Wintry Water Worlds

Wintry Water Worlds
LIKE SO MANY OTHER ASPECTS OF VIENNESE LIFE, THE BATHS
Wintry Water Worlds
WERE LONG ASSOCIATED WITH QUESTIONS OF AESTHETICS
AND STYLE. IT’S TRUE AGAIN TODAY, BUT THE BATHS
THEMSELVES, UNFORTUNATELY, HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY RARE.
By Anita Ericson / Photos Roland Unger

The heart of the Amalienbad is the huge indoor pool./Mittelpunkt des Amalienbades ist eine großzügige Schwimmhalle.
The fabulous mosaics in the Women’s Sauna were created in 1926./Die Mosaiken der Damensauna sind originale Meisterstücke aus 1926.
Vienna’s Amalienbad, a seductive temple of bathing culture and luxurious oasis
of recreation, is currently celebrating its 75th anniversary.
Das Wiener Amalienbad feierte gerade sein 75-jähriges Jubiläum.
Es ist heute noch ein verführerischer Tempel der Badekultur,
eine luxuriöse Oase der Entspannung.
Wintry Water Worlds

Wintry Water Worlds
The Jörgerbad is Vienna’s oldest bath. When it was opened in 1914, it was the first real
bathing establishment for the common people.
Das Jörgerbad ist das älteste Bad in Wien. Bei seiner Eröffnung,
1914, war es die erste richtige Schwimmanstalt für das einfache Volk.
Without a doubt the Amalienbad is
Vienna’s most beautiful indoor swimming
pool and bathing establishment. More than
simply a place for recreation or cleanliness,
the Amalienbad is a seductive temple of
bathing culture, a luxurious oasis of relaxation.
That’s what it was when it opened, and
despite the course of human progress, that’s
what it remains today. Paradoxically it was
built not for a well-heeled upper class that
would have taken its splendour for granted,
but rather for simple workers for whom the
opposite was true. This year the Amalienbad
is quietly celebrating its 75 th anniversary,
but when it was officially opened in July
1926, the Social Democrats staged a public
festival to celebrate this “symbol of the advancement
of the working class to a new and
higher culture”.
Two architects from Vienna’s Department
of Municipal Buildings, Otto Nadel and Karl
Schmalhofer, built the Amalienbad between
1923 and 1926 in the working-class district
of Favoriten. On the outside, the nakedness
of the monumental statues hints at the purpose
of the building, which otherwise fascinates
by virtue of its sheer size and severity.
But inside, the magnificence of 1920s design
unfolds, crowned by the ceramic works of the
Schwadron brothers. Although much of it
was destroyed during the Second World War,
the Amalienbad still contains a generous
Loads of light, lots of space and lovely artistic details are an invitation to jump right in.
Viel Licht, viel Raum und künstlerische Details animieren zum Sprung ins kühle Nass.
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84
The Roman Baths in Baden are now a thermal indoor pool, combining older elements with modern technology./Die Römertherme in Baden bei Wien wurde zu einem Hallenthermalbad
Wintry Water Worlds
VIENNA’S BATHS
Most of Vienna’s indoor swimming pools
are owned by the city, and most of them are
small, neighbourhood baths from the 1970s.
Only a few of the older baths, or fragments
of them, have been preserved.
Amalienbad
Reumannplatz 23, 1100 Vienna
Large indoor swimming pool with divingplatform,
also large sauna. Open daily except
Monday, at least between 9 AM and 6 PM,
sauna hours vary,
admission from ATS 25/EUR 1.82.
Jörgerbad
Jörgerstrasse 42–44, 1170 Vienna
Indoor swimming pool with bright,
airy pool area, diving-platform and large
children’s slide. Sauna as well. Open
daily except Monday, at least between
9 AM and 6 PM, sauna hours vary,
admission from ATS 25/EUR 1.82.
