What do Karl Marx, Beethoven and Mahler have in common?

The answer: Dobling, the 19th district which lies outside Vienna.  

Karl-Marx Hof located right outside the U-bahn stop

Heiligenstadt: We took the U-bahn and started our visit here where the Karl-Marx Hof is located.  This housing complex was opened in 1930 when Vienna's Austro-Marxist council was in power (1919-34).  In contained small apartments, laundries, grocery co-ops, kindergartens (which are more like what we would call a day care) and a library for the working class.  

Beethoven lived in the white house, now a Heuriger.
You can see the steeple of St. Jakob's

Beethoven: We then took a bus (38a) a short ride to Pfarrplatz.  This square contains a simple church, St. Jakobs kirche, and one of the many place Beethoven lived.  Beethoven loved coming out here in the summer, and wrote many of his works (Eroica, Second Symphony) while staying at various places in the area.  The house is now a Heuriger, Mayer am Pfarrplatz.  Since we were there before it opened, we could not enjoy a glass of wine there.  We walked up the street to another house B. lived in which is now a museum.  Unfortunately we forgot to check our info and it was closed.


Grinzing: Back on good old bus 38a, we went into Grinzing in search of Mahler's grave and Heuriger.  

Gustav Mahler

Mahler and The Loveliest Girl in Vienna:  We climbed up a steep street to the cemetery to pay homage to Mahler.  In a nearby row is the grave of his widow, Alma Mahler Gropius Werfel.  Tom Leher paid homage to her after reading her obit.  She had many famous lovers (Klimt among them) and married Gustuv Mahler, Walter Gropius, and Franz Werfel (Song of Bernadette).  Click on the link under her gravestone to hear the song.  Alan took my picture standing next to her grave.  That won't be posted until I return to the states.

Tom Leher sings The Loveliest Girl in Vienna 

Grinzing

Heuriger are establishments that sell new wine and simple food.  Unfortunately many of the authentic ones we saw when we visited in May 2003 are closed for vacation and most of the ones opened at this time of year cater to tourists (which of course we are).  We found a heuriger to enjoy the wine and food and took the tram home.