Parlament, Vienna

Parlament is Austria’s national parliament building, and this imposing structure still houses the country’s National Council and Federal Council. The design comes from Theophil Hansen, whose Greek Revival vision shaped the building as a unified whole, including its decoration and furnishings. Construction began in 1874 and the building was completed in 1883 for the two chambers of the Imperial Council.

The fountain before the main entrance presents Pallas Athena, created by Carl Kundmann from Hansen’s plans between 1898 and 1902. Its classical language was chosen because ancient Greece was associated with the ideal of democracy. The building’s political history is especially striking.

On 12 November 1918, the Republic of German-Austria was proclaimed from the ramp outside. Since 1920, apart from an interruption from 1933 to 1945, the National Council and Federal Council have met here. During the Second World War, the building suffered severe damage, and its interior was restored afterwards. As you take in the long façade, the columns and sculptural decoration express the building’s original purpose: a visible home for parliamentary government.