New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-27
THE, DUAL CAPITALS.
oyx OF A GENERATION IN VIENNA
THE FINEST STREET IN EUROPE
SCENIC BEAUTY IN BUDA-
PEsT-RIvALRIES

PEST-RIVALRIES
OF RACE.
London. september Il
.... and budapest were among the last
ht,b visited in my recent circuN OF
eoor canitals Each Of he dual cdpl'"'a
s,,,ad 90 vivid an impression Of the N'"i
P.,,,s Of modern progress that am le''P'"
" odd another TO series Of hoidaH le'''-
.,,h hone has not oycrtaxed the pa'''"O' -
-,,,,,a readers To Journey rapidy l'"i" -
a..a-.hurg Moscow and Warsaw to Nieh"" a''"
,..Aanest is like going from one pinlc' ""0
- sun is setting TO another where Ih7 sun "
,.,,r With all the blaze Of color ana Hd'"i"e
:, diamonds in Prussia cities, there are '''0
..,,ligbts Of Tartar barbarism. religious suP'.
,,,,ion and reactionary tendencies l" ''',
,.ls NJ Austria and Hungary there j. 80
,.ylicht and with il a sense OF JOY IL
,,rbt's Journey brings another transition.
,-rrarnberg is IL moonlit city where o''e i""'
-, ~ nicturesoue mediavalism in stll an
..,O- nlaret far outside the -ange OF 'he puSS
modern world
:. ,-,anna ranks after Paris as the second hu'
.,.ar capjtal In artistic beauty II Is NOT by rea
-, ~ exceptional advantages Of SITUATION out
=, consequence OF civic enterprise ana gooo 'as'e
On sdapting il TO new conditions or grown h'Ae
porie II lies in a broad plain encompasseu Win
a,s+ant hills: but the arm Of the Danube with
a second canal emptyinG into II IN the hea'' u.
tho citv Is not another Seine. Inc Ola 'o"h' Vi
which 81. Stephens Church Is the centre :
ouaint without being exceptionally ihteTes''hs'
II Is the new Vienna that is stately anu peau'-
a., within the present generation the city has
been converted into splendid capi'al oy 'he
,...o,,,r- NJ the ancient walls, the construction
., the Ring Strasse and the Improvement or the
o,,.er suburbs. The interior lines OF fortifca-
lions. consisting Of rampant. fosse and glac's'
,rare not condemned until 1851 nor was 1t
until 1870 that the outer lines Of walls were re-
moved and the outlying spaces transformed INTO
handsome residence quarters.
The Ring encircling the inner town has gradu
allv been converted into the finest boulevard IN
Europe Those who have seen il during the
transition stages can have only an Inadequate
idea OF the symmetry Of the completed work.
II is lined for two miles with palaces. museums.
graceful public buildings and splendid struc-
lures: and with the open spaces and gardens
surrounding the Hofburg the houses Of Parlia
rn4nt. the Town Hall and the ether great piles
Of masonry there is a brightness and ariness
81 effect which cannot be rivaled even by the
spacious avenues OF Paris
In a street so long as the Ring there must be
some structures inferior in design and preten-
tious in motive: hut these are mainly at the ends
where It connects with the Francis Joseph Quay
the spacious waterfront Of the inner city.
There is no other avenue in Europe where so
many fine buildings can be seen. OF where there
is little meretricious architecture. There is
no more impressive view Of modern architectural
effects than the prospect from the angle Of the
Volksgarten. On one side are the graceful
houses Of Parliament. the Gothic Town Hall.
with its stately tower; the Hofburg Theatre and
the immense University. with the delicate spires
OF the Votive Church behind it, and in the OPP
posite direction are the two National Museums
with the gardens and the statue OF Maria
Theresa between them. the beautiful Palace Of
Justice; the huge Hofburg. with its harmonious
blending Of old types and new lines; the Acad
envy of Art the Albertina and the Opera House
Further there is a vista Of great structures
thanking the Stadtpark and looming UP behind it:
and across the spacious gardens southwark there
Is another grand prospect. with the lofty dome
and colossal columns of the Karlskrcho we'll in
the foreground. and beyond IL the Belvedere
the Metternich and Schwarzenburg palaces the
foreign embassies. the Rothschlld houses and
hne residence quarter. with terraced gardens
For general panoramic effects and variety Of
modern architecture Of high artistic quality the
famous Ring Of Vienna is unrivalled
SYMMETRY OF DESIGN
What is conspicuous in this splendid clrcul,
is the unity Of design with which the city has
been enlarged and connected with the outlying
suburbs. The Ring was laid out with a View 10
,mparting TO the city the aspects Of spacious
imperial capital. The great structures were not
hudded together where they could not be seen
but were left 10 stand by themselves with ample
grounds around them. In the course Of a single
reign the spaces have been filed with palaces
and public structures worthy Of the dignity Of
modern capital; and the outlying districts have
been built up and adorned with equal taste and
Judgment. The march of Improvement has not
ended with the completion Of this inner circle Of
splendid thoroughfares. Every square OF the old
town is adorned with statuary: the waterfront
has been lined with granite quays and spanned
with handsome bridges; the approaches 10 the
Prater, the old time forest Of the imperial fam
fly. have been improved; and the streets have
been repaved with German thoroughness Vienna
Is the only great city which does not seem To BE-
in a transition stage. 1t is finished II has the
symmetry Of a perfect design carried out in
minute detail What might not be done in
Greater New-York during a sir gle generation Of
enlightened administration If equally sym
metrical plan were adopted and carried out for
improving the waterfront creating new thor
oughfares and treating the cities and districts
as integral parts Of harmonious whole?
Within the limits Of a single reign Vienna has
been transformed at once into an imperial
capital and into an art centre. Fifty years ago
there few good collections Of paintings in
a city where little had been done 20 promote
the revival of German art. The building OF the
Votive Church and the construction OF the pail
aces and museums Of the Ring impaired an i'm
pulse TO every branch OF art and the city is now
famous for its public and private collections. The
Imperial Picture Gallery Is inferior to the Louvre
and the Hermitage but it contains the master
piece OF Albert Dtirer and splendid examples Of
Venetian and Flemish art The Academy Of
Art has many treasures Of the Dutch school.
The hechtenstein Gallery abounds in flns works
by Rubans Dtck nd Ropi =