Im Juni 1896 fand die „International exhibition for physical education, health care and sport" took place. Exhibitions and trade fairs such as the World Exhibition may seem a little bland today, but back then they were a curiosity for the citizens. Nobody could have known at the time just how much Innsbruck was at the cutting edge with this event. In distant Athens, an exhibition with a sporting background also took place at almost the same time. Over the next few decades, the Olympic Games would develop into the biggest sporting event in the world and bring Innsbruck back onto the world stage almost 70 years later.

Unlike the Olympic Games in Athens, the Tyrolean exhibition was modelled less on antiquity than on the "vielfältigen Beziehungen zwischen dem Erziehungswesen, dem Sport und der Gesundheitspflege einerseits und Handel und Gewerbe andererseits inform. They were certain that "jede Nation, jeder Staat… seine Besonderheiten in Bezug auf Schuleinrichtungen und Principien der Gesundheitspflege und die Ausübung des Sportes hat.

Whereas three years previously the exhibition had used the Leopoldsbrunnen as a symbol of the connection between the House of Habsburg and the province of Tyrol, this time a non-Habsburg was chosen. Who better to represent Tyrol as a nation than the heroic Andreas Hofer, who had even sacrificed his life for God, Emperor and Fatherland?

The panorama building was erected as part of the exhibition in a wooden structure near today's exhibition centre to visually present the heroic battle of the Tyroleans against the superior forces of the French and Bavarians in 1809 to visitors from near and far. Visitors were able to see the Riesenrundgemälde by the Munich painter Michael Zeno Diemer (1867 - 1939), which captured his vision of the 3rd Battle of Mount Isel on 13 August 1809 on 1000 square metres. Film and moving pictures were still in their infancy. Panoramas were the most exciting way of the end of the century to convey history and events to an audience in an exciting and lively way, almost in 3D. In all major European cities, it was fashionable to present historical, patriotic events as a panorama. The Innsbrucker Nachrichten described the hervorragende Object auf dem Ausstellungsplatze The response on the day of the opening was correspondingly enthusiastic:

„Es ist dies ein Rundbild, wie es herrlicher und prächtiger nirgends gefunden werden dürfte. Der Besucher ist geradezu überrascht, entzückt, wenn er das Panorama betritt. Die Illusion ist so vollkommen, dass er vergisst, dass er in einem geschlossenen Raume sich befindet. Wenn ja, so kann man men es hier sagen, dass der Künstler sich selbst übertroffen hat.“

Lange währte der Holzbau allerdings nicht. Ein glücklicher Zufall wollte es, dass das Gemälde auf großer Reise in London bei der Imperial Austrian Exhibition war, als das Gebäude zehn Jahre später abbrannte. Die Innsbrucker Nachrichten notierten dazu am 6. Februar 1906:

„Heute nachts um 2 ¼ kam in dem in letzter Zeit unbewohnten Gebäude des Panoramas der Schlacht am Berg Isel 1809 auf bisher unbekannte Weise ein Feuer zum Ausbruch, welches bei der leichten Bauart des Gebäudes rasch um sich griff, sodass es schon gegen 3 Uhr in sich zusammenstürzte und nur noch das Gerippe der Seitenwände Zeugnis gibt, wo einst das vielbesuchte tirolische Gemälde von Diemer, Egger und Burger seine Anziehungskraft ausübte.“

The current building was opened just one year later. The octagonal building designed by Anton Fritz next to the valley station of the old Hungerburg railway is one of the buildings that symbolises the development of modern Innsbruck in Saggen around the turn of the century. The Saggen was not only home to the giant circular painting, but also to the old Chain Bridge, built in 1837, and the valley station of the Hungerburg railway, two other buildings that symbolised the renewal of the city. A tourist advert advertised the patriotic work of art:

„… das Riesenrundgemälde des akademischen Malers Michael Zeno Diemer an der Station der Hungerburgbahn; 96 Meter breit und 12 ½ Meter hoch. Zählt zu den bedeutendsten Sehenswürdigkeiten Innsbrucks.“

1917 ging das Riesenrundgemälde erneut auf Wanderschaft, diesmal nach Wien. Der Kampf der Tiroler gegen die französische Übermacht war mittlerweile zum nationalen Symbol geworden und sollte die Kriegspropaganda unterstützen. Während in ganz Europa das industrialisierte Massensterben an den Fronten vor sich ging, zeigte das Gemälde Ziemers eine idyllische Version des patriotischen Krieges. Der Schriftsteller Alfred Polgar notierte dazu:

„Dort ist’s still und kühl. Die Gewehre und Kanonen schießen, aber sie knallen nicht. Die Getroffenen fahren mit der Hand ans Herz, aber es tut ihnen – dieses tröstliche Bewußtsein haben wir – nicht weh. Feindliche Soldatenhaufen stürmen wild den Berg hinauf, aber sie kommen nicht vom Fleck.“

Nach dem Krieg wurde das Panoramagebäude als Garage und Viehstall genutzt. Das tonnenschwere Schlachtgemälde lagerte man in der Hofburg ein. Die Menschen hatten vorerst genug vom Krieg gesehen. Erst 1924 wurde die Rotunde wieder der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht. Der umtriebige Josef Hackl, Wirt des Gasthof Golden Eagle, kaufte des Riesenrundgemälde und stellte es wieder aus. 1974 wurde das Gebäude unter Denkmalschutz gestellt, seit der Errichtung des Museums am Berg Isel und der Übersiedlung des Riesenrundgemäldes dorthin 2011 steht es leer. Was mit dem sanierungswürdigen, aber geschichtsträchtigen Bau geschehen soll, ist Stand 2025 noch nicht geklärt.