Tropicana Dianabad
Lilienbrunngasse 7–9, 1020 Vienna
Children’s adventure bath with tropical
air and water temperatures. Original
Jugendstil mosaics in the sauna area.
Open daily from 10 AM to 10 PM (Sunday
to 8 PM), admission from ATS 100/EUR 7.27.
WELLNESS PARK OBERLAA
The suburb of Oberlaa lies on
Vienna’s southern city limits and
has long been known for its sulphur
thermal springs. Since 1974 there
have been a thermal bath and a spahouse.
With the opening in 1995 of
the new Wellness Park, Oberlaa
dusted off its image and began
addressing a younger clientele.
www.oberlaa.at
Oberlaa Wellness Park
Kurbadstrasse 16, 1100 Vienna
Fitness and sports areas plus relaxing
bath area. The Thermarium offers
a choice of Ottoman Bath (steambath),
Seraglio Bath (with various
curative mud treatments), Laconium,
Aroma Grotto, Kneipp Circuit, Whirlpool
and, of course, Finnish Sauna.
Thermarium open daily from 10 AM
to 9:30 PM, Monday to Friday until
10:30 PM. Admission costs
ATS 230/EUR 16.71.
amount of nostalgic glory. During its renovation 20 years
ago, as much of the historical substance as possible was
saved, but even more was reconstructed, and additions
were made in the original style.
The central feature is the grand, almost symmetrical indoor
pool, with the surrounding building soaring two storeys
above it to provide a feeling of spaciousness. The milky glass
ceiling, which arches gracefully to a height of 14 metres
above the pool, could formerly be opened but now remains
permanently closed. Details such as the cubicle doors
of honey-coloured wood in the upper two storeys,
the colourful tiles in the children’s pool, and the elaborate
and artistic ironwork combine in harmonious unity. Like
the entrance hall with its intricate mosaics on the floor
and walls, the warm-water pool in the – sorry gentlemen –
women’s sauna is a true masterpiece. The green-blue-yellow
tiled columns with their three-dimensional flowers and
wreaths are a real eye-catcher.
With room for 1,300 visitors, the Amalienbad was one
of the largest baths in Europe when it opened, and it also
featured the latest technology. With a 10-metre diving platform,
a pool length of 33 metres and sinking spectator
stands, it was well equipped for athletic competitions.
But there were also facilities that up to that time would have
been found only at spas that catered for the wealthy: steam,
hot-air, and medicinal baths, hairdressers and masseurs,
manicures and pedicures. The Amalienbad was the logical
complement to the bathless public housing being built in
what was then known as Socialist or “Red” Vienna.
umgebaut, bei dem alte Elemente geschickt mit neuer Technik kombiniert wurden.
The forerunner of the Amalienbad was the Jörgerbad,
Vienna’s oldest indoor swimming pool still in operation. The
pool area is considerably smaller but offers just as much
light and space as the Amalienbad. When the sun is shining,
the bright orange tiles begin to glow, contrasting shimmeringly
with the sky-blue water. Unfortunately only a few remaining
details bear the artistic signature of the Wiener
Werkstätte style in which the Jörgerbad was originally
decorated by its architect, Friedrich Jäckel.
When it opened in 1914, the Jörgerbad was the first real
bath for ordinary people in Vienna. Previously there had
been only the Volksbäder, the “people’s baths”, which were
built solely for hygienic purposes. They had become necessary
as the city’s population grew explosively in the second
half of the 19 th century and the living conditions in hastily
built cheap housing became increasingly catastrophic. The
Volksbäder had showers and tubs and were designed to
serve masses of people, and the new indoor swimming
pools had a similar function as well. Public showers continued
to be important until the late 1970s, and a few,
mostly older people still use them today. Because the huge
crowds often reduced water pressure and the flow of
water in the showers to a minimum, they were nicknamed
Tröpferlbäder (“trickle baths”).
