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It is not only thanks to the author Jana Geršlová and the author Jindřich Vybíral that we can expand our Czech horizons with two profound books, but also to Johanna Posset and Stefan Bartilla as translators, who make it possible to read a total of 801 pages in German. Around 1910, Vienna was the second largest Czech city in Europe after Prague, and naturally a rich Czech heritage remained. This is more widespread than one would assume and ranges from A, like Aida for the well-known café-patisserie, to Z, like "Zum Schwarzen Kameel", a noble address for culinary enjoyment in downtown Vienna. On the other hand, in Bohemia, the example of architecture raises the question: "What is native and what influences came from outside?" Here it becomes clear - this should be said at this point - that national borders do not play a role and architecture opens up larger and wider dimensions.
Jana Geršlová's book, which was published in Czech in Prague in 2024, is about "Austrian or Viennese companies with Czech roots" (page 13). The creation and development of companies that originated in Bohemia, Moravia and the Czech part of Silesia are presented in 32 chapters. Six major thematic chapters take you into the world of architecture, technology, trade, food, gastronomy and even glass and jewelry. When it comes to gastronomy, the Kolarik family's Schweizer Haus, keyword Stelzen and Budweiser beer, are recognized as the "unofficial Czech embassy in the Prater" (page 229ff). Thanks to their Czech roots, the renowned companies Swarovski, Riedel Glas and J. & L. Lobmeyr can also be found here - their Czech ties may not be known to everyone.
The founding father of the now globally active Wienerberger company, which was founded in 1820, Alois Miesbach, comes from the Znojmo district, his nephew Heinrich Drasche, who led the company to new heights, was born in Brno. In his brickworks in the south of Vienna he relied primarily on Czech and Moravian workers (page 14ff). Less well-known, but no less important, is the master builder Josef Hlávka from Bohemia (page 22f). From 1860 onwards he realized numerous designs and plans by famous architects in Vienna. At the forefront is the State Opera, followed by the Academic High School, churches and numerous apartment buildings.
Geršlová knows how to present personalities such as Adolf Loos, the "pioneer of modern architecture from Brno / Brno", whose biography and his work in a compact, easy-to-read form (pages 33 to 43). Place names in Czech and German are consistently used in the book. To stay in the construction industry; Rudolf Nemetschke Sr. (1864 in Brno - 1940) took over the leadership of the renowned construction company Rella in 1901, his son Rudolf Nemetschke Jr. (1902–1980) continued to run the company; he was also a member of the International Olympic Committee and one of the main initiators of the organization of the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck (page 56).
The Graz trading house Kastner & Öhler, like the Vienna trading house Herzmansky (page 97) or the Tlapa clothing store (page 109), has Bohemian roots. The abbreviation K&Ö stands for Carl Kastner (1849–1921) and Hermann Öhler (1847–1918), his brother-in-law, both of whom came from Troppau / Opava, where they ran a haberdashery store in 1873. A branch followed in Vienna in 1877, in Agram / Zagreb in 1879 and finally in Graz in 1883. In 1912 the company had 60,000 (!) mail order customers and thus became a pioneer in the field (page 152). The Graz location was built between 1912 and 1914 by the architects Fellner & Helmer expanded. The first escalator in Styria was here in 1959.
The art historian Jindřich Vybíral has compiled twenty of his works, published between 2003 and 2023 in English, Czech and German, in a book entitled "What is (and what is not) Czech in architecture in Bohemia?" summarized. The subtitle of the beautifully designed work, "Selected texts on architectural history and art historiography", and a first look at the table of contents show that it is not just about Czech in Bohemia. A strong connection to Vienna can often be seen. The subject of numerous texts is well-known architects such as Otto Wagner, Joseph Maria Olbrich, Jože Plečnik and Friedrich Ohmann, or their works and ideas. An example is the article on “The uniformity of the modern world versus genius loci – Friedrich Ohmann and Otto Wagner in competition” (page 130ff). It's about the spa colonnade in Karlovy Vary, for which - as part of two architectural competitions - Wagner, the "epoch creator", and Ohmann, whom Vybíral describes as the "John the Baptist" of modern Czech architecture, submitted designs. At the first call for proposals in 1906, Ohmann was on the jury; Wagner's design took third place out of 50 submissions. No construction took place - probably due to a lack of money; In 1909 there was another competition. Ohmann switched sides, submitted a draft and won; his design for the Palace Fountain Colonade was built between 1910 and 1912.
To get to Viennese projects and buildings, go to page 90: "Rudolf Eitelberger as the ideologist of the Vienna Ringstrasse". Here, Vybíral analyzes the architectural styles of Vienna's Ringstrasse based on writings by the art historian Eitelberger, who was professor of art history at the University of Vienna from 1864. On page 100 he summarizes: "The Ringstrasse architecture is actually a fruit of Austrian liberalism." In order to stay in Vienna, further contributions should be mentioned. "The Water Garden by Friedrich Ohmann" (page 166ff) illuminates the construction of the Vienna River in the area of the city park and allows critics at the time to have their say: "Why this excess of jewelry and ornamentation, people undoubtedly thought." (Neue Freie Presse, November 18, 1906). A text is also dedicated to the Zacherlhaus with the address Brandstätte 6 in Vienna Innere Stadt (architect Jože Plečnik) (page 246 ff): "A tower, a mountain, a rock of eternity - the granite cladding of the Zacherlhaus and its meaning." Vybíral's thesis on the facade made of polished granite slabs (page 265): "[…] the luminous facade of the Zacherlhaus [has] more to do with the Christian symbolism of light, which is not of this transitory world and refers to transcendent values."
With two further Vienna contributions, "The Wagner School between Myth and Reality" (page 210ff) and "The Vienna School of Art History and (Viennese) Modern Architecture" (page 228ff), he sets further focuses in his book on the former imperial capital and residential city.
The “Architecture of Discipline and Mobilization – A Contribution to the Interpretation of the Neoclassicism of the Stalin Era” (page 416) forms the conclusion of the anthology.
Conclusion: "Czech Roots of Austrian Brands" is an easy-to-read journey of discovery into a world that we often didn't know had connections to the Czech Republic. The anthology "What is (and what is not) Czech about architecture in Bohemia?" extends far beyond the Czech Republic. The contributions shed light on architecture as part of a network of (Central) European dimensions, reflecting multiple cultural influences. (Thomas Hofmann, March 6, 2026).