Vienna Flak Towers

[DonC]

Went to Vienna last week with my student group and one of the more well-preserved flak tower complexes was only about a half mile from my hotel so I headed over one morning and took some pics. I was impressed by how close the two towers were to the adjoining apartment blocks and storefronts. Had to be a hell of a racket when they started up! Enjoy.

Don

First up is the smaller radar control tower:

[DonC]

Compared to the remains in Berlin, these are in excellent condition. I suspect becasue they were so near to the relatively undamaged apartment blocks there was no effort to demolish them after the war.

[DonC]

The larger flak tower:

[DonC]

A

[Bernie Brule]

What took up so much room in those huge towers?

[willcpfc]

That's very interesting. Did they have a use after the war?

[BPA-Paul]

Great pics Don would like to visit these one day did you get a chance to go inside towers and climb to the top ?

Paul.

[DonC]

One of the other surviving flak towers in Vienna is now, believe it or not, the national aquarium: http://www.haus-des-meeres.at/

This one looks to have some use by the city - it also had a (currently closed) art exhibit on the ground floor. Entry was forbidden, unfortunately. I have been to the top of the remains of the Humbolthain tower in Berlin - you can literally see across Berlin.

Don

[BPA-Paul]

One of the other surviving flak towers in Vienna is now, believe it or not, the national aquarium: http://www.haus-des-meeres.at/

This one looks to have some use by the city - it also had a (currently closed) art exhibit on the ground floor. Entry was forbidden, unfortunately. I have been to the top of the remains of the Humbolthain tower in Berlin - you can literally see across Berlin.

Don

Thank you Don.

[Wilhelm]

Great pics! The size of these structures is hard to grasp. They are huge and so well built it was easier for the cities to leave them intact than try to demolish them. I believe they had air raid shelters under them as well.
Wilhelm

[PanzerJager1944]

There are a total of six towers in Vienna, 3 flak towers and 3 control towers. I was there 2 years ago and these structures are truly massive, these photos do not do them justice. I have attached some photos I took on my trip. The first two are of the flak tower on Stiftskaserne, the control tower associated with this flak tower is the one currently being used as the aquarium. Normally it is hard to see this tower up close as it is located inside a military facility, but when I was there they where doing some construction and an alley way was open and I was able to get some good photos. I went around to the front gate and was promptly stopped by armed guards and told I was not allowed to take photos. I just played the stupid tourist and left, I didn't mention the photos I had taken minutes before

[PanzerJager1944]

This is the Flak tower located in Augarten, massive is an understatement. Currently this tower is home to thousands of pigeons.

[PanzerJager1944]

The towers loom over the entire park and surrounding area, it really is a sight to behold.

[PanzerJager1944]

This is the control tower in Augarten, notice what appears to be a large shell hole in the top

[PanzerJager1944]

Some more of the control tower