Innsbruck is the self-proclaimed capital of the Alps. There may be disagreement about the title of capital city, Grenoble, Turin, Trento, Bern - many other cities could also lay claim to it. However, Innsbruck holds a special place in this ranking thanks to its encircled location between the surrounding mountains and the city's direct connection to them. The highest point in the city is the summit of the Praxmarerkarspitze at 2642 metres above sea level. The mountain world has always been a lively and important part of the city, even before the days of tourism. The quarry was the supplier of the Höttinger Breccie, which was the basis for Innsbruck's buildings until the 20th century. Innsbruck had its own vineyards on the slopes of the Nordkette until the early 16th century, albeit with low yields.

Together with the Panorama Building and the old Chain Bridge, the railway to Hungerburg formed the modern centre of the city at the beginning of the 20th century. Like the other two sights, it too met the fate of all earthly things. The majestic Chain Bridge was replaced by a more modern reinforced concrete bridge in 1939 and the panorama building has been empty since 2011. In 2005, the Hungerburg railway was also taken out of service. 101 years earlier, it had been the number one topic of conversation in the Innsbruck news as a link between Innsbruck and the newly created district above the city, which was designed as a luxury and tourist resort:

„The Hungerburgbahn opened this morning at 7 a.m. - not exactly favoured by the best weather. Trains run every quarter of an hour until 10 o'clock in the evening. It seems that the local population is particularly interested in the new railway, which is the first cable car in North Tyrol. Yesterday, an internal evening at the Hotel Mariabrunn brought together representatives of the company, the construction management, the "Union", the municipal power station and the press for a cheerful get-together. Engineer Innerebner commemorated the creator of the railway, Mr Riehl, who is currently taking a cure in Karlovy Vary ... Works inspector Twerdy has taken over the management of the plant. Six and a half years ago, he only took over the local railway Innsbruck - Hall; since then, he has taken over four railways of all systems: the low mountain railway, the Stubai valley railway, the electric tramway and now the cable railway to the Hungerburg.“

The first funicular railways went into operation in Europe around 1880. Innsbruck was also to receive its own, somewhat belatedly. It was tourism and transport pioneer Josef Riehl who saw the potential in connecting the city and the mountains. He planned Hungerburg, today Innsbruck's most expensive neighbourhood, as a climatic health resort close to the city. An artificial lake in the former quarry was intended to sweeten the guests' stay. Old photos of the Hotel Seehof zeigen eine idyllische Postkartenwelt. Die Aussichtswarte steht heute noch erhaben über Innsbruck. Das für den Kurtourismus eröffnete Hotel Mariabrunn an den Hängen der Nordkette erweckte den Charme eines noblen Schlösschens oberhalb der Stadt. Ein paar Schritte westlich der Station Hungerburg erinnert das Gasthaus zur Linde with its remarkable façade including a depiction of the Mrs Hitt still remember this time.

For a long time, the railway was the only connection between Hungerburg and Innsbruck. It was not until 1926 that the Höttinger Höhenstraße was built, starting at the Höttinger church. In 2005, the Hungerburg railway, which still has many nostalgic fans and lovers of historic means of transport and trains, was closed. Despite several appeals from the local population, the railway was closed down. The steel truss bridge over the Inn and the tamped concrete viaduct in the upper section of the railway were preserved. Today, you can board the Nordkettenbahn at the Kongresshaus in the centre of the city and reach the Hafele Kar at an altitude of 2256 m in no time at all. The stations of the new railway at the Löwenhaus, Alpenzoo and Hungerburg were designed by star architect Zaha Hadid in a breathtakingly futuristic design.

The cable car to the Nordkette was opened in 1928, the same year as its equivalent on the southern side of the Inn Valley on the Patscherkofel. The world's first cable car had gone into operation just 20 years earlier in Grindelwald, Switzerland. The breathtaking project in the Tyrolean capital included the valley station on the Hungerburg, the middle station on the Seegrube and the mountain station on the Hafele Kar in the high alpine area. The previously unknown Franz Baumann won the tender. He turned away from the predominant styles of the 19th century, classicism, Heimatstil and historicism. He wanted the buildings to blend into the landscape and merge with it rather than detract from it. Baumann knew how to harmoniously combine the functional stations with machine houses and entry and exit zones with the catering areas. The middle station on the Seegrube is home to a restaurant and hotel. He attached great importance to the terrace. The view of the city, the Wipptal valley and mountains such as Nockspitze und Serles are breathtaking.

The mountain station on the Hafele Kar is particularly spectacular, nestling against the rocks like an eagle's nest and providing space for an inn in the shape of a quarter circle. Baumann designed both the building and the interior. Traditional alpine hospitality with tiled stoves meets modern furniture such as the now famous Baumann chair. Clemens Holzmeister, the internationally best-known architect of Tyrolean modernism, outed himself as a fan of the Nordkettenbahn in a 1929 technical article:

"The railway starts at the so-called Hungerburg plateau (300 metres above Innsbruck). The station is characterised by its simple integration into the forest area and a particularly remarkable staircase. The intermediate station at Seegrube (1905 metres above sea level) lacks the unity of the layout ... due to subsequent extensions, but appears splendidly positioned in front of the rocky cirque of the Seegrube peaks. The final station (2,256 metres above sea level) is the most successful in its integration into the wild Zipfelschrofen. Everything has been taken into consideration and the naturalness has a liberating effect."

As far as possible, both the interior and the exterior of the middle and top stations were preserved during the renovation in 2007.

In den 1930er Jahren wurde auf der Nordkette Wissenschaftsgeschichte geschrieben. Victor Franz Hess veranlasste 1931 die Einrichtung eines Labors in einer aufgelassenen Baubaracke auf dem Hafele Kar in 2300 m Seehöhe, um dort ein Labor für Ultrastrahlenforschung zum Studium der kosmischen Strahlung zu betreiben. 1936 erhielt er dafür den Nobelpreis für Physik. 

On the western side of the Nordkette (Note: seen from the city on the left), a striking mountain peak rises up. With a little imagination, this rock formation resembles a woman on a horse. This figure is the inspiration for the best-known legend of the Innsbruck region, which made it into the famous Grimm brothers' catalogue of stories in the 19th century. It is about the stingy, hard-hearted and greedy giant queen Mrs Hitt. While playing, her son fell into a bog along with his expensive clothes and came home filthy from top to bottom. Mrs Hitt got a servant to bathe the boy in milk and clean him up with white bread. Later, the queen met a beggar woman who begged the rich woman on horseback for bread. Instead of alms, Mrs Hitt handed her a stone. As a result, an earthquake caused her palace to collapse, a mudslide buried her lands and, as punishment, Mrs Hitt was transformed into the stone pillar that is still clearly visible above the town today. Innsbruck's children have grown up with this legend, whose moral is a warning against arrogance and extravagance, for generations.

Tyrol has always seen itself as a Heiliges Land in einem streng katholischen Sinn. Das änderte sich auch nach 1848 nur langsam. Trotz des Protestantenpatents Following Emperor Franz Joseph I's decree of 1861, which allowed Protestants to practise their faith, Protestant services in Innsbruck could only be held in private. Nevertheless, the number of Protestants increased rapidly during this time.

In 1879, the town's Protestant community bought the school building in Kiebachgasse, as it at least offered a chapel. The Catholic-orientated press was shocked. On 8 November, the following appeared in the newspaper Neue Tiroler Stimme ein Artikel zur Eröffnung:

„Unter den Eigenthümlichkeiten des Landes Tirol nimmt die Einheit des Glaubens den ersten Rang ein. Sie ist jenes Gut, welches uns am meisten von andern Ländern unterscheidet. Sie hat dem Lande in alter und neuer Zeit die schwersten Kämpfe gekostet, sie ist das theuerste Vermächtnis unserer Väter. Umso tiefer ist unser Schmerz bei dem Gedanken, daß man diese Glaubenseinheit feierlich begraben hat. Es ist jetzt eine Thatsache, daß in Innsbruck eine protestantische Gemeinde besteht, daß dieselbe eine katholische Kapelle erworben hat und in derselben öffentlich den protestantischen Gottesdienst feiert.“

However, public outrage could not stop the liberalisation of religious matters. The Protestant community grew, mainly due to people moving in from outside the town, and became too large for the small, temporary church in the old town centre. Thanks to donations from private individuals, plans were made to build a church of their own. The city of Innsbruck provided a building plot in Saggen for this purpose.

The church opened its doors to the Protestant congregation in 1906. The architecturally interesting building has both neo-Gothic and neo-Romantic elements. The pointed church tower is a beautiful contrast to the barrel vault and round arches. In contrast to the baroque churches in Innsbruck, the interior of the Christuskirche appears very modest. The windows are small works of art, some with critical content. They were made by the Tyrolean Glasmalerei- und Mosaikanstalt Innsbruck. Instead of putti and saints, the stained glass depicts the church reformers Zwingli, Luther and Melanchthon.

The depiction of the Swedish King Gustav Adolf, the Habsburgs' adversary in the Thirty Years' War, can certainly be read as a contemporary criticism of the Catholic rulers. The depiction of the Vertreibung der Zillertaler Inklinantenwho were forced to emigrate from Zillertal to Prussia in 1837, was a historical depiction that did not show the Austrian ruling dynasty in a favourable light. The fresco on the rectory connected to the church was designed by Ernst Nepo, who also painted the fresco of St Theresa in the entrance area of the Theresienkirche on the Hungerburg.

Like many other buildings, such as the Triumphpforte, the Christuskirche was built from Höttinger Breccie from the old quarry under the Hungerburg.

The colossal building of the Jesuit dormitory and chapel occupies a worthy place in the Saggen residential neighbourhood. If you look from Villa Blanka just above Innsbruck onto Saggen, the first thing you see is the Canisianum dominating the entire street like a palace with its more than 20 window axes across its width. The entrance with the Ionic column portico and the tower with lantern rising above it form a beautiful unit. The mosaic on the façade, which depicts St Peter Canisius, was created by the Tyrolean stained glass studio.

The Collegium Canisianum is the second piece of the Jesuit influence on Innsbruck's educational landscape, alongside the Jesuit church with its theological faculty, which is still visible in the cityscape today. As early as 1587, the Nikolai House in today's Universitätsstraße as a boarding school for destitute pupils of the Latin school run by the Jesuits. The pupils were maintained at the expense of the archducal court. In return, the pupils had to pray rosaries and litanies for Archduke Ferdinand's salvation. After the founding of the University of Innsbruck in 1669, it served young theologians as a convent for the theological faculty.

Under the enlightened Emperor Joseph II, who was not well-disposed towards the Jesuits, the order was banned from the education system at the end of the 18th century. The University of Innsbruck was downgraded to a lyceum.

It regained its status under Emperor Franz. A short time later, under Franz Josef I, the Jesuits also returned to their traditional chair. Soon the Nikolai House in what is now Sillgasse was too small for the large number of students. The construction of a new convent in Saggen began with great pomp, even though the city's liberal circles were anything but enthusiastic about another ecclesiastical building in the cityscape. As with the Monastery of Perpetual Adoration however, the conservative forces were able to prevail.

In 1911, the Collegium Canisianum opened its doors to 276 seminarians from all over the world. A member of the Habsburgs was not present at the opening, in the Innsbrucker Nachrichten konnte man am 28. Oktober aber den „kaiserlichen Dank“ zum Projekt lesen:

„Der k.k. Statthalter für Tirol und Vorarlberg hat im allerhöchsten Auftrage für die anläßlich der Weihe des neuerbauten Hauses Collegium Canisianum des theologischen Konviktes in Innsbruck telegraphisch zum Ausdrucke gebrachte Loyalitätsbekundungen den Beteiligten den allerhöchsten Dank bekanntgegeben.

