In a nutshell – What to expect here.
In Vienna, lavatories are worth visiting for many other reasons than the obvious one. In the center of the city there is one designed by Wilhelm Beetz.
Where can you find this place?
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What is the full story of Vienna’s Public Toilets.
Located in the Graben, it was constructed in 1905 in the Art Nouveau style (Jugendstil) by Wilhelm Beetz, and it is the World’s oldest underground toilet. Mr. Beets made agreements at the end of the 19th Century with Vienna’s city council, to build these places and have the right to run them for 25 years (after this time they will belong to the city).
On the wall, there is also a copy of the patent for the Patent-Ölurinoir (a system to disinfect and trap the odor) invented by Beets himself.
In addition to the beautiful style of the inside, there are two parts of the toilet. the urinals (with the originals behind glass so to conserve this art piece) and the individual WC equipped with a sink, an ashtray, and a hanger. All utterly stylish!
Many renowned citizens worked nearby and therefore used the facilities, Adolf Loos, Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, and many others were said to frequent them. These are not the only ones in the city, public toilets similar to those in the Graben can be found in the Hoher Markt or Irisgasse, to mention a couple or the Opera toilet at Karlplatz station where the Blue Danube sounds like background music).
So next time you are in Vienna, don’t be shy to visit the public toilets.
Forage for further odd places in Vienna
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