Urania Observatory Building And Aspernbrucke At Night, Seen From Schwedenbrucke In Viena. Editorial Photo

Urania Observatory, in German: Urania Sternwarte, was built in 1909 Art Nouveau style at the outlet of the Wien River and was opened in 1910 by Franz Joseph I of Austria as an educational facility with a public observatory. It was named after the Muse Urania who represents Astronomy. Presently the Urania also has seminar rooms in which wide-ranging classes and lectures are given, a movie theater that screens at the annual Viennale movie festival and a puppet theater created originally by actor Hans Kraus. The Urania moreover contains a memorial room for the Kindertransport organized by the Dutch resistance fighter and humanitarian Mrs Gertruida Wijsmuller-Meijer. It also hosts a restaurant, and is the oldest public observatory in Austria. Viena, Europe.