One need only to look a bit further back in the history
of the Vienna baths to find the upper classes: the Dianabad,
which first opened in 1810, was designed for the pleasure
of the well-heeled. In the 1840s the architects Ludwig
Förster and Karl von Etzel built an indoor swimming pool,
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86
EXCURSION TO BADEN
Baden is a pretty little spa town with
pronounced Biedermeier character
about 25 kilometres south of Vienna.
Its entire history and development are
based on the healing powers of its
thermal springs, and it is thus unsurprising
that the baths are in the heart
of town. www.baden-bei-wien.at
Römertherme (Roman Hot Springs),
Brusattiplatz 4:
Modern indoor swimming pool in a
building protected as a historical
monument. Two large swimming pools
with wonderfully warm water, large
sauna and steam bath, as well as
extensive beauty, wellness, fitness
and spa facilities.
Open daily from 10 AM to 10 PM,
admission from ATS 110/EUR 7.99 for
adults. www.roemertherme.at
Josefscafé, Josefsplatz 2:
The chic café-restaurant in the former
Josefsbad is open Tuesday to Saturday
from 11 AM to 1 AM.
Wintry Water Worlds
Frauenbad, Josefsplatz 5:
Exhibition: “No Aida without
Negrelli“, an homage to the
planner of the Suez-Canal, until
6 January 2002.
Open daily except Monday from
10 AM to 12 noon and 3 PM to 7 PM.
THE WIDE WORLD OF WATER
Meiselmarkt, 1150 Vienna: Daily,
multicultural market in a former
water storage tank.
Open daily from c. 9 AM to 6 PM,
Saturday until noon, closed on
Sundays and holidays.
Wien Kanal (Vienna Sewers),
Friedrichstrasse/Esperantopark,
1010 Vienna:
Guided tours: “The Return of the
Third Man”, Sunday to Tuesday
(daily from April to October) every
half hour between 9:30 AM and
4:30 PM, admission ATS 90/EUR 6.54.
Bookings: tel.: (01) 585-64 55.
The Jugendstil mosaics at Dianabad are the last reminder of its glorious past.
Im Dianabad sind Jugendstilmosaike die letzten Zeugen einer glanzvollen Vergangenheit.
not only permitting an open-ended bathing season
but also creating a rare symbiosis. To save money
in winter, the pool was closed and covered with
boards, transforming the pool area into a concert hall
and ballroom. Here in 1867 Strauss’s waltz The Blue
Danube was performed for the first time. Today there
is a new office complex on the site, with a bath called
Dianabad on the ground floor. But it has nothing but
the name in common with the original, having become
a noisy children’s pool. All that remains from
the glorious past are five golden Jugendstil mosaics
in the entrance hall and sauna.
The Sophienbad was the first to be transformed
from a bath into a venue for public events as well.
Soon swimming became secondary: the name was
changed to Sophiensäle (Sophien Halls), and the
bath operations were closed in 1906. The Sophiensäle
continued to be used for entertainment events
until 16 August of this year, when a massive fire
destroyed the Large Hall, classified as a historical
monument. Debate continues over whether to reconstruct
or replace the building.
Another example of conversion for a different
purpose is Vienna’s Meiselmarkt. Until only a few
years ago the covered market where fruits and vegetables
are piled high and where bakers, butchers and
fishmongers tend their small shops was under
36,500 cubic metres of water. Built in 1873 as a water
storage tank, the building had become dilapidated
and too small. Thus a new one was built nearby, and
the old structure was transformed into a modern
covered market. The original vaulting has been
whitewashed and topped with an airy glass lid.
To complete the tale of Vienna’s water-related
structures, we have to look underground, an exciting
proposition because the same areas of the sewers
that were used in filming the chase scene of The Third
Man are now open to the public. During the guided
tour, the exciting cinema scenes become reality, with
the help of special effects. The screenplay by Graham
Greene was set in the black-market milieu of the
post-war years and was also published in novel form.
