Vienna in WWII

One of the Flak towers of Vienna. Today, an aquarium is housed in this one. The Haus de Meers. At the top of the structure is the banner reading:

"Smashed to pieces"

(in the still of the night)

Absorbed into Hitler's Third Reich in 1938 as a result of the Anschluss, Vienna survived most of the war without much bombing damage. Out of reach of British and American bombers for much of the war, only in the later stages did the "Reich's Bomb Shelter" receive bomb damage. I set out to see what I could learn / see concerning this period of history.

Hitler had 6 structures known as Flak Towers built to protect the city. Using St. Stephan's church as the "epicenter" the tall, reinforced concrete structures were built as anti-aircraft gun emplacements. The towers remain today in sort of state of limbo. Evidently, the Soviet occupying forces tried to destroy one and failed because of the sturdy construction. Today, they are jointly owned by the city of Vienna and the nation of Austria. They have different uses today, but the one I visited has been transformed into an aquarium (Haus de Meers).

One of the gun emplacements on the Flak tower. Now it is an observation deck. Visitors may be seen, looking over the city.

Standing nearly 6 stories high, the first thing one notices is a huge banner stating "Smashed to Pieces (in the still of the night)"; a reference to the war. Construction began in 1942 and was completed with the help of slave labor from nearby concentration camps. The towers also served as shelter for the populace of Vienna, fire control, communications, and field hospital. As fuel supplies dwindled, causing the loss of defense fighter planes, the towers and anti-aircraft were the only defense the Viennese had against the increasing Allied bombing attacks. During daylight bombing raids, their effectiveness was1 of 125 Allied aircraft fell to their fire. Night raids lessened their effectiveness to 1 of 145.

The air raids were directed at factories, oil refineries, and mining the Danube to render it and ineffective source of transport. This caused much of the factory production to literally go underground to places like Seegrote (an underground mine; now an underground lake because of flooding in the mine later).

Unlike Dresden, Germany, Allied bombing did not utterly destroy the city. Many parts (such as Schonbrunn Palace) were declared off limits to bombs, but this didn't mean that non-military targets were always spared. Only 15 seconds by air from targets such as Floridasdorf refinery, the center of the city (1st District) received damage.

Worst of all, the Philipphof (a block of appartements opposite to the Albertina and the State Opera House) collapsed, burying some 200 people who had sought shelter from the raid in its cellars. Most of the victims have never been unearthed and there has not been another building set up on the site. Instead, the Mahnmal gegen Krieg und Faschismus (Memorial against War and Fascim) by Alfred Hrdlicka has been erected there.

I found this description and added it here.

"The split white monument, The Gates of Violence, remembers victims of all wars and violence, including the 1938–1945 Nazi rule of Austria. Standing directly in front of it, you're at the gates of a concentration camp. Step into a montage of wartime images: clubs and WWI gas masks, a dying woman birthing a future soldier, and chained slave laborers sitting on a pedestal of granite cut from the infamous quarry at Mauthausen Concentration Camp.

The hunched-over figure on the ground behind is a Jew forced to wash anti-Nazi graffiti off a street with a toothbrush. The statue with its head buried in the stone (Orpheus entering the underworld) reminds Austrians of the consequences of not keeping their government on track. Behind that, the 1945 declaration of Austria's second republic — with human rights built into it — is cut into the stone. The experience gains emotional impact when you realize this monument stands on the spot where several hundred people were buried alive when the cellar they were hiding in was demolished in a WWII bombing attack." - From Rick Steve's Europe

"The Gates of Violence". Memorial against war and fascism. Set on the site of where bombs killed over 200.

Another view of the memorial against war and fascism. The 200 killed on this spot during an Allied bombing raid were never removed and are interred under this very spot.

Interestingly, the Austrians with which I have spoken about the war (not a scientific study by any means) don't credit the USA with the victory in WWII. The general consensus is that the Russians had done all the "heavy lifting" and the Americans came in late and took the credit. Austria WAS in the Russian occupation zone after the war and there is actually a huge fountain and monument to the Soviet soldiers killed in WWII (which to me, is unsettling).

Monument erected to the Soviet soldiers killed in WWII. The locals called it the "Tomb of the Unknown Pilferer" (which may indicate how much they appreciate having a monument to their enemy-turned-victorious occupier).

On the edge of the Soviet Soldier's Memorial. These seem a little creepy (like the flying monkeys in Wizard of OZ).

In my humble (but nevertheless; correct) opinion, we saved Russia's a** and then held up so they could extract revenge for Operation Barbarrossa (Hitler's backstabbing attack on his "non-aggression pact partner, Stalin). It can be argued that as late as 1941, FDR was in no hurry to commit American ground troops to Europe. When they WERE committed (following Hitler's unexplained declaration of war on the US on Dec. 11, 1941), it was to help Britain (which was almost "down for the count"). Also, no less than (then Senator) Harry S Truman was quoted as saying "where is the downside of letting Communists and Nazis kill each other?"

This is a "memorial" to the location of the Gestapo headquarters in Vienna. I am not sure what the inscription says but I CAN happily report to you that it is in an open space that signifies that the place was bombed out of existence. This monument remains.

Nowadays, it seems that everybody is "over it" as far as I can tell. The city of Vienna is basically the crossroads of Europe. Its post-war government is required to stay out of any alliances. It contains OPEC and the United Nations. It is a mixture of the Middle East, Eastern and Western Europe with an undeniable American influence. It has a ridiculously low crime rate and everywhere you look, there can be seen sports venues, parks, trees, flowers, and people enjoying themselves. The Danube and its recently-dug canals lend an extra personality. Music, architecture, cuisine, and culture rival Paris in most informed travelers opinions. In MY opinion, it combines the serious and regimented lifestyle of the Germans with the emotional, happy-go-lucky attitudes of the Italians. Their immigration issues seem to be mainly with the Turkish and the same opinions heard in America can be heard in Austria. Just replace the Turkish in Austria with a country that borders our nation and striking similarities are apparent.

In future adventures, we plan to visit Schonbrunn Palace (including the world's oldest and Europe's largest zoo), Seegrote (an under ground lake), Kahlenberg and Leopoldau (in the hills overlooking Vienna, the Weinvertel (Wine Road) region, and whatever else we stumble upon.

That having been said, this next week is devoted to preparation for the Silver Bowl to be played on Saturday, June 11. Other adventures can wait till after the victory!

Auf Wiedersehen and GO RANGERS!!!