Morzinplatz

Morzinplatz is located in Vienna's first district and forms a plaza-like widening of the Franz-Josefs-Kai. To the north it borders the Salztorbrücke, and to the south the raised terrace of the Old Town, which the Ruprechtsstiege staircase climbs to. The square was named in 1888 after Count Vinzenz Morzin, who left the city a fortune for needy children. Historically, the site was a boat landing until the 16th century, before it was redesigned around 1860 after the city wall was torn down. A dark chapter of history still marks the place today: from 1938 to 1945, the headquarters of the Vienna Gestapo was located here in the Hotel Métropole. A memorial opposite the former entrance commemorates the victims of this period. The former hotel was destroyed in World War II and replaced by the Leopold-Figl-Hof, which houses a memorial room. Visitors experience the square as an open space between the Old Town and the Danube Canal, where its historical significance and quiet design stand in contrast to the traffic nearby.