Greene did his research in 1948 Vienna, when it was
under four-power occupation. During the filming,
Hollywood star Orson Welles demanded a stand-in
for the underground scenes because of the stench.

The former Frauenbad in Baden today provides a tasteful venue for exhibitions.
Das ehemalige Frauenbad in Baden dient heute als geschmackvoller Rahmen für Ausstellungen.
GRAPHIK: MARIO GEGENHUBER
88
WINTRY WATER WORLDS
W i e n e r w a l d
JÖRGERBAD
MEISELMARKT
D o n a u
DIANABAD
WIEN KANAL
OBERLAA
AMALIENBAD
Baden
WIEN
His double was a Vienna butcher with a less sensitive
nose; the rest is cinema history.
The Romans are given credit for having built
Vienna’s first sewerage system and its first baths. Not
just in Vienna, but also in the nearby town that took
its name from them: Baden. The Romans recognised
the healing powers of the warm sulphur springs in
the first century AD, but Baden began flowering only
after the Imperial Court became interested in the
spa, under the pretext of seeking the healing powers
of its waters. Baden, however, was also an ideal
place to escape from the strict mores of the Vienna
Court and engage in amorous adventures. The town
reached the height of its fame between 1811 and
1834, when Emperor Francis I from Austria visited
every summer, bringing the nobility, wealthy middle
class and artists in his wake. Not even the devastating
fire of 1812 could slow the development. The
wealthy visitors kept the town’s coffers full, and
Baden was quickly rebuilt, giving it the Biedermeier
face that remains today.
As a reminder of its origins, the town’s most
modern bath bears the name Römertherme (Roman
Baths). The façade (a protected monument) is a jewel
created by the architects Siccard von Siccardsburg
and Eduard van der Nüll. Long before they designed
the Vienna State Opera, they built the first outdoor
swimming pool for athletic competitions. Today it
is a modern indoor thermal bath in which older elements
have skillfully been combined with the latest
technology. The real gem of the bath is the old
entrance hall. It has been completely renovated, and

The watery underworld: subterranean Vienna is the place to trace the footsteps of the “Third Man”.
Die Unterwelt: Auf den Spuren des „Dritten Mannes“ betritt man Wiens unterirdische Wasserwelt.
90
Wiener Wasserwelten
Wie so vieles andere auch, war in Wien das Baden lange Zeit mit Fragen der Ästhetik und des
Stils verbunden. Das ist auch heute wieder so, die Vorbilder sind aber leider schon recht rar geworden.
Das Amalienbad ist ohne Zweifel das schönste Bad Wiens, ein verführerischer Tempel
der Badekultur, eine luxuriöse Oase der Entspannung. Die beiden Architekten Otto Nadel und
Karl Schmalhofer errichteten das Amalienbad in den Jahren 1923–1926 im Arbeiterbezirk Favoriten.
