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Thomas Ledl – Own work
Anchor clock, Hoher Markt, Vienna – File:Anchor clock, Hoher Markt, Vienna.jpg – Wikimedia Commons What is the significance of the anchor watch? Why and when was it built? How can you interpret the symbolism? Who was the architect of the beautiful Art Nouveau clock?
Every day at 12 noon on the dot, guests from all over the world gather in front of the Anchor Clock at Hoher Markt? Why? Twelve important historical figures from Austrian history make a complete round of the clock within 15 minutes, accompanied by music. It begins with Marcus Aurelius and the Roman period in Vienna and continues to Joseph Haydn’s “Creation”. Maria Theresa and her husband should not be missing, of course.
What details can you recognize? The time is displayed on a horizontal bar. Every hour is announced with a sonorous tone . The clock has a span of 10m and a height of 7.5m. The sun is enthroned above the clock, flanked by a child with a butterfly on the left(symbolizing birth and life) and with an hourglass and a skull on the right(symbolizing death and elapsed time). Below the clock is the basilisk – a legendary Viennese figure. The mosaic on the clock face shows the coat of arms of the old Viennese civic flag as well as twelve shields with symbols from the world of work and private life.
The program of figures thus shows the transience of life and is probably intended to indicate the need to take out appropriate insurance.
Which famous figures can you see?
- Marcus Aurelius
- Charlemagne
- Leopold VI, the Glorious with Theodora
- Walter von der Vogelweide, minstrel
- Rudolf of Habsburg
- Master builder Hans Puchsbaum
- Emperor Maximilian
- Mayor Johann Andreas von Liebenberg
- Count Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg
- Prince Eugene of Savoy
- Maria Theresa and her husband Franz Stephan of Lorraine
- Joseph Haydn
The insurance company “Der Anker” bought the site in 1861 and had the prestigious Ankerhof built. It is actually a bridge that connects both parts of the Anker-Hof (the
former insurance company, now Helvetia). The Art Nouveau decoration of the clock is by the artist Franz Matsch (a colleague of Gustav Klimt). The clockwork was made by
k.u.k. Court and Chamber Clockmaker Franz Morawetz. The anchor clock was built from 1911-14 .
The Ankeruhr is located on Hoher Markt, one of the oldest squares in Vienna, which was already inhabited in Roman times . The nearby Roman Museum bears witness to this In the Middle Ages, the courthouse, the so-called Schranne with pillory and place of execution, was located here. Later there were guild and patrician houses here. The baroque “Vermählungsbrunnen” fountain (built in 1729-32 by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach) in the middle of the square is also worth seeing.
The clock was completely restored in 2005 and is now a listed building. At Christmas time, Christmas carