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When it comes to Viennese books with depth, well-researched topics in a historical context, Johannes Sachslehner is a guarantee for good books. After he recently published “Wiener Villen” (2023) and “Wiener Hotels” (2024), he is continuing the series with “Wiener Platzen” (2025). In a tried and tested manner, the historian relies on a targeted selection of places, which he describes comprehensively, including the relevant bibliography.
In order to expand the spectrum of Vienna's squares, the successful author duo Matthias Marschik & Edgar Schütz, who dedicated their own book to the Praterstern (2026). Even if the Praterstern with its roundabout into which seven large streets flow does not appear as a "square" in the Vienna street directory, it is still one of the most important squares in Vienna.
This is the subtitle of the 16-page foreword, “Poetry of the Public,” which Sachslehner prefaces his twelve selected Viennese places. The poetry begins with images of Michaelerplatz, where the Looshaus once caused a stir. Sachslehner speaks of squares as “fixed points of the urban world” that give the city “its very special face”. He therefore concludes: "The first secret of the places is their individuality, their specific history." These "crystallization points" fulfill multiple functions; they are places of power presentation, judgment, resistance, struggle, trade, religious rituals, encounters and pause, as well as recovery.
Since there is no separate chapter dedicated to Karlplatz, “the Karlsplatz question” is discussed on pages 10 to 13. But you can also find Khlesplatz in Vienna Meidling, the goose pond at Leopoldauer Platz or Bebelplatz, which mutated into Kernstockplatz in 1934 and is now known as Familienplatz in Vienna Ottakring. The Rooseveltplatz in front of the Votivkirche has similar name mutations, whose history is a reflection of former political regimes. While it was called Maximilianplatz during the Kaiser's time, it became Freiheitsplatz in 1919, Dollfußplatz in 1934 and Hermann-Göring-Platz in 1938.
The first chapter of the book is dedicated to Stephansplatz and, like all other chapters, is introduced with a photo by Harald Jahn. Catchy subtitles, such as "The place that was once a cemetery", lead into medias res of the respective story. Specifically, funerals took place at Stephansfreithof [sic!] until September 1732. After an imperial ban, the "New Catacombs" were built where around 11,000 deceased people found their final resting place by 1783. But it's not just about subterranean things, the Toothache God (around 1425) is also mentioned here, as is the saying "The wind always blows on Stephansplatz". A meteorological phenomenon that Franz Kafka recorded in his diary ("Windy Air") on September 10, 1913 (page 33).
If you don't know where Jodok-Fink-Platz is, let me tell you: in front of the Piarist Church in Vienna Josefstadt. The namesake, a native of Vorarlberg, was an advisor to Mayor Karl Lueger. But the Piarists, including elementary schools and high schools, actually set the tone here, as can be found on page 121.
Before we go to Heldenplatz (page 203), the other squares described here should be mentioned: Stock-im-Eisen-Platz, Am Hof, Franziskanerplatz, Dr.-Ignaz-Seipel-Platz, then St. Ulrichsplatz, Sobieskiplatz, Judenplatz, Lobkowitzplatz and Pfarrplatz in Vienna Döbling. Held under the subtitle "Habsburg's stage for Austria", the history of Heldenplatz, which Hitler took over on March 15, 1938 for his demonstration of power, is described here in extensive research. Thomas Bernhard's piece "Heldenplatz" (1988) is the subject, as is a visualized but unrealized monumental statue of Emperor Franz Joseph from 1937 (page 211ff).
After Joseph II ordered the Prater to be opened to the Viennese in 1766, he ordered the Fugbach, which is now remembered on Fugbachgasse, to be filled in in 1780. From 1781 onwards, a semicircular junction with a diameter of 340 meters was built on the newly reclaimed terrain. The seven streets that open or lead away there like rays suggested the name “Praterstern”. While the name was initially only used in the Viennese vernacular, it has been used officially since 1879. Seven years later, on September 21, 1886, after 15 years (!) of planning, the 22 meter high Tegetthoff monument was unveiled here. Starting in 1838, when the Nordbahnhof near Praterstern was opened, the square mutated into a central transport hub. Today, not only the train runs here, but also two subway lines, trams 5 (page 10) and O, as well as several buses.
Starting on page 36, Marschik and Schütz present the history of the Praterstern not only using the example of the seven streets, Exhibition Street, Nordbahnstrasse, Heinestrasse, Franzensbrückenstrasse, Praterstrasse, Lasallestrasse and Prater Hauptallee, but also on a topic-related basis. This includes, among other things, public and private transport, houses, shops and restaurants, as well as residents, travelers and strollers. Festivals and celebrations, together with moods and impressions, conclude the book.
A historical approach is pursued that leads up to the present day, which is expressed at the beginning in the chapter “Transit space and problem zone” (page 8). This is shown by impressive images, such as an aerial photograph from the 1980s that shows it to be a transport hub, or two police officers conducting a priority check at the entrance to the station passage. As a reminder: on April 26, 2018, the “alcohol ban at Praterstern” was decreed.
The book in landscape format is designed as an illustrated book, whereby not only the pictures, but above all the content-rich captions contain many previously little or less known details. 90-year-old Raoul Brunner and 70-year-old Heinz Sommer, operator of the legendary Café Sperlhof, provide authentic insights into life around the Praterstern in a conversation. In previous decades it was sometimes a bit turbulent here - they talk about stabbings and prostitutes - today both draw a satisfied conclusion and sum up: "A train station is a train station, not a church", which is also the title of the conversation on pages 64 and 65.
Some of the images should be mentioned that reveal something that is forgotten or hardly known today. We can see in a black and white photo on page 20 that there was an illegally erected memorial for the victims of the Allied bombing raids around the Praterstern in June 1952 on the Praterstern, which was soon removed. Page 63 shows a car accident on the main avenue, which was open to cars until 1964. On page 83, the flooded expressway underpass was captured with cars. Some shots bring back memories, such as the entrance to the Panorama day cinema (page 98), which existed from 1962 to 1993 at Praterstern train station, which was renamed Vienna North in 1975 and has been called Praterstern again since 2004 (page 99).
Conclusion: "Every place is a secret - on the trail of Viennese places" fascinates with extensive and meticulous research that reveals some - little-known - details, together with photos by Harald Jahn and historical images, the book ranks as a cymelia among the Viennensia. "The Praterstern - A fixed star with seven rays" is a small-format illustrated book that uses expressive, previously little-known images to show new details about the development of the Praterstern and its immediate surroundings. (Thomas Hofmann, June 12, 2026).