Austria's Resilience: Surviving World War Ii

Austria was damaged during World War II, with Vienna and Innsbruck suffering heavy damage from Allied bombing campaigns. Vienna was the main target of the Allied strategic bombing campaign in Austria, with the city bombed 52 times during the war, primarily by the United States Air Force. Innsbruck, a transport hub, was bombed 22 times.

Vienna was bombed 52 times

Vienna, the capital of Austria, was bombed 52 times during World War II. The city suffered extensive damage, with thousands dead, injured, and left homeless.

The first raid on Austria was conducted by the Soviets on September 4, 1942, with Vienna as one of the targets. However, the major bombing of Austria started with an attack on Wiener Neustadt by US command on August 13, 1943. The US air force, together with the British 205th squadron, carried out bombing raids on Austria until 1945 from their Italian bases.

Vienna was the main target of the Allied strategic bombing campaign in Austria. The city was heavily damaged, with more than 20% of its housing stock partly or completely destroyed, leaving almost 87,000 homes uninhabitable. In addition to residential areas, bridges, electric lines, sewers, gas, and water pipes were also severely damaged. The city was left with only 41 transportation vehicles.

The heaviest civilian raids took place in February and March 1945, with 80,000 tons of bombs dropped by US and British aircraft, resulting in the destruction of more than 12,000 buildings and leaving 270,000 people homeless. The Vienna State Opera, St. Stephen's Cathedral, and other cultural landmarks were among those damaged or destroyed.

Vienna's air defences included a ring of anti-aircraft batteries and three pairs of Flak towers—large anti-aircraft gun blockhouses built within the city. However, by the autumn of 1944, due to a lack of fuel, artillery on the ground became the primary defence against air raids. Despite these efforts, Vienna endured significant destruction, with the city's infrastructure and markets, such as the Karmelitermarkt and the Floridsdorfer Markt, suffering extensive damage.

Innsbruck was bombed 22 times

Austria was not initially a target for Allied bombing campaigns during World War II, as it was not heavily industrialized and had fewer war industries compared to neighbouring Germany. However, Innsbruck, a city in western Austria, was bombed 22 times by the Allies between December 1943 and April 1945. As a major transport hub and railroad supply centre for German forces in Italy, Innsbruck was a strategic target.

The first attack on Innsbruck, on 15 December 1943, was the most devastating. The 15th US Air Force sent 48 B17 Fortress bombers and 39 P38 fighters to destroy the city's railway systems. The result was catastrophic: 269 people were killed, 500 were wounded, and 1,627 were left homeless. The city centre was also severely damaged.

The 13th attack on Innsbruck, on 16 December 1944, marked a shift in strategy, with a higher percentage of delayed-action and incendiary bombs being used. This indicated that Innsbruck was no longer considered a strategic target, and the high number of civilian buildings destroyed and the significant death toll suggest that this was a case of "morale bombing".

By the time the war ended in Innsbruck on 3 May 1945, with the arrival of the US 103rd Infantry Division, 60% of the city's buildings had been damaged, and 461 people had lost their lives. Many historic monuments were also destroyed, including the Servitenkloster monastery, the Bartholomäuskapelle (one of the oldest buildings in Innsbruck), the Landhaus (the old federal state parliament), the city hall, Innsbruck Cathedral, and the Stift Wilten monastery.

Vienna's St Stephen's Cathedral was destroyed

Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral, a symbol of the city and the country's most important Gothic building, suffered destruction during World War II. The cathedral, located in the oldest part of Vienna, was destroyed in the final days of the war.

On April 11, 1945, the church was set on fire, burning the entire wooden roof truss of the nave. The fire caused the vaulting to collapse, burying the Gothic choir stalls. The following day, a 22-ton bomb struck the church's floor, leaving only the clapper of the bell intact. The fire severely damaged the roof, causing it to collapse. The blaze also destroyed the bells in the south tower and caused the wooden framework of the north tower's roof to be lost.

St. Stephen's Cathedral was not alone in its destruction. Vienna and Innsbruck were heavily damaged by Allied bombing raids. Vienna, in particular, was a primary target due to its oil fields and petro-chemical centre. The city endured 52 air raids, resulting in the destruction of about 20% of its housing stock, leaving nearly 87,000 homes uninhabitable. Bridges, electric lines, sewers, and gas and water pipes were severely damaged, and thousands lost their lives.

The reconstruction of St. Stephen's Cathedral began immediately after the war, with donations from the population funding the restoration. The church fully reopened in 1952, though conservation work continued until the 1980s.

Vienna's State Opera House was destroyed

Vienna's State Opera House, also known as the Wiener Staatsoper, was indeed destroyed during World War II.

On March 12, 1945, the opera house was devastated by an American bombardment intended for the Raffinerie in Floridsdorf. The building burned for two days, destroying the auditorium and stage, as well as almost all the decor and around 150,000 costumes. The opera house was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road, and its destruction was a significant loss.

The front section of the opera house, which had been walled off as a precaution, remained intact. This included the foyer, with frescoes by Moritz von Schwind, the main stairways, the vestibule, and the tea room. The State Opera temporarily relocated to the Theater an der Wien and the Vienna Volksoper while the original building was rebuilt.

The decision was made to restore the opera house to its original state, and reconstruction began immediately after the war. The main restoration experts were Ernst Kolb (1948-1952) and Udo Illig (1953-1956). The Austrian Federal Chancellor Leopold Figl aimed to have a functioning opera house again by 1949, and an architectural competition was held, which was won by Erich Boltenstern.

The rebuilt opera house opened on November 5, 1955, with a performance of Beethoven's Fidelio, conducted by Karl Böhm. The new auditorium had a reduced capacity of about 2,276, including 567 standing room places. The facade, entrance hall, and "Schwind" foyer were restored to their original style.

Vienna's transport system was targeted

The Allies targeted Vienna's transport system as part of their broader strategy to disrupt German supply lines and cripple the country's infrastructure. The city's transport network was well-developed, with a subway system, streetcars, and buses, making it a crucial hub for German forces. The first American raid on Vienna targeted the refinery at Floridsdorf and mined the Danube on March 17, 1944. This was followed by regular attacks on Austrian industrial and transportation centres throughout 1944 and into early 1945.

The Allies also targeted Innsbruck, a major rail hub in western Austria, through which German forces in Italy were supplied. The destruction of these transport hubs severely disrupted the movement of supplies and personnel for the German military.

Vienna's transport system suffered extensive damage as a result of these attacks. Bridges were destroyed, and electric lines, sewers, gas, and water pipes were severely damaged. The city was left with only 41 transportation vehicles, and an estimated 3,000 bomb craters were counted across the city. The transport system was largely wrecked, hindering the delivery of supplies to farmers and the transport of food from rural areas to the cities.

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