A densely built but architecturally pretty community grew up during the Baroque era on the Spittelberg, a hill which once belonged to a hospital. It was from this hill that Turkish cannon were directed at the city during the second siege of Vienna (1693) and Napoleon's troops also positioned their artillery here. With time the district deteriorated into a low-class but nevertheless very lively quarter.
The Spittelberg was the haunt not only of "lieber Augustin", the wandering piper, but also of many traditional artists and actors, ballad singers and the strolling players who created the "Spittelberg Songs", some of which are still known today. The Emperor Joseph was thrown out of a local inn, the "Sonnenfels-Waberl", run by a notorious landlady, when he visited it anonymously in 1787. The event is commemorated by an inscription in the entrance of the house at Gutenbergstrasse 13. The charm of this district was rediscovered in the present century and the city authorities began renovation work in the 1970s. Nowadays it is an attractive district offering many cultural and social facilities.
The Spittelberg Cultural Center in the Amerlinghaus provides a venue for musical events, poetry readings, exhibitions, children's activities and dances for senior citizens, appealing to both old and new residents. In the "Werkhaus" on Stiftgasse young people have created a collective workshop where pottery, dressmaking, furniture restoration, ceramics, bookbinding and a goldsmith have come together under one roof. There is a gallery in the center of the building. The renovated old houses are now occupied by specialty shops, boutiques, pubs and galleries.
Address: Spittelberg Cultural Center, Spittelberggasse 3/2, A-1070 Vienna, Austria
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
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