Strauss' time in short

I was a time of war and social tensions (industrial revolution, migration from the land). People simply wanted to forget about on a dancefloor or fled from the rough reality to petty bourgoisie (in Vienna called Biedermeier).

1814 to 1815 the Viennese congress took place ("the congress dances") ending up with a reallocation of Europe. The people had enough from war and withdrew themselves into petty bourgoisie.

1848 (after July revolution in France 1830) there were revolutions in several countries of Europe. In Vienna the military intervened, people died. Chancellor Metternich had to withdraw and went to London into exile. Emperor Ferdinand I. resigned and his 18-year old nephew Franz Joseph II. became emperor.

1851 the first world exhibition in London took place.

1857 the old fortifications enclosing the inner city were torn down, the Ringstrasse, a showpiece boulevard like a ring, is now on that place containing many grandiose public buildings of late-imperial Vienna. The Ringstrasse was opened 1865. The first horse-tramway started at Schottentor (today near church Votivkirche and university) to Dornbach (today line 43).

1866 Austria was defeated in the battle near Koeniggraetz Prussia and had to give valuable areas to the Germans. Johann Strauss jun. wanted to encourage the Viennese with the Danube waltz (Donauwalzer) and strengthen the national pride.

1873 in Vienna the world exhibition took place. Also the big stock market crash is worth to be mentioned, where some speculators were found floating as water corpses in the Danube. Of some men only the dresses were found, maybe they had gotten rid of only the dresses - and the debts.

1881 there was a big fire disaster at the Viennese ring theatre. The doors came up inward and were pushed shut by the urgent masses fleeing from the fire. Austria-Hungary signed the socalled "three-emperor alliance-pact" with Germany and Russia.

1889 Crownprince Rudolf shoot himself in Mayerling.

1894 the first soccer game in Austria took place.

1896 the first cinema/movie show in Austria took place.

1897 the first electrical Tramway in Vienna started.

1898 empress Elisabeth (Sissi) was stabbed in Geneva.

Until end of he century Vienna had developed to the town with millions of inhabitants. The mechanization and industrialization caused the setup of factories and the impoverishment of craftsmen. Migration from the land, many people went to Vienna.

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