Picture: Verena Melgarejo Weinandt.
The following text forms part of an ongoing research project on the commemorations of Christopher Columbus in Vienna, initiated on 12 October 2014. Across the city, multiple sites commemorate Columbus, some of the most recent constructions dating from 2007. In Austria more broadly, Columbus remains a figure of present relevance, as demonstrated by the continued circulation of his image within the public sphere and its mobilization in contemporary symbolic and economic contexts to signify progress, discovery, and entrepreneurial success, evidenced by the many companies that continue to bear his name.
The first statue dedicated to Christopher Columbus in Vienna was a statue erected in 1862 on the façade of the Handelsakademie, today the Vienna Business School, alongside an statue of Adam Smith. This institutional placement linked the commemoration of Columbus to sites of economic education and the formation of commercial subjectivities. Most notably, this early commemoration positioned the city among the earliest European urban centers outside Italy and Spain to monumentalize him. Something particularly significant given the broader European timeline: by 1862, Spain itself had established only two of what are now approximately ninety-eight commemorative sites dedicated to Columbus. Salamanca is recorded as the first city to install a monument or plaque, followed by Barcelona with a portrait medallion. The principal monument of Columbus in Madrid was constructed between 1881 and 1885, while the Barcelona monument followed between 1881 and 1888.
A chronology of homages to Columbus around the world can be found in the Columbus Monument Pages (1), although for Vienna only 4 sites are mentioned.
*List of places where Columbus is commemorated:
1. Columbusdenkmal Handelsakademie, 1862
The Entrance of the Vienna Business School (Handelsakademie I der Wiener Kaufmannschaft, 1862) has two statues: Adam Smith to the left and Columbus to the right, standing, with a map showing the Americas in his left hand, to which he is pointing with his other hand.
The Entrance of the Vienna Business School (Handelsakademie I der Wiener Kaufmannschaft, 1862) has two statues: Adam Smith to the left and Columbus to the right, standing, with a map showing the Americas in his left hand, to which he is pointing with his other hand.
In its entry of the monument, the historical website of the city of Vienna describes Columbus as the "Entdecker Amerikas" (discoverer of the Americas):
"Columbusdenkmal (1, Akademiestraße 12, vor der Handelsakademie), Standbild aus Stein (mit Schiffsgeräten) von Josef Cesar (1862) für den Entdecker Amerikas (1492), Christoph Columbus (italienisch Cristoforo Colombo, spanisch Cristóbal Colón, * zwischen 25. August und 31. Oktober 1451 Genua, Italien, † 20. Mai 1506 Valladolid, Spanien)." (2)
More recent pictures show that a plaque has been added to the statue of Columbus which reads:
"Christoph Columbus (um 1451 - 1506) hat auf der Suche nach dem Seeweg nach Indien Amerika (wieder) entdeckt. Zum Zeitpunkt der Errichtung dieser Schule im Jahre 1862 stand Columbus für Entdeckermut und Handel (Export). Heute werden sein Streben nach Macht und Gold und die Versklavung der indigenen Bevölkerung kritisch betrachtet."
"Christopher Columbus (c. 1451–1506) (re)discovered America while searching for a sea route to India. At the time this school was founded in 1862, Columbus represented the spirit of exploration and trade (export). Today, his pursuit of power and gold, as well as the enslavement of the indigenous population, are viewed critically."
Location: Wien 1, Akademiestraße 12. Across Karlsplatz and next to Brut.
https://www.wien.gv.at/verkehr/strassen/archiv/grossprojekte/favoriten.html Accessed 12.10.2013
Foto: Imayna Caceres, 2017.
Previous Location: Columbusgasse 66, facing Rotenhofgasse, in Vienna's 10th Bezirk.
Campaign of Stiegl, taken in August 2016.
Columbus in Austrian imaginary:
https://www.imaynacaceres.com/2020/06/columbus-falling-down.html
Entry published 28.10.2014
The addition of a plaque functions as a gesture of acknowledgment about the existence of criticism while avoiding an condemnation of Columbus’s legacy and colonial violence.
Photo credits 1-3: Verena Melgarejo Weinandt. Photo 4: Google Maps.
2. Columbusgasse, 1864
Named after Christopher Columbus on December 1, 1864 by the District Committee Wieden. Implemented the 5 July 1894 on the Inzersdorfer Canongasse and part of the Neuburgergasse (September 9, 1969 Council Committee for Culture (Gemeinderatsausschuss für Kultur). In 1874 this section that belongs to the 4th district of Wieden passes to belong to the 10th district of Favoriten.
Named after Christopher Columbus on December 1, 1864 by the District Committee Wieden. Implemented the 5 July 1894 on the Inzersdorfer Canongasse and part of the Neuburgergasse (September 9, 1969 Council Committee for Culture (Gemeinderatsausschuss für Kultur). In 1874 this section that belongs to the 4th district of Wieden passes to belong to the 10th district of Favoriten.
Photos updated via Google Maps. Accessed 09.01.2026. Click on for larger images.
3. Columbusplatz, 1864
Columbusplatz is located in Favoriten, the 10th district of Vienna. It was named after Christopher Columbus, in 1874, the year Favoriten became its own district. According to an original source, the square's name was established as early as 1864.[1] Built on 1864 it was renovated in 1983.
Columbusplatz lies in the oldest part of Favoriten, between Laxenburger Straße and Favoritenstraße (formerly Himberger Straße until 1903). It was originally a marketplace from which the planned development of Favoriten began. Since 2005, it has been part of the Favoritenstraße pedestrian zone, with several restaurants such as the Columbus restaurant and the Columbuscenter shopping mall. Designed by architect Luigi Blau, the square features seating areas with benches and fountains. An underground parking garage with an entrance from Laxenburger Straße lies beneath the square.
Before the construction of the subway began here in 1971, tram lines O and 66 (both south of the square on Laxenburger Straße) and 67 (Favoritenstraße) ran via Columbusplatz. Between Südtiroler Platz and Columbusplatz, all three lines ran southbound on Laxenburger Straße and northbound on Favoritenstraße. At the square, trams changed to the appropriate street for onward travel. Trams coming from the city center could also turn around at the square to head towards the city center. As the last remaining line after the opening of the U1 subway in 1978, the O tram used these track connections until 2003, when work began to clear the square for traffic. Since 2003, the O line's track has also run north of the square for northbound travel on Laxenburger Straße, where a stop is still located at Columbusplatz.
https://www.wien.gv.at/wiki/index.php/Columbusplatz. Accessed 12.10.2013
https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/Columbusplatz. Accessed 10.10.2024https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/Columbushof Accessed 10.10.2024:
https://www.meinbezirk.at/favoriten/c-lokales/columbushof_a776945 Accessed 10.10.2024
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbusplatz Accessed 09.01.2026
4. Naturhistorisches Museum, 1891
Façade statues at the Museum of Natural History, 1880s. One of the 108 historical figures represented —all men. Columbus is next to Fernão de Magalhães and Vasco da Gama. "10 statues in niches: devoted to the discoveries and the events of the world, indicating that have suddenly expanded the horizon of observation and knowledge, 34 statues on the balustrades, 64 heads: the personal moments of progress, represented by the chronological sequence of statues of great men, of will and inquiry". Sculptor: Anton Schmidgruber (Wiener Akademie der bildenden Künste).
Location: Wien 1, Burgring 7. Naturhistorisches Museum.
Façade statues at the Museum of Natural History, 1880s. One of the 108 historical figures represented —all men. Columbus is next to Fernão de Magalhães and Vasco da Gama. "10 statues in niches: devoted to the discoveries and the events of the world, indicating that have suddenly expanded the horizon of observation and knowledge, 34 statues on the balustrades, 64 heads: the personal moments of progress, represented by the chronological sequence of statues of great men, of will and inquiry". Sculptor: Anton Schmidgruber (Wiener Akademie der bildenden Künste).
