Walking Through Vienna with Emil Singer

The Jewish Museum Vienna owns over 80 etchings by Austrian artist Emil Singer.

This tour invites you to discover Emil Singer’s Vienna through the eyes of the artist.

Who was Emil Singer?

The works of Emil Singer (1881–1942), an Austrian artist born in Moravia, depict picturesque city views of Vienna, its surroundings, and neighboring towns, following in the tradition of great vedute artists such as Rudolf von Alt and Bernardo Bellotto. Tourists especially appreciated his detailed renderings of Vienna.

The etchings were created roughly between 1914 and the mid‑1930s. Emil Singer and his wife Grete were murdered in 1942, erasing nearly all memories of him.

Thanks to the collecting passion of Sandy Rikoon, Henry Isaacs, Axel Junghans, and Ingo H. Fromm, his life story in Vienna could be reconstructed.

Starting Point: City Center – Stephansplatz

At the heart of Vienna stands St. Stephen’s Cathedral – the city’s landmark. Then as now, Stephansplatz is lively and full of people, from Viennese locals to tourists.

The pencil note “6/100” on the etching indicates a numbered edition – a rarity in Singer’s work. From the mid‑1920s onward, he stopped numbering his prints. In this case, we know he produced 100 prints of this view of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. For many other views, we do not know the exact number.

The North Tower of St. Stephen’s Cathedral

This etching shows a detailed view of the cathedral and a glimpse into everyday Viennese life around 1917.

The market stalls and balloons may indicate a fair. In the foreground, a horse‑drawn fiaker carriage approaches the viewer at a slow pace.

A familiar sight is the scaffolding on the cathedral. Then as today, it signals ongoing restoration and repair work on the church façade.

Along the Graben

In the early 20th century, snowfall was far more frequent and heavier, as seen in this etching of the snow‑covered Graben in the city center.

Two cars pass by in the background. The Graben was only turned into a pedestrian zone in 1971—an initiative of Viennese‑born Jew Victor Gruen (1903–1980).

Passing by the Jewish Museum Vienna

From the Graben, walk through Dorotheergasse to Stallburggasse. To see the view from the tower of St. Michael’s Church as in Singer’s etching, you have to walk past today’s location of the Jewish Museum Vienna at Dorotheergasse 11.

In 2024, Emil Singer’s works were shown here in the exhibition “Viennese Nostalgia – Connected Memories of Emil Singer”.

Visiting the Habsburgs

Continuing along Stallburggasse—past the stables of the Lipizzaner horses—you reach a small, almost hidden passageway that leads along Habsburgergasse to Michaelerplatz.

Here you see the façade of St. Michael’s Church and the magnificent gateway to the Hofburg, once the residence of the Habsburgs. By the time Singer created this image, the Habsburg Empire was already history, yet the imposing Hofburg remains a monument to that era.

The etching shows how much the square has changed over time: where cars once parked, you now find fiakers and tourist groups. The underground Roman ruins had not yet been discovered.

Imperial Weather in the Burghof

Passing under the dome of the Hofburg brings you to the red‑black‑gold “Swiss Gate,” which leads to the oldest part of the Hofburg, the “Swiss Court.” From 1745 to 1767, the emperor’s Swiss Guard was stationed here.

In Singer’s etching, the strollers enjoy “imperial weather”: a beautiful, slightly cloudy blue sky.

On the Ringstrasse

From the Burghof, through the Volksgarten, you reach Vienna’s City Hall. Built between 1872 and 1883 in neo‑Gothic style according to the plans of Friedrich Schmidt (1825–1891), it stands proudly along the Ringstrasse.

Singer shows the building in spring—a quiet moment in the middle of the city.

Democratic Neighbors

To the left of City Hall stands the Parliament. Built between 1874 and 1883 based on designs by Theophil Hansen (1813–1891), its historicist architecture references Greece as the cradle of democracy.

Yet the bright blue sky and calm city scene in Singer’s etching are deceiving. Just a few years after this etching was made, swastika flags flew here, and Parliament served as the Gauhaus of the National Socialists.

With the introduction of the Nuremberg Race Laws in Vienna, Emil Singer was no longer allowed to sell his artworks. In desperation, he turned to his American clientele and asked for help selling his works and fleeing to the United States. The Isaacs family in Minnesota and the Ellovich family in Pennsylvania did everything they could to bring the Singers to America, but tragically without success.

Emil and Grete Singer were deported from a “Sammelwohnung” (collective apartment) in Vienna in May 1942 and murdered by the National Socialists.

Vienna as the City of Music

Continuing along the Ringstrasse, past Maria‑Theresien‑Platz, you finally reach the Vienna State Opera.

Built between 1863 and 1869 according to the plans of August Sicard von Sicardsburg (1813–1868) and Eduard van der Nüll (1812–1868), the State Opera was the first building completed on the newly constructed Ringstrasse. In Singer’s etching, the autumn scene appears calm and almost dreamlike.

A Visit to the Belvedere

From the State Opera, take tram line D directly to the Upper Belvedere.

This short detour into Vienna’s 3rd district offers a wonderful opportunity to discover works by other Austrian artists, including Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, and Marie-Louise von Motesiczky.

To reach the museum’s main entrance, find the access point near Prinz‑Eugen‑Straße. The iron gate is still the same one depicted by Emil Singer in an autumn scene.

At Karlsplatz

Another architectural gem awaits at Karlsplatz. From the Upper Belvedere, walk down Prinz‑Eugen‑Straße toward the Inner City and turn left at the French Embassy.

The baroque church was built between 1716 and 1739 according to the plans of Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (1656–1723).

To the Imperial Summer Residence

Schönbrunn Palace, the Habsburgs’ imperial summer residence, and its gardens are a must. From Karlsplatz, take the U4 subway line to Schönbrunn station.

Through the forecourt and into the gardens, you reach one of the Naiad fountains, from where you can recreate the perspective shown in Singer’s etching. The Naiads are mythological water spirits in the service of Neptune and a classic motif of Baroque garden design.

Fake Ruins Make the Best Garden Decoration

You must find the second Naiad fountain to discover the next curiosity in the Schönbrunn gardens—something that fascinated Emil Singer as well. Behind the fountain lies the “Roman” ruin, built in 1778 by Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg (1733–1816).

These artificial ruins served as a status symbol for the imperial family, who held the title of Holy Roman Emperors. The two figures in the grotto represent the river gods Danube and Enns.

Final Stop: Grinzing

To comfortably reach the final stop of this tour through Emil Singer’s Vienna, take the S45 train. From Penzing station, travel toward Handelskai and get off at Oberdöbling. Then continue with tram 38 to Grinzing.

In the 19th district, cozy “Heurigen” taverns invite you to linger. In his etching, Emil Singer shows the local church and a traditional residential house. It is noticeably quieter here than in the city center.