Wie viele andere kirchliche Einrichtung mussten auch das Canisianum und die Theologische Fakultät dem Furor der Nationalsozialisten 1938 nach dem Anschluss Österreichs weichen. Die Jesuiten exilierten nach Sitten in der Schweiz, kehrten nach dem Krieg 1945 aber bald wieder zurück. Seit 2013 ist das Collegium Canisianum ein Wohnheim für Studierende. Regelmäßig finden im Untergeschoß Heilige Messen statt, die auch für die Öffentlichkeit zugänglich sind.

The colossal building of the Jesuit dormitory and chapel occupies a worthy place in the Saggen residential neighbourhood. If you look from Villa Blanka just above Innsbruck onto Saggen, the first thing you see is the Canisianum dominating the entire street like a palace with its more than 20 window axes across its width. The entrance with the Ionic column portico and the tower with lantern rising above it form a beautiful unit. The mosaic on the façade, which depicts St Peter Canisius, was created by the Tyrolean stained glass studio.

The Collegium Canisianum is the second piece of the Jesuit influence on Innsbruck's educational landscape, alongside the Jesuit church with its theological faculty, which is still visible in the cityscape today. As early as 1587, the Nikolai House in today's Universitätsstraße as a boarding school for destitute pupils of the Latin school run by the Jesuits. The pupils were maintained at the expense of the archducal court. In return, the pupils had to pray rosaries and litanies for Archduke Ferdinand's salvation. After the founding of the University of Innsbruck in 1669, it served young theologians as a convent for the theological faculty.

Under the enlightened Emperor Joseph II, who was not well-disposed towards the Jesuits, the order was banned from the education system at the end of the 18th century. The University of Innsbruck was downgraded to a lyceum.

It regained its status under Emperor Franz. A short time later, under Franz Josef I, the Jesuits also returned to their traditional chair. Soon the Nikolai House in what is now Sillgasse was too small for the large number of students. The construction of a new convent in Saggen began with great pomp, even though the city's liberal circles were anything but enthusiastic about another ecclesiastical building in the cityscape. As with the Monastery of Perpetual Adoration however, the conservative forces were able to prevail.

In 1911, the Collegium Canisianum opened its doors to 276 seminarians from all over the world. A member of the Habsburgs was not present at the opening, in the Innsbrucker Nachrichten konnte man am 28. Oktober aber den „kaiserlichen Dank“ zum Projekt lesen:

„Der k.k. Statthalter für Tirol und Vorarlberg hat im allerhöchsten Auftrage für die anläßlich der Weihe des neuerbauten Hauses Collegium Canisianum des theologischen Konviktes in Innsbruck telegraphisch zum Ausdrucke gebrachte Loyalitätsbekundungen den Beteiligten den allerhöchsten Dank bekanntgegeben.

Wie viele andere kirchliche Einrichtung mussten auch das Canisianum und die Theologische Fakultät dem Furor der Nationalsozialisten 1938 nach dem Anschluss Österreichs weichen. Die Jesuiten exilierten nach Sitten in der Schweiz, kehrten nach dem Krieg 1945 aber bald wieder zurück. Seit 2013 ist das Collegium Canisianum ein Wohnheim für Studierende. Regelmäßig finden im Untergeschoß Heilige Messen statt, die auch für die Öffentlichkeit zugänglich sind.

The railway was perhaps the most important technical innovation of the 19th century. It connected the major cities of Europe with remote corners such as the hard-to-reach Tyrol. In 1898, Innsbruck was given a local administrative centre. As there was no space near the railway station, the Saggen was chosen as the location. The ÖBB administration building reflects the importance of the railway at this time. It is no coincidence that the building resembles a palace. The historicist architecture is typical of the Belle Epoque. Symmetrical shapes, towers and columns characterise the building. Höttinger Breccie, which was extracted from the old Höttinger quarry, was used as building material for the lower plinth. The conference room is particularly magnificent, with its double eagle, ceiling stucco, large chandeliers and the long table, which has fallen out of time and is still in use today.

The railway was one of the connecting elements within the multi-ethnic state of the Habsburg Monarchy. Railway stations resembled each other in all parts of the monarchy, from Innsbruck in the far west to Lviv in today's Ukraine, much as airports do all over the world today. The railway was not only a means of transport, but also a way of connecting people and gave citizens, no matter where they were in the vast empire, a certain recognition value, similar to that which airports have worldwide today. The time when the monarchy dominated the public space via places of worship was over, especially in the cities. It was now official buildings that brought the splendour of the empire to all parts of the empire.

Today, railway station districts in Austria are usually not the best areas of the respective cities, and the stations themselves are modern buildings. The chic railway stations, which were built between the 19th century and 1914, and their surroundings were often victims of Allied air raids during the Second World War. In addition to the ÖBB administration building, the small Innsbruck Westbahnhof Wilten still retains the original aesthetic of the turn of the century.

Das ebenfalls zum ÖBB-Verwaltungsgebäude gehörende Haus Bienerstraße 8 erfüllte für ein Jahr eine unrühmliche Aufgabe. Von März 1938 bis Mai 1939 war hier die Zentrale der Gestapo untergebracht, bevor die Geheime Staatspolizei in die Herrengasse übersiedelte.

Die Zeit um 1900 brachte eine neue, globalisierte Welt hervor. Telegrafie und Telefon ermöglichten die schnellere Verbreitung von Neuigkeiten, was zu einer „Gleichzeitigkeit“ zwischen Geschehenem und Berichterstattung in den Medien führte. Genau andersrum funktionierte die Unterhaltungsbranche. Kino und Grammophon ermöglichten es erstmals einem größeren Publikum Geschehenes zu speichern und „ungleichzeitig“ zu konsumieren. Wirtschaft und Handel waren auf einem nie vorher gesehenen Niveau angelangt und weltweit verstrickt. Freud und Nietzsche brachten in Medizin und Philosophie neue Perspektiven ein, die zwar nicht von der breiten Masse, dank der neuen Möglichkeiten aber immer größer werdenden Publikum rezipiert wurden. Robert Musil, Stefan Zweig, Klimt, Kokoschka, Schiele, Mahler, Wagner, Schönberg und Freud prägen ein nostalgisches Bild Wiens und Österreichs dieser Zeit im Ausland bis heute. Innsbruck war nicht Wien und das

Innsbruck was not Vienna and that Fin de Siecle was not as celebrated in Tyrol as it was in Paris, but the bourgeoisie of the Alpine region was influenced by the European one. While nations were increasingly moving away from each other politically, architecture in many European cities was converging. The new bourgeois elites in Buenos Aires, Madrid, London, New York and Vienna had discovered historicism for themselves. Innsbruck was no exception. You can experience a little of the flair of this period around Claudiaplatz.

