{"id":2119,"date":"2018-04-08T10:32:14","date_gmt":"2018-04-08T09:32:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=2119"},"modified":"2026-02-23T15:14:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T14:14:12","slug":"secession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/secession\/","title":{"rendered":"The Secession Building"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/secessionthumb.jpg\" alt=\"Secession inscription above door\" class=\"wp-image-4801\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/secessionthumb.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/secessionthumb-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It stands like a golden beacon embraced in white: the Secession building continues a long tradition of contemporary art and also houses one of Klimt&#8217;s masterpieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>See Gustav Klimt&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/beethoven-frieze\/\">Beethoven Frieze<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Close to the Naschmarkt open-air market<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Regular contemporary art exhibitions <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A stop on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/sightseeing-bus\/\">Hop on Hop off tours<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book a short <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/vienna-walking-tours-l205287\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_WalkingTours\" rel=\"sponsored\">walking tour<\/a>* for your Vienna trip<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/gustav-klimt\/\">Klimt in Vienna<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/contemporary-art\/\">Contemporary art locations<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/jugendstil\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"31716\">Jugendstil Vienna<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"secession-institution-building\">The &#8220;Secessionsgeb\u00e4ude&#8221;<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/seccessionroof.jpg\" alt=\"Roof of the Secession building\" class=\"wp-image-42734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/seccessionroof.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/seccessionroof-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(View of the glorious roof)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The late 1800s and early 1900s must have been quite a time in Vienna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You had, for example, the tradition of a centuries-old monarchy and a long-serving Habsburg emperor (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/franz-joseph\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"26307\">Franz Joseph I<\/a>) clashing with a vibrant contemporary art and intellectual scene &#8220;led&#8221; by the likes of Gustav Klimt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not a recipe for harmony, though it did give rise to the period of outstanding creativity known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/wiener-moderne\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"28303\">Wiener Moderne<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyway, Klimt and friends broke off from the conservative K\u00fcnstlerhaus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/kuenstlerhaus\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"73350\">group of Viennese artists<\/a> in 1897 to form their own organisation with a stronger focus on more progressive contemporary art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This new association became known as the <em>Secession<\/em> (the full title was, as so often in Austria, much longer: <em>Vereinigung bildender K\u00fcnstler \u00d6sterreichs Secession<\/em>). And, in 1898, they got their own gallery for exhibitions: the <em>Secessionsgeb\u00e4ude<\/em> or Secession Building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(People often use the word &#8220;Secession&#8221; to refer to both the organisation and the building.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-s-inside\">What&#8217;s inside?<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/frontsecession.jpg\" alt=\"The front of the Secession building\" class=\"wp-image-45413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/frontsecession.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/frontsecession-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Front view)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though not one of the &#8220;traditional&#8221; tourist destinations, the Secession Building still enjoys a lofty status among locals and visitors alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, you have the architecture of the Secessionsgeb\u00e4ude itself, which was fully renovated back in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Designed by Joseph Maria Olbrich, the building features a white, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/jugendstil\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"31716\">Jugendstil<\/a> structure topped by a cupola constructed from 2,500 gilded iron laurel leaves. The architect was one of the founding members of the Secession.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"332\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/secession1898.jpg\" alt=\"The Secession building around 1898\" class=\"wp-image-60726\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/secession1898.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/secession1898-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The Secession around the time of its construction, from a postcard produced by Kunstanstalt Stephan Tietze, Aussig; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 231307; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Locals affectionately call the 8.5m-wide dome the &#8220;golden cabbage&#8221;, though not everyone greeted it with approval back in 1898: one writer claimed the dome led you to think you were facing a Buddhist temple, mausoleum or crematorium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, you have the artistic connections. Klimt&#8217;s works appeared here, for example. As did <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/egon-schiele\/\">Schiele<\/a>&#8216;s. And many other pieces of art by famous names of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although Klimt soon parted company with the Secession, the organisation continued until its forced closure under the Nazis. It re-formed under a slightly different full name in 1945 and is still going strong today, hosting a series of contemporary art exhibitions in the galleries within the Secession building.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"319\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/klimtsecession.jpg\" alt=\"Klimt design for the Secession building\" class=\"wp-image-54441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/klimtsecession.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/klimtsecession-300x191.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Gustav Klimt&#8217;s own design for the Secession building from 1898; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 115982, excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Quite what you see inside depends, as always, on the current artists or themes on show. When I went, the next two exhibitions were set to feature Moroccan-French visual artist, Bouchra Khalili, and US visual artist, Elaine Reichek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your trip may coincide with the short set up period between exhibitions. If so, you may still want to visit to see a notable art treasure that&#8217;s on permanent display. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inside, go down some stairs (or take the lift) to find the home of Klimt&#8217;s famous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/beethoven-frieze\/\">Beethoven Frieze<\/a>: a monumental wall painting that runs along three sides of the display room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you reach the Frieze, an antechamber gives you a brief history of the Secession building (in English), including blueprints, a model and design sketches.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"345\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/secessionplakat.jpg\" alt=\"Poster for the first exhibition of the Secession in 1898; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 129001\/2\" class=\"wp-image-40198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/secessionplakat.jpg 345w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/secessionplakat-230x300.jpg 230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 345px) 100vw, 345px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Poster designed by Klimt for the first exhibition of the Secession in 1898; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 129001\/2; reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tickets-visitor-tips\">Tickets &amp; visitor tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time of writing, a single adult ticket (covering any exhibitions and the Beethoven Frieze) cost \u20ac13 with an English audioguide available for \u20ac3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now for a few tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You can visit the store without a ticket. On my trip, it stocked a wide collection of art books &amp; catalogues, high-end gifts, and more traditional souvenirs like posters and fridge magnets. Look out for Secession honey made by the bees that live under the golden dome.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/strauss-museum\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"22944\">Johann Strauss Museum<\/a> lives opposite with its multimedia and immersive exhibition on the life and music of the composer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Be sure to take a walk before or afterwards along the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/shopping\/markets\/naschmarkt\/\">Naschmarkt<\/a>, which begins diagonally opposite the Secession&#8217;s front door. This is Vienna&#8217;s biggest and best open-air market, full of little bars, restaurants, and a whole host of food stalls<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For more lovely turn-of-the-century architecture, take in Otto Wagner&#8217;s nearby <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/majolika-house\/\">Majolikahaus<\/a> and his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/otto-wagner-pavilion\/\">Pavilion at Karlsplatz<\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>And for more Jugendstil architecture in Vienna, try my tips for&#8230;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Jugendstil <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/jugendstil-graben\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"33969\">along the pedestrianised Graben<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jugendstil <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/jugendstil-centre\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"34058\">elsewhere in the centre<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-get-to-the-secession\">How to get to the Secession<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Secession building is right next to Karlsplatz, a major subway station, so is well connected to the public transport system. The U1, U2, and U4 subway lines all stop there. It&#8217;s quite a big subway station, so you want to leave the complex to the west. Look for the exit marked &#8220;Ausgang Secession&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: Friedrichstra\u00dfe 12, 1010 Vienna | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.secession.at\/\">Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1cVTHuOs37_--iPaYtF4znJhMHJ8\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It stands like a golden beacon embraced in white: the Secession building continues a long tradition of contemporary art and also houses one of Klimt&#8217;s masterpieces. The &#8220;Secessionsgeb\u00e4ude&#8221; (View of the glorious roof) The late 1800s and early 1900s must have been quite a time in Vienna. You had, for example, the tradition of a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4801,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2119","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-footsteps","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2119"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88843,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119\/revisions\/88843"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}