"Fassade gegen den Maria Theresien Platz. In den Nischen neben dem Fenster links Columbus, der Entdecker Amerikas, rechts Vasco da Gama, der Entdecker des Seeweges nach Indien (Anton Schmidgruber)." Source: https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/VNHM_NF_013_0084-0096.pdf
"Nischenfiguren des linken Eckrisalites: Columbus"
Source: https://erdteilallegorien.univie.ac.at/erdteilallegorien/wien-pb-wien-naturhistorisches-museum#
Source: https://erdteilallegorien.univie.ac.at/erdteilallegorien/wien-pb-wien-naturhistorisches-museum#
Location: Wien 1, Burgring 7. Naturhistorisches Museum.
Façade of the Naturhistorisches Museum. Photo credit: Imayna Caceres.
4. Columbushof, 1892
Columbushof is a residential and commercial building dating from the second half of the 19th century located on Columbushof 6. on the 10. district. It was built in 1892 by the architects Josef and Anton Drexler from the Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien and extensively renovated in 1983. In the center of the building are relief medallions depicting Columbus and the English privateer (government sanctioned pirate) Francis Drake. The top floor is decorated with facade paintings depicting Bacchus and a figure in medieval dress and the bottom features the figures of Atlases. (From Wikipedia)
4. Columbushof, 1892
Columbushof is a residential and commercial building dating from the second half of the 19th century located on Columbushof 6. on the 10. district. It was built in 1892 by the architects Josef and Anton Drexler from the Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien and extensively renovated in 1983. In the center of the building are relief medallions depicting Columbus and the English privateer (government sanctioned pirate) Francis Drake. The top floor is decorated with facade paintings depicting Bacchus and a figure in medieval dress and the bottom features the figures of Atlases. (From Wikipedia)
Location: Wien 10, Columbusplatz 6.
Photo credit: Imayna Caceres
Photo credit: @Wikimedia Commons / Thomas Ledl / CC BY-SA 3.0 AT
5. Relief portrait Am Hof 2, 1912-14
Built in 1912-1914 after a design of the architects Ernst von Gotthilf-Miskolczy and Alexander Neumann. It is located next to the relief portraits of Gutenberg, Volta and Ressel. The sculptor artist is likely Wilhelm Heyda. The ministry of war was located here until 1913. (3)
Location: Wien 1, Am Hof 2.
5. Relief portrait Am Hof 2, 1912-14
Built in 1912-1914 after a design of the architects Ernst von Gotthilf-Miskolczy and Alexander Neumann. It is located next to the relief portraits of Gutenberg, Volta and Ressel. The sculptor artist is likely Wilhelm Heyda. The ministry of war was located here until 1913. (3)
Location: Wien 1, Am Hof 2.
A detailed history of the building can be found on this site of the city of Vienna: https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/Am_Hof_2
Photo credit: @Wikimedia Commons / Thomas Ledl / CC BY-SA 3.0 AT
6. Columbuscenter Shopping center, 2005
A mall at Columbusplatz that features a visible outward steel and glass structure in the shape of an egg, which protrudes from the glass facade. This in reference to the apocryphal story of the 'Egg of Columbus'. Built in a pedestrian zones of Favoritenstraße, Columbus Center opened on April 28, 2005.
A mall at Columbusplatz that features a visible outward steel and glass structure in the shape of an egg, which protrudes from the glass facade. This in reference to the apocryphal story of the 'Egg of Columbus'. Built in a pedestrian zones of Favoritenstraße, Columbus Center opened on April 28, 2005.
Location: Wien 10.
https://www.wien.gv.at/verkehr/strassen/archiv/grossprojekte/favoriten.html Accessed 12.10.2013
https://presse.wien.gv.at/2005/02/02/columbus-center-neuer-bezirksmittelpunkt-fuer-favoriten. Accessed 10.10.2024.
7. AK Bibliothek Tableau, 1960
The tableau was noticed by the author in 2017 while using the library of the Arbeiterkammer for writing. It consists of three tableaus depicting eleven historical figures, following an architectural tradition that foregrounds male thinkers and explorers. The first tableau features Socrates, Plato, Pythagoras, and Democritus; the second depicts Francis of Assisi, Dante Alighieri, and Bernard of Clairvaux; and the third shows Columbus, Galileo Galilei, and Erasmus. The Arbeiterkammer library was opened in 1922. In 1960 it moved to its current building in the Prinz-Eugen-Straße 20-22.
