Wiener Neustadt - Burg
At the southeastern corner of the old town of Wiener Neustadt stands the Burg, built in the 13th C. It was enlarged and embellished by King (later Emperor) Frederick III - who made it his principal residence from 1440 to 1493 - and Maria Theresa, who also founded the Theresian Military Academy here in 1752, in which Austrian officers were trained over a period of nearly 200 years.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
Burg
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The academy was closed in 1918 but reopened in 1934, and from 1938-45 it was a German military academy, the first commandant being the future General Rommel. The building was severely damaged during the last war but was restored by 1958 and is now once again a training establishment for officers in the Austrian army.
Related Attractions
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Burg Akademiepark
In the Akademiepark behind the Burg lies the large parade ground used for the passing out ceremony of the Military Academy in September. Here, too, stand monuments to Count Kinsky, Maria Theresa's Master of the Ordinance and Director of the Academy from 1779-1805, and to the Emperor Francis Joseph.
St George's Church Interior
The interior of St George's church in Wiener Neustadt is almost square; on the gallery which encircles it can be seen numerous unidentifiable coats of arms, and on the ceiling the coats of arms of the Habsburg hereditary dominions. Under the steps of the altar lie the remains of the Emperor Maximilian I, the "last of the knights", who was born in the Burg in 1459 and died at Wels in 1519; the famous tomb in Innsbruck which he himself had planned was not completed until 1582 and remained empty. Above the altar and on either side are three superb stained glass windows (15th and 16th C.), and on the side walls the Emperor's and Empress's oratories, with delicate tracery (conducted tours daily 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.).
Wappenwand
On the courtyard side of Weiner Neustadt's St George's Church will be found the famous Wappenwand ("Heraldic Wall"), with 14 Habsburg coats of arms and 93 imaginary coats of arms. Below stands a statue of the Emperor with the cryptic device A.E.I.O.U., one suggestion being that it stands for "Austria erit in orbe ultima" ("Austria will last until the end of the world").
