich" ("God save Austria"). After 1945 and the restoration of independence the offices of the Federal Chancellor were once again located here.
Since the coalition government between the conservative ÖVP
and the right-wing FPÖ
took office in 1999, regular demonstrations have been held in front of the Chancellor's office.
Ballhausplatz 1 is the address of the Office of the President of Austria
(Österreichische Präsidentschaftskanzlei). The offices of the president himself are located in the Hofburg Imperial Palace
.
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
in central 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...
containing the building (with the address Ballhausplatz 2) that for over two hundred years has been the official residence of the most senior 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...
n Cabinet Minister, the State Chancellor, today the Chancellor of Austria
Chancellor of Austria
The Federal Chancellor is the head of government in Austria. Its deputy is the Vice-Chancellor. Before 1918, the equivalent office was the Minister-President of Austria. The Federal Chancellor is considered to be the most powerful political position in Austrian politics.-Appointment:The...
(Prime Minister). As a result, Ballhausplatz is often used as shorthand for the Austrian Federal Chancellery. Until 1918 the Foreign Ministry of Austria-Hungary
Foreign Ministry of Austria-Hungary
The Foreign Ministry of Austria-Hungary was the ministry responsible for the foreign relations of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the formation of the Dual Monarchy in 1867 until it was dissolved in 1918....
was also housed here. Similar to Downing Street
Downing Street
Downing Street in London, England has for over two hundred years housed the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers: the First Lord of the Treasury, an office now synonymous with that of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the Second Lord of the Treasury, an...
or the Quai d'Orsay
Quai d'Orsay
The Quai d'Orsay is a quai in the VIIe arrondissement of Paris, part of the left bank of the Seine, and the name of the street along it. The Quai becomes the Quai Anatole France east of the Palais Bourbon, and the Quai de Branly west of the Pont de l'Alma.The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs is...
, the word Ballhausplatz (or Ballplatz for short) is a synecdoche
Synecdoche
Synecdoche , meaning "simultaneous understanding") is a figure of speech in which a term is used in one of the following ways:* Part of something is used to refer to the whole thing , or...
for the seat of power.
Ballhausplatz is located in the first district Innere Stadt
Innere Stadt
The Innere Stadt is the 1st municipal District of Vienna . The Innere Stadt is the old town of Vienna. Until the city boundaries were expanded in 1850, the Innere Stadt was congruent with the city of Vienna...
in central Vienna, a few minutes' walk from the Austrian Parliament Building
Austrian Parliament Building
The Austrian Parliament Building in Vienna is where the two Houses of the Parliament of Austria conduct their sittings. The building is on the Ringstraße boulevard in the first district Innere Stadt, close by the Hofburg Palace and the Palace of Justice.The main construction lasted from 1874 to 1883...
and on the edge of the grounds of Hofburg Imperial Palace
Hofburg Imperial Palace
Hofburg Palace is a palace located in Vienna, Austria, that has housed some of the most powerful people in Austrian history, including the Habsburg dynasty, rulers of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria...
. Until 1754 the square itself did not exist, as an imperial hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
was located there. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
erected a real tennis
Real tennis
Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original indoor racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis , is descended...
house there, the Ballhaus (ball house). Later the building was used for the Imperial Court Construction Office (Hofbauamt). At the end of the 18th century the Ballhaus was ripped down.
History of occupancy
Ballhausplatz 2 is the official residence of the Federal Chancellor. It was constructed in 1717/19 by the architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt
Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt
Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt was an Italian-trained Austrian architect who designed many stately buildings and churches...
and expanded in 1766 by Nicolò Pacassi
Nicolò Pacassi
Nicolò Pacassi , also known as Nikolaus Pacassi, was an Austrian architect of Italian descent. He was born in Wiener Neustadt in Lower Austria in a family of merchants from the Gorizia. In 1753, he was appointed court architect to Maria Theresa of Austria...
under the guidance of Chancellor Wenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz. Originally called the Geheime Hofkanzlei (Secret Court Chancellery), it was expanded in 1881 and again in 1902, when the Haus-, Hof-, und Staatsarchiv (today the Austrian State Archive) were added on the site of the former Minoritenkloster monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, next to the Minoritenkirche
Minoritenkirche, Vienna
The Minoritenkirche, formal name: Italienische Nationalkirche Maria Schnee is a church built in French Gothic style in the Altstadt or First District of Vienna, Austria.The site on which the church is built was given to followers of Francis of Assisi in 1224...
. The main facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
has largely remained the same since its construction by von Hildebrandt. The interior is richly decorated with stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
. The building suffered heavy damage during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
due to aerial bombardment
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
s, but was repaired. Located on the first floor are the offices of the Federal Chancellor, federal ministers, and conference rooms. The Government of Austria regularly meets here for cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
meetings.
Ballhausplatz 2 played an important role in European politics for over 250 years. It was here that Chancellor Klemens Wenzel von Metternich
Klemens Wenzel von Metternich
Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich was a German-born Austrian politician and statesman and was one of the most important diplomats of his era...
held the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
, which was held after Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat in 1814 and resulted in the "balance of power". Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß was murdered by Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
in his office in 1934. His successor Kurt von Schuschnigg gave his farewell speech shortly before Austria was annexed by Nazi-Germany in 1938 with his famous closing words "Gott schütze Österreich" ("God save Austria"). After 1945 and the restoration of independence the offices of the Federal Chancellor were once again located here.
Since the coalition government between the conservative ÖVP
OVP
OVP is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:*The Office of the Vice President of the United States*The Office of the Vice President of the Philippines*OVP , a light sub-machine gun developed in Italy...
and the right-wing FPÖ
FPO
FPO may refer to:*Fleet Post Office, a "city" designation in military mail *Field post office, a term for military post offices in military mail systems *For position only, a designation for placeholder graphics...
took office in 1999, regular demonstrations have been held in front of the Chancellor's office.
Ballhausplatz 1 is the address of the Office of the President of Austria
President of Austria
The President of Austria is the federal head of state of Austria. Though theoretically entrusted with great power by the constitution, in practice the President acts, for the most part, merely as a ceremonial figurehead...
(Österreichische Präsidentschaftskanzlei). The offices of the president himself are located in the Hofburg Imperial Palace
Hofburg Imperial Palace
Hofburg Palace is a palace located in Vienna, Austria, that has housed some of the most powerful people in Austrian history, including the Habsburg dynasty, rulers of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria...
.
External links
- AEIOU | Ballhausplatz
- www.Ballhausplatz.at Website of the Ballhausplatz demonstrators