AUSTRIAN PARLIAMENT IN VIENNA

While I was still living in Canada, I came often as a tourist to the city of my youth, Vienna. Now retired, I moved back to Vienna in 2011. Here are a series of photos I took over the course of 2 separate visits in 2005 and 2008, prior to moving back, when I took pictures as a "tourist in my own city" in 2011 and 2012.

Shooting the Pallas-Athena-Statue, which stands in front of the Austrian Parliament. I selected a pov from behind, while standing between pillars of the Greek temple style building.
We were lucky to go there at the start of our vacation, since this portion of the Ringstrasse (from the Hofburg to the Rathaus/City Hall) later became the fan-zone for the Euro-2008 Soccer Championships and unobstructed views were near impossible.

Info about the fountain: The Athena Fountain (Pallas-Athene-Brunnen) in front of the Parliament was erected between 1893 and 1902 by Carl Kundmann, Josef Tautenhayn, and Hugo Haerdlt, based on the plans by Baron von Hansen. In the middle is a water-basin and a richly decorated base. The four lying figures at the foot of Athena are allegorical representations of the four most important rivers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They represent at the front the Danube and Inn, in the back part the Elbe and Vltava (German: Moldau) rivers. On the sides are little cupids riding dolphins. The statues of the Danube, Inn, and the cupids were executed by Haerdtl, those of the Elbe and Moldau by Kundmann. The female statues above represent the legislative and executive powers of the state, executed by Tautenhayn. They are again dominated by the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena standing on a pillar. Athena is dressed in armor with a gilded helmet, her left hand carries a spear, her right carries Nike.
Source:

Wikipedia: Pallas Athene Fountain

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Details

All photos were taken by myself in 2005 and 2008 during visits to Vienna, and some after my return to live here in 2011 and 2012.

The Parliament building is currently undergoing renovations:

^{Renovation of the Austrian Parliament
Since the Austrian Parliament was built at the end of the 19th century by the plans of Theophil Hansen, the building has never undergone major renovation. Significant work needs to be done to preserve the architectural jewel and to ensure it can continue to serve as a modern home for Austrian parliamentarism and democracy in the 21st Century.
Source - read more: Republic of Austria Parliament - Renovation}

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