Vienna At Your Convenience!

1st District (Innere Stadt), near Graben 22 Dramatist and social commentator Karl Krauss (1874-1936) once wrote that the streets of most European cities are paved with asphalt, whereas those of Vienna are paved with culture. There must be some truth in this because in Vienna even the public conveniences are considered historical monuments! Most noteworthy, on the Graben, is a subterranean lavatory built in 1905 in the Viennese Art Nouveau style (Jugendstil) by Wilhelm Beetz (photo 1). As such it is the world's oldest existing underground toilet facility! Identified discretely at street level by its elegant green railings and lanterns marked Herren and Damen, the author can't vouch for the latter, but the gents side is very stylish indeed, replete with brass washstands and door-fittings. On the wall is a copy of an 1883 patent document for the so-called "oil disinfection system" and flushless odour trap (Patent oelurinoir) that Beetz himself invented. An imitation of the Graben conveniences can be found on nearby Irisgasse. It was entrepreneur Beetz who at the end of the 19th century had made a contract with Vienna's city council to erect public conveniences at his own cost and to run them for 25 years, after which they would became city property. On many streets he erected his rectangular, roofed Pavilion-type made of pre-fabricated iron walls set on a stone base. Separate entrances led to compartments for both sexes (four for each) as well as a 6-receptacle gents urinal and heated office for the attendant. By 1910 there were 73 in operation, some of which are still standing. A beautifully restored example can be seen on Parkring with lovely coloured glass running around the top and a door boasting first- and second-class facilities! A more modest version of this classic Viennese model can be found at the number 43 Neuwaldegg tram terminus in the 17th district of Hernals (photo 2) (also outside Wertheimstein Park on Döblinger Hauptstrasse in the 19th district of Döbling, in Schönborn Park in the 8th district of Josefstadt and in Türkenschanz Park in the 18th district of Währing). There is a smaller version of this model to be found dotted around Simmering's Central Cemetery (Zentralfriedhof). Beetz also designed an Octagonal-type urinal comprising iron panels hung on slender columns with delicate grille screens for ventilation. He installed his patented oil disinfection system and flushless odour trap, as well as a guard against freezing in winter. Of 137 such urinals erected by 1910 numerous examples can still be seen (e.g. Antonsplatz in the 10th district of Favoriten (photo 3); Rabbiner-Schneerson-Platz in the 2nd district of Leopoldstadt; Gallitzinstrasse in the 16th district of Ottakring close to the cemetery (Ottakringer Friedhof); and outside the cemetery of Dornbach (Dornbacher Friedhof) in the 17th district of Hernals). At the other end of the scale from such relative splendour is a tiny, antiquated pissoir at the side of the Danube Canal, next to the Augartenbrücke. Actually in Wilhelm Kienzl Park, this very modest facility made only of a few aluminium sheets has still been embellished by its designer with a pitched roof, topped off with a row of cheerful stylised flowers. Finally, in the Opernpassage below the Opernring, is the modern so-called Opera Toilet where for a small fee the visitor can relax to the sound of classical music whilst scrutinising nostalgic opera posters decorating the walls - only in Vienna! (Note: the inclusion of the French word Pissoir in the Viennese vocabulary has an interesting origin. The early Habsburgs went to great lengths to maintain their Catholic ideals and Spanish court manners and to avoid the rationalist influence of France. However, from the time of 'Empress' Maria Theresa (1740-80), the first monarch to speak French, the influence of Paris grew. Notably, the language spoken at court was Schönbrunner Deutsch, a nasal upper class mode of speech sprinkled with French expressions. Even today the pavement is occasionally referred to as the trottoir, a milky coffee is a mélange - and of course a gentlemen's urinal is known as a pissoir!) Click on photos for larger view Text & photographs © Duncan J D Smith 2004 from the forthcoming book Only in Vienna - A Guide to the Hidden Corners, Little-Known Places and Unusual Objects of the City on the Danube Duncan J. D. Smith From the age of 10 he has been an avid collector of all things historical. Together with his father Trevor, a retired teacher and librarian, he has co-written and illustrated five highly successful books. His literary sojourn in the cultural capital of Vienna has inspired him to research, photograph and write his forthcoming book Only in Vienna - A Guide to the Hidden Corners, Little-Known Places and Unusual Objects of the City on the Danube. The city has also prompted him to attempt painting, something he has wanted to try for many years, and to indulge his interest in the world of classical music. Duncan is currently researching his new book, Only in Budapest, which will be devoted to the hidden corners of the Hungarian capital.  Read More about Duncan For reprints and usage permission of his articles he can be contacted through his website:  www.duncanjdsmith.com

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