Austrian Parliament

Built between 1874 and 1884, this building was originally constructed to be the seat of the Imperial Parliament which governed the Austrian part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Theophil Hansen, the main architect, designed this Greek Revival structure in tribute to the philosophy that Ancient Greece had been "...the cradle of democracy." Over the years, this building has been home to several different types of parliamentary bodies.

Today, the current Parliament is comprised of the lower house, called the "Abgeordnetenhaus", or House of Representatives, and the upper house, called the "Herrenhaus", or House of Lords (equivalent to our Senate). The lower house, officially known as the National Council, comprises 183 members elected directly by the Austrian people in a general election. The National Council (the upper house) is made up of 62 members elected by the parliaments of the nine Austrian districts and represent the interests of each of those districts. Both houses occasionally meet together in the form of the Federal Assembly mostly for ceremonial purposes, such as the inauguration of the Federal President.

The Greek Revival style Austrian Parliament building.

The Pallas Athena statue and fountain in front of the building. Constructed between 1893 and 1902, it depicts Athena, the goddess of wisdom, holding Nike, the goddess of victory. Around the base are allegorical representations of the four main rivers in Austria - the Danube, the Inn, the Elbe, and the Vitova.

Along the wall of the central stairwell is this similar statue of Athena in a slightly different pose.

The Great Hall is a favorite place for politicians to gather and to give media interviews.

The National Council chamber where the 183 members of the House of Representatives meet. Legend has it that when one party or another disliked the current debate going on they would disrupt it with a filibuster of musical instruments.

The 62 member Federal Council Chamber for the governance of the nine federal districts. The Coats of Arms for each district can be seen just above the Podium.

Both houses of Parliament would occasionally meet here in the Federal Assembly chamber for ceremonial purposes, such as the inauguration of the Federal President.

During a Federal Assembly, members would open and close these chalk boards quickly to create a clapping sound.

Legend also has it that if the members of the Federal Assembly did not like what the speaker was saying, they would take their inkwells out and throw them towards the speaker. This created the nickname of "the Parliament of Ink."