Tableau 1: Socrates 470-399 / Platon 427-347 / Pytagoras 552-492 / Democrit 460-370
Tableau 2: Franz Assisi 1182 1226 / Dante Aligheri 1265 1321 / Bernard de Clairvaux
Tableau 3: Columbus 1451-1506 / Galilleo Galilei 1564 1642 / Erasmus 1465-1536
https://wien.arbeiterkammer.at/service/bibliothek/wir_ueber_uns/Geschichte_der_Bibliothek.html
Foto: Imayna Caceres, 2017.
8. Mosaic in Columbusgasse, 1966-2022?
Installed in 1966, the mosaic shows Columbus arriving to North America although in reality he never set foot there. Columbus appears holding the Spanish flag next to one of his caravels and the seal of the United States. The mosaic is on the northern façade of the building on Columbusgasse 66. The sculptor artist was Emerich Sandig. While the mosaic was still visible until June 2019, it was no longer displayed on the building as of June 2022.
Installed in 1966, the mosaic shows Columbus arriving to North America although in reality he never set foot there. Columbus appears holding the Spanish flag next to one of his caravels and the seal of the United States. The mosaic is on the northern façade of the building on Columbusgasse 66. The sculptor artist was Emerich Sandig. While the mosaic was still visible until June 2019, it was no longer displayed on the building as of June 2022.
https://www.wien.gv.at/wiki/index.php/Columbusgasse Accessed 28.10.2014
https://statues.vanderkrogt.net/object.php?webpage=ST&record=atwi001 Accessed 28.10.2014
Companies in Vienna that use the name of Columbus for their business or products.
Campaign of Stiegl, taken in August 2016.While in Austria there are several locations where Columbus is commemorated in plaques, medallions and statues, what is more noticeable is that Columbus is used as a figure of present relevance. Several companies invoke him as a positive reference to which they want to associate a spirit of being adventurous, intrepid, daring and a "discoverer". Traveling agencies and language schools are named after someone who never arrived at his desired destination and who didn't learn the local languages but who captured locals to act as translators. Some examples include:
Fahrschule Columbus: driving school founded in 1970 which has a caravel as its logo. Located in the Columbusgasse in the 10. district, and the Lasallestrasse in the 2. district.
Stiegl "Columbus 1492": ale beer launched in August 2016, that makes reference to the year the Stiegl factory was born. Campaign posters began with phrases like: "Discover Columbus 1492”. A large banner in the Votivkirche church read "11.Commandment, you will discover a new beer”. #stieglcolumbus. Their television ad had a white man looking to the horizon.
Columbus-Cargo Intern. Expeditions: Ocean, air and rail cargo. Located in the 2. district.
Columbus Ihre Reisbüro: columbus-reisen.at in the 22. district.
I found more listed business companies in this website: https://simil.io/suchen/industries/columbus
https://simil.io/suchen/company/columbus
The site shows business which use the name under the following rubrik: Reisebüros, Fahrschule, Spedition & Logistik, Ausbauelemente, Informationsdienste, Immobilienmakler, Messen & Ausstellungen, Fotografie & Fotolabors, Restaurants, Buffets, Werbegrafik, Hausrat.
Photo: Verena Melgarejo Weinandt.
https://www.imaynacaceres.com/2020/06/columbus-falling-down.html
Entry published 28.10.2014
Notes
(1) Not all the data is up to date on the Columbus Monument Pages site, but it is nevertheless a wide compilation. https://www.vanderkrogt.net/statues/chronologie.php?webpage=CO Accessed 28.10.2014
(2) Source for the Columbus denkmal: https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/Columbusdenkmal. Accessed 28.10.2014 (Link active as of January 2026).
https://www.digital.wienbibliothek.at/wbrobv/content/pageview/1113386. Accessed 09.01.2026
(3) https://statues.vanderkrogt.net/