150 years of Vienna’s city gardens

Founded by Emperor Franz Josef I in 1862, the Stadtpark on Vienna's showpiece Ringstrasse boulevard is the oldest public park in the Austrian capital. The same year saw the birth of the organization which would assume responsibility for planning and maintaining the city's parks - a role it continues to play today. The Vienna municipal gardens department initially operated out of city hall before finally moving to its permanent home in a building next door to the Stadtpark in 1906. Today it has a workforce of 1,700 and is in charge of the upkeep of 880 parks and gardens throughout the city.

In 1911/12 the gardens department set up an orangery in the 22nd district on the other side of the Danube. The move was unusual because until then orangeries - where delicate plants such as citrus trees would be kept in tubs over winter - had been the exclusive preserve of the nobility and super rich. The Kagran Orangery was the first - and the last - municipal building of its kind. Today this piece of Austrian art nouveau architecture is home to the Kagran School Gardens. To mark the anniversary year, the historic Stadtpark of the 1870s will be recreated in miniature in an indoor park.

The celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of Vienna's city gardens started right at the beginning of the year with the Flower Ball in Vienna City Hall, which this year was dedicated to the "Garden City Vienna". In the summer, there will be two whole days of celebrating in the Stadtpark: with a party for the whole family, tree-climbing, games, picnic, music and lots of information about the city's green parks and gardens.

But not all of Vienna's public green spaces fall under the remit of the department: as former imperial parks and gardens, the Augarten, Belvederegarten and Schlosspark Schönbrunn were all transferred to the Republic of Austria and redesignated Federal Gardens following the end of the monarchy in 1918.

Special show at the Kagran School Gardens

May 3- Oct 7, 2012

Celebrations marking 150 Years Vienna Municipal Gardens Department

Jun 16- 17, 2012