Im Inneren entfaltet sich die ganze Pracht der 20er Jahre, der die Gebrüder Schwadron mit ihren
keramischen Arbeiten die Krone aufsetzten. Obwohl viel davon im 2. Weltkrieg zerstört wurde,
bewahrte man bei der Sanierung, vor zwanzig Jahren, so viel Historisches wie möglich. Der Vorläufer
des Amalienbades ist das Jörgerbad. Die Schwimmhalle ist deutlich kleiner, bietet aber
ebenso viel Licht und Raum. Von der künstlerischen Handschrift im Stile der Wiener Werkstätten,
in dem der Architekt Friedrich Jäckel das Jörgerbad einst formvollendet ausschmückte, sind nur
mehr Fragmente übrig. Geht man in der Geschichte noch einen Schritt zurück, ist man auf der vornehmen
Seite: Das Dianabad, erstmals eröffnet 1810, war für das Vergnügen einer gut situierten
Schicht konzipiert. Als die Architekten Ludwig Förster und Karl von Etzel in den 1840ern eine gedeckte
Schwimmhalle errichteten, bahnten sie einer seltsamen Symbiose ihren Weg: Im Winter
ließ man aus Kostengründen das Baden sein, deckte die Becken mit Brettern ab und verwandelte
die Halle in einen Konzert- und Tanzsaal. 1867 wurde hier sogar der Strauß-Walzer „An der
schönen blauen Donau“ uraufgeführt. Heute hat das Dianabad nur mehr den Namen, lediglich
fünf Jugendstilmosaike in der Eingangshalle und im Saunabereich blieben erhalten. Die Schwefelthermalquellen
in Baden bei Wien interessierten schon den kaiserlichen Hof in Wien. Vordergründig
der heilenden Wirkung wegen, vielmehr aber, um den strengen Sitten am Wiener Hof
zu entfliehen und sich in amouröse Abenteuer zu stürzen. Die denkmalgeschützte Fassade der
Römertherme ist ein Schmuckstück der Architekten Siccardsburg und Van der Nüll, die hier das
erste Sportbad errichteten. Das damalige Freibad ist heute ein zeitgemäßes Hallenthermalbad,
allerdings mit einer alten, völlig renovierten Eingangshalle. Von den einstigen Bädern wurde
das Josefsbad zum trendigen Café und das Frauenbad zum Ausstellungszentrum umfunktioniert.
Im Wiener Wellness Park Oberlaa greift man im Thermarium auf altbewährte Formen zurück:
auf griechische, türkische und römische Badekultur. Beim Betreten der Badeoase ist man
auch gleich in einer exotisch anmutenden Welt. Springbrunnen plätschern, wohlig-samtige
Wärme umschmeichelt den Körper. Grüne, blaue und weiße Fliesen und wassergefüllte Becken
schaffen eine passende Ästhetik, die von kleinen Statuen bis ins letzte Detail inszeniert wird.
a whirlpool has been set into the floor. Amid the
bubbling water, today’s visitors to the spa can
imagine to some extent the magnificent surroundings
that once greeted the nobility. The gigantic glass
roof that hovers above the pool area is uniquely impressive,
giving the bath a grandiose lightness.
Formerly each of the springs at Baden had its
own small bath, but in 1973 all 14 individual springs
were redirected to the central spa. While the old
structure of baths has fallen into disuse, the municipality
has tried in an imaginative way to revitalise
them, many being within a walking distance of the
Roman Baths. The former Josefsbad, for example,
has been converted into a trendy café; the Frauenbad
(Women’s Bath) has become a centre for exhibitions.
Today there are artworks hanging in the doorless
cubicles and over the waterless pool of the Frauenbad,
but its history as a bath is still very much alive
in the carefully renovated building.
At present, relaxation and regeneration are the
primary focus of leisure activities in general and with
regard to baths and bathing in particular. Especially
in the big cities, where many people suffer from constant
stress, there is a great demand for alternatives
to the hectic pace of everyday life. For the past six
years Vienna’s Oberlaa Wellness Park has been
catering for the wealthy clientele represented by
today’s “stressed-out successful people”. Two elements
are designed to promote a sense of wellbeing:
a fitness centre and courts for tennis, squash
and badminton on the one hand and the small but
lovely Thermarium where the extravagant baths
promote the successful bathing cultures of the
past – Greek, Turkish and Roman.
Setting foot in the baths is like entering an exotic
world. Fountains bubble and splash, a pleasant,
velvety warmth caresses the body, and the green,
blue and white tiles are beautifully reflected in the
pools of water. The individual baths – Ottoman
Steam-bath, Seraglio Bath, Laconium, Aroma Grotto
– are arranged in a circle, and the air in each is of just
the right temperature and humidity. Each individual
tile exudes heat, and thus the rooms are filled with
an unbelievable density of warmth coming from all
sides and warming every bone of the body. This is
wellness at its best. Two thousand years later, it’s
clear that the ancient Romans were way
ahead of their time.