This city centre roundabout, which was named after Claudia de Medici, is one of many examples of the architecture of the Belle Epoque und bildet bis heute so etwas wie das Zentrum des Stadtteils Saggen. Er grenzt den „Villensaggen" in the north-west of the "Blocksaggen“ mit den Mietshäusern im Osten des Stadtteils ab. Nicht nur architektonisch, auch sozial bildete der Claudiaplatz schon immer eine Art Grenze. Während sich in den Wohnblöcken des Blocksaggen While small employees settled in the neighbourhood, the upper middle classes resided in the villas.

The colonisation of Saggen using the example of Claudiaplatz is an example of Innsbruck's property industry and speculation, which began early on. Claudiaplatz 1 and 2 and Elisabethstraße number 11 were built from 1898 by the German "Property developer" Reinhold Boos financed the project. He had the stately residences with up to seven flats built for a wealthy clientele. The magnificent houses have a trapezoidal floor plan and are charmingly decorated with bay windows and exuberant ornamentation. Even the staircases, which were built in the Wilhelminian era, were small works of art and were intended to set the mood for the flats and the ambience.

Five streets lead into the Claudiaplatz roundabout. To the west of the square, Elisabethstraße leads into the residential neighbourhood, while Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Straße, with its charming green central strip, is lined with larger residential buildings that are also worth seeing. The house at Conradstraße 6, just a few metres from Claudiaplatz, is particularly noteworthy. The quarry owner Josef Leutsch had the architect Josef Mayr design this Art Nouveau-style house for him. Claudiastrasse leads into the square opposite. The colourful houses in this row are a popular photo motif from the square's roundabout. The milieu in this part of Innsbruck, consisting of academics and freelancers who were attracted to it, has to a certain extent remained dynastic to this day.

"Wie der Bürgermeister in einer der letzten Gemeinderatssitzungen berichtete, trägt sich Herr von Sieberer mit dem Plan, hier ein großes, schönes Armenhaus zu errichten … Der Bau soll auf einer jetzt freistehenden Parzelle hinter dem Claudiaplatz, neben dem Südbahnviadukt errichtet werden und zwei gesonderte Trakte (einen für Frauen und einen für Männer) erhalten. Zwischen den Trakten ist die Erbauung einer Kapelle projektiert."

Das konnte man am 1. Juni 1907 als Innsbrucker der Presse rund um die Pläne des Gönners entnehmen, der die Wohnstätte für Innsbrucks Senioren plante. 1908 stiftete Johann von Sieberer das Innsbrucker Greisenasyl zur Ehre des 60jährigen Thronjubiläums von Kaiser Franz Josef I. Am 29. August 1909, zum 100. Jubiläum der Berg-Isel Schlacht the building was personally inaugurated by Franz Josef I in the presence of the Bishop of Brixen. 

Alongside the ÖBB administration building and the orphanage, the old people's asylum is the third impressive secular building in Saggen. The building's own chapel is characterised by a bell tower. You can see the statues of St Peter and St Paul as well as Christ as a symbol of kindness towards all people. The magnificent 86 metre-long façade has been preserved to this day. It is not only remotely reminiscent of a palace, but was deliberately designed to provide a suitable architectural framework for the dignity of the age. This was also reflected in the modern furnishings of the old people's asylum at the time of its opening. The kitchen was equipped to cater for up to 300 people.

Eine staatlich geregelte Pensionsversicherung wie wir sie heute kennen, gab es vor der Gründung der Republik Österreich nach 1918 nicht. Ältere Untertanen, die nicht mehr arbeiten konnten, wurden zu Hause von Verwandten oder Angestellten versorgt. Bei Bauern wurde dies mit dem sogenannten Ausgedinge was regulated as part of the transfer of the farm. Anyone who did not belong to one of these privileged classes quickly fell through the cracks. Labourers, journeymen, day labourers, farmhands and menial staff had to beg or were dependent on the care of the poor and elderly by patrons or the church. From the 16th century onwards, care in Tyrol was the responsibility of the community to which a subject belonged. In times of need, however, the communities were often overwhelmed. Even the church was unable to take on this problem permanently and reliably.

Due to the influx of people to Innsbruck as a result of industrialisation and urbanisation and the sale of two poorhouses in St. Nikolaus, the situation in Innsbruck was particularly tense around 1900. Johann von Sieberer, who was already of an advanced age at the time, decided to support the city of Innsbruck by planning the project and financing a large part of it to establish an asylum for the elderly. The city under Mayor Wilhelm Greil had to commit to providing a building site, taking over the development of the sewage system and electrification and the costs for legal matters, architects and construction management. The city's poor relief office was to run the retirement home. The care was left to the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent and Paul.

The idea Freiherr Johann von Sieberers was to give older couples the opportunity to spend their twilight years together. By the standards of the time, the rooms were well equipped with iron beds, bedside cabinets, wardrobes and spittoons. The unadorned room was intended to make it easier to maintain the accommodation and keep it free of vermin and pests. Residents who were difficult to socialise, such as alcoholics, were accepted but housed separately. Facilities such as the old people's asylum and orphanage were very important for the development of the town.

The retirement home still exists to this day, although it has of course been modernised several times. The moderate lettering on the east side of the building commemorates the builder "Gespendet von einem Patrioten".  

The beginning of the 16th century was a turning point in the city's history. The Goldene Dachl may be the most famous building constructed at this time, but the armoury had a much greater influence on the lives of contemporaries. Between 1500 and 1506, Emperor Maximilian I had this armoury built by Jörg Kölderer in today's Saggen district. The large artillery cannons in particular, which increased in number at the end of the 15th century, could not be stored in the old armoury in Andechsburg Castle, which was too small. The Äußere Zeughaus was the largest armoury in the Holy Roman Empire and contained equipment and cannons for up to 30,000 soldiers. Court painter Jörg Kölderer captured it pictorially in his reference books fixed.

Under Maximilian, mobile and light artillery was developed, which was to revolutionise warfare in Europe. Thanks to its location between the theatres of war in northern Italy and Switzerland, Innsbruck was strategically ideally placed to not only house a camp but also the empire's arms production. Thanks to the facility, including early industrial production, the small town became the centre of the early modern armaments industry in the German-speaking world.

The inner courtyard was enclosed by a two-storey, castle-like complex. There were several smaller work buildings around the main building. A moat surrounded the armoury until the 18th century. The armoury itself was the centre of a large industrial complex. A few kilometres to the east, an extension of the armoury was built from 1511 in what is now the Weyrer area in Mühlau.

The armoury was an economic engine and important employer in the town. The early industrialisation that took place in Kohlstatt resulted in a massive influx of people and population growth. However, the labour force not only brought quantitative growth to the town, it also created an entirely new population class. If we look at the development of Kohlstatt, the home of the labourers, and the financing of imperial policy by the Augsburg Fuggers, we get a picture of early capitalism. Although Emperor Maximilian achieved great success in expanding the empire through shrewd marriage policies for the Habsburg dynasty, he was also a zealous warlord. His loans were fuelled by the war cycle, which had already become an economic factor. He also influenced people's living conditions away from the front in the manufacturing centres.

The armoury was used as a barracks until 1918. Today it is home to a museum with changing exhibitions and a permanent exhibition on the cultural history of Tyrol. Various events take place on an ongoing basis in the 1,600 square metre inner courtyard.

Im Grenzgebiet zwischen der Innenstadt, Dreiheiligen und Pradl befinden sich wie eine kleine Insel, umspült von der König-Laurin-Straße, der Dreiheiligenstraße und der Weinhartstraße, das ehemalige k.u.k. Garnisonsspital und die das Palais Ferrari. Beide Gebäude blicken auf eine lange Geschichte zurück, die mit dem Wechsel von Monarchie zu Republik nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg eine jähe Kehrtwende erfuhr.

Hieronymus Bernardo Ferrari d´Occhieppo (1615 – 1691) ließ das Palais 1686 nach Plänen von Johann Martin Gumpp errichten. Der piemontesische Adelige trat als Obersthofmeister der Erzherzogin Anna von Österreich, Gattin des letzten Tiroler Landesfürsten Ferdinand Karl, in den Dienst des Hauses Habsburg. Als späteres Mitglied des Geheimen Rats Kaisers Leopold I. gehörte er zu den höchsten Regierungskreisen der Monarchie. Der fromme Beamte war Kommandeur des Mauritius- und Lazarusordens. Um seinen Weg ins Himmelreich zu verkürzen, überschrieb der Graf der Kirche zum Wohle seiner neuen Heimat einen Teil seines Vermögens. Die 30.000 Gulden ermöglichten es dem Ursulinenorden, Nonnen aus Freising in Bayern nach Innsbruck zu holen und hinter der Spitalskirche die erste Schule für Mädchen der Stadt zu gründen.

Für seine Dienste erhielt er von Kaiser Leopold die Erlaubnis, an der Sill seine Tiroler Residenz zu bauen. Inmitten eines großzügigen Parks entstand das dreigeschossige Palais Ferrari im typisch barocken Stil dieser Zeit. Trotz mehrerer Umbauten und Renovierungen blieb das Flair des Hochadels des 17. Jahrhunderts bis heute erhalten. Über dem kleinen Balkon im ersten Stock thront noch immer die Statue der Maria Immaculata.

So tugendhaft der erste der Innsbrucker Ferraris war, seine Nachkommen zeichneten sich vor allem durch verschwenderischen Lebenswandel aus. Innerhalb von 200 Jahren war das einst große Vermögen aufgebraucht. 1893 übernahm die Stadt Innsbruck das Anwesen und verpachtete es an das Militär, das seit den Napoleonischen Kriegen direkt angrenzend in der heutigen Weinhartstraße 2 (Anm: damals Fabrikstraße) ein Garnisonsspital betrieb. Im noblen Palais Ferrari wurde die Krankenhausverwaltung untergebracht.

Schon in der Frühen Neuzeit war hier im Industrieviertel in der Nähe des Zeughauses ein Spital für die Bürger Innsbrucks entstanden. 1541 wurde zum ersten Mal das Infirmary and hospital erwähnt. Der Innsbrucker Kongregationsarzt Weinhart, nach dem die Straße benannt wurde, ließ das Spital während dem Pestausbruch 1611 erweitern. Mit Maßnahmen wie Ausräuchern, Erhöhung der Hygiene und dem beliebten Aderlass versuchten die Ärzte und Geistlichen, dem Schwarzen Tod Herr zu werden.

Nachdem das Garnisonsspital noch vor dem Ersten Weltkrieg nach Amras in die heutige Conradstraße übersiedelt war und das Militär nach dem verlorenen Krieg drastisch verkleinert werden musste, die Wohnungsnot dafür aber umso größer war, wurden in das leerstehende Haus städtische Wohnungen gebaut. 1924 übernahmen die Österreichischen Bundesbahnen das Gebäude, um hier in der Nähe des Bahnhofs Mitarbeiter unterzubringen. Trotz mehrerer Renovierungen besteht der Kern des Gebäudes wie die massiven Eingangstore aus dem 17. Jahrhundert noch.

Auch das mittlerweile heruntergekommene Palais Ferrari wurde vom militärischen in den zivilen Verwendungszweck überführt. Unter Ägide der späteren Direktorin Adolfine Sieberer, der Ministerialdirektorin der Ersten Republik Herta von Sprung und Bürgermeister Wilhelm Greil fand die Lehranstalt für hauswirtschaftliche und gewerbliche Frauenberufe ihr neues Domizil. 1922 wurde die Schule um eine Gartenbauschule erweitert und unter die Bundesverwaltung des Bundes gestellt.

Der angeschlagene Staatshaushalt der Wirtschaftskrise hatte auch auf die Schulen Einfluss: Nur durch den Verkauf von Obst und Gemüse aus dem eigenen Garten und Stipendien der Sparkasse konnte der Betrieb in den 1930er Jahren aufrechterhalten werden.

Während des Zweiten Weltkrieges wurden Flüchtlinge im Obergeschoss des Palais Ferrari untergebracht, während die Schule vor den Luftangriffen nach Imst geflüchtet war.

In den Nachkriegsjahrzehnten wurden Garten und Schule renoviert, modernisiert und erblühte zu neuem Leben. Rudi Wach, der später das umstrittene Kreuz auf der Innbrücke gestaltete, gestaltete die Steinstatue Flora mit Reh, die sich neben weiteren Kunstwerken aus den 1950er Jahren im Garten befindet. Um den Anforderungen des modernen Schulwesens zu genügen, erfolgten mehrere Anbauten und Erweiterungen des barocken Palais.

In den letzten kam es zu unzähligen Veränderungen im Schultypus, der im Volksmund den spöttischen Namen Putz- und Knödelakademie erhielt. Die Historie dieser Schwerpunkte zeigt die sich langsam entwickelnden beruflichen Möglichkeiten junger Frauen im 20. Jahrhundert. Trotz aller offiziellen Bemühungen wurde die Schule bis weit in die Nachkriegszeit vor allem als Ausbildungsstätte für zukünftige Hausfrauen und Mütter wahrgenommen. Erst mit der Umstellung zur Modeschule rückte der Aspekt der Berufsbildung in den Vordergrund. Mittlerweile dürfen auch junge Männer die Reifeprüfung in der Ferrarischule ablegen, in der auch Pflege und Mediendesign zu den Schwerpunkten zählen. Der Erbauer des Palais Ferrari, der aus seinem Vermögen 1689 auch die erste Schule für Mädchen der Ursulinen stiftete, würde es wohl wohlwollend sehen, dass sein Palazzo mehr als drei Jahrhunderte später eine Säule der Innsbrucker Bildungslandschaft darstellt.

The mining boom in the Tyrolean lowlands, together with the associated migrant labourers, long-distance trade and Innsbruck's growing political importance brought more than just prosperity. In 1512, over 500 people died of the plague in Innsbruck, and in 1543 the Black death to Innsbruck again. Nature also seemed to turn against the sinful goings-on in the city. In 1572, Innsbruck was severely affected by an earthquake. In addition, there were regular flood disasters and supply problems due to failed harvests. In their piety, many people tended to blame bad events on their own sins before God.

The church's efforts to counteract God's wrath were expressed not only in a lifestyle that was as God-pleasing as possible, but also in magnificent buildings and the establishment of new religious orders such as the Franciscans or the Jesuits. In addition, the city authorities, sovereigns and pious citizens were also concerned about providing pastoral care for the workers and their families.

One of these pious citizens was the doctor Paul Weinhart (1570 - 1648), who came to Innsbruck from Augsburg. During the plague epidemic that came to Innsbruck from the silver town of Schwaz in 1611, he was in charge as Contagationsarzt the plague college, which was in charge of the plague house in Kohlstatt, among other things. His wife had fallen victim to the plague. The arsenal had allowed the Kohlstatt to grow rapidly since Maximilian's time thanks to the labour force that was needed in this arsenal. The labourers and their families who had settled here lived in wooden barracks in cramped, unhygienic conditions, which exacerbated the spread of the disease. Weinhart had the community's 1541 Infirmary and hospital in what is now Weinhartstraße 2, named after him. The doctors and clergy tried to get the epidemic under control with measures such as fumigation, increased hygiene and the popular bloodletting.

Weinhart decided not only to trust his knowledge, but also to entrust the welfare of the town to the plague saints Pirmin, Sebastian and Rochus. Together with the chaplain of the hospital, Kaspar Melchior von Köstlan, he made a vow to have a church built if only the plague would stop. At the urging of the later court physician Weinhart, who was held in high esteem by Maximilian III, and the city government, the pious sovereign decided to endow a church near the plague hospital on the outskirts of the city. The mixture of faith and science was not unusual at this time.

Weinhart saw himself not only as a doctor, but also as a kind of pastor for those suffering from the plague. He was known as a charitable figure among the city's poor and enjoyed great popularity. At the same time, he was very well connected with the prince and the Jesuits. Weinhart was also highly regarded by his colleagues. The town doctor Halls wrote about his walks with Dr Weinhart:

„Dieser Spaziergang ist mir, wie auch dem edlen, hochgelehrten meinem herzgeliebten Herrn Brudern Paulo Weinhard dermaßen wohl bekannt und befohlen, daß wir bisher wenig halbe Monate ausgelassen…“

Die Dreiheiligenkirche wurde am 13.10.1613 nach zweijähriger Bauzeit geweiht. Das heutige Pfarrhaus in seiner Grundstruktur, das zuvor als Fürstliches Schafferhaus which served as an administrative building over the Kohlstatt, is older than the church itself. Doctor Weinhart had himself immortalised on the ceiling fresco next to the Jesuit Melchior Köstlan.

If you are lucky enough to be able to enter the interior, which is often locked, you can view a contemporary depiction of the events during the plague epidemic. The gloomy picture depicts the superstition of the people in just as much detail as the criticism of the authorities. The Tyrolean provincial government had left the city after the outbreak of the plague, prompting the artist to draw them in a palace far away from the people. The Black Death is depicted as a skeleton on a black horse with a bow and a winged hourglass. The sick had been hit by the skeleton's arrows. A sick man receives the last rites from a priest, while the devil hides behind his deathbed. In the background you can see an encampment full of soldiers who are also dying on the ground, hit by arrows.

In 1863, a porch was added to the Dreiheiligenkirche. In 1900, the striking mosaic designed by Philipp Schumacher and created by Tyrolean stained glass artists was added to the façade. The façade of the plague church depicts the three plague saints, who have been among Innsbruck's many patron saints ever since. The fourth in the group is Alexius, the patron saint against earthquakes. He was unceremoniously named after the dissolution of the nearby Seven chapels area The church was also moved to Kohlstatt in the 18th century under Joseph II. Similar to its time of origin in the 17th century, the new façade was also not the initiative of a religious order; unlike most parishes, the Dreiheiligenkirche was not under the jurisdiction of the Premonstratensians, but was sponsored by patrons. Unlike back then, however, it was not the sovereign, but the "Munificenz der Sparkasse der Stadt Innsbruck unter deren Vorstand Anton von Schumacher, Handelskammerpräsident u. deren Director Dr. Heinrich Falk, Altbürgermeister" which made the redesign possible.

The Monastery of Perpetual Adoration The building on the Hirschanger on the north side of the Hofgarten caused lively discussions in 19th century Innsbruck. Darwin had just presented his theory of evolution to the world, which stood in opposition to the biblical story of origins. Another monastery was not what enlightened citizens wanted for their city. Moreover, it was no ordinary religious house, but the branch of a particularly strict order. The Frauen zur Ewigen Anbetung take a vow of silence to this day.

The fact that the Order originally came from Italy also aroused suspicion. Austria had been at war with the newly constituted Italian state for some time. In the bilingual crown land of Tyrol, the animosities against the "Wallschen" is particularly pronounced.

Several locations were considered and repeatedly rejected. In 1866, the military education centre in Hall was the planned location for the convent. Shortly afterwards, the founder, Miss Sophie von Angelini, a daughter from a good family, applied for the building in Meinhardstraße, but failed due to resistance from the citizens' committee. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry hatte sich hier angesiedelt. Die Presse berichtete dementsprechend kritisch:

„Fräulein Sofie v. Angelini hat schon unterm 5. September 1868 an den Stadtmagistrat ein Gesuch um Bewilligung zum Baue eines Frauenklosters in der Meinhardstraße eingebracht, welches aber unterm 19. desselben Monats mit dem Bemerken zurückgewiesen wurde, daß in dem fraglichen Projekte die zur Anlage jener Gassenseite bereits festgestellte Frontlinie überschritten würde und auf eine solche Abweichung um so weniger eingegangen werden könnte, als es laut Ausspruch des großen Bürgerausschusses überhaupt nicht der Wunsch der Stadt ist, dass ein Kloster in gedachter Straße erbaut werde.“

After a tough back and forth, the monastery was finally built against resistance and with a great deal of insistence. Although Innsbruck's liberals had to give in in this case, they made a note of it:

„Wenn auch religiösen Gefühlen alle Achtung gezollt wird, so muss doch angeführt werden, dass diese Nonnen bloß zur abgeschlossenen gegenseitigen Erbauung sich vereinen, dabei aber Kapitalien in todte Hand sammeln, welche dem volkswirtschaftlichen Betrieben, der Industrie, dem Verkehre und vor Allem aber ihren Angehörigen entzogen werden. Dieser national-ökonomische Verlust umfasst Kraft, Zeit und Geld.“

The location agreed upon was the Hirschanger in Saggen. The company responsible for the construction was Huter & Söhne, which would later also be responsible for the construction of the parish church of St Nicholas.

The project is an alternative design to the modest Evangelical Church of Christ, which at around the same time was more in keeping with the taste of the bourgeois ethos of the turn of the century. The façade facing the courtyard garden, which is decorated with a mosaic by Felix Schatz, is impressive. Like the two murals on the Dreiheiligenkirche and the Collegium Canisianum, which were created at a similar time, Schatz designed the picture in bold colours with a golden background. The interior can keep up with the portal. St James and St Andrew are magnificently presented next to the main altar, which is dominated by Jesus on the cross with Mary and Mary of Magdala. Above them are the four evangelists in gold, surmounted by the richly decorated dome.

Das erste Monastery of Perpetual Adoration wurde 1807 in Rom von Caterina Sordini gegründet, nachdem sie während ihres Noviziats bei den Franziskanerinnen eine göttliche Vision hatte, in der ihr die Gründung eines Ordens aufgetragen wurde. Das Innsbrucker Ordenshaus gehört zu dieser italienischen Föderation, die 16 Klöster und knapp 240 Mitglieder umfasst. Das Monastery of Perpetual Adoration in Innsbruck ist das einzige, das der Orden im gesamten deutschsprachigen Raum betreibt. Die Schwestern der ewigen Anbetung pflegen ein äußerst genügsames und frommes Dasein in vollkommener Abgeschiedenheit und Gemeinschaft nach der Augustinerregel:

“Das erste Ziel eures gemeinsamen Lebens ist, in Eintracht im gleichen Haus miteinander zu leben und ein Herz und eine Seele auf Gott hin zu sein.”

Die Ordensfrauen verehren Maria als Schmerzensmutter. Die Schwestern kümmern sich um Hostienherstellung und den Klostergarten. Das Zentrum ihres Glaubens ist allerdings die Ewige Anbetung des Allerheiligsten, die jedes Ordensmitglied Tag und Nacht praktizieren soll. Wer möchte, kann einige Zeit das Klosterdasein erleben, um in der Abgeschiedenheit mitten in der Stadt zur Ruhe zu kommen. Gebetsanliegen können zeitgemäß per Formular auf der Website des Klosters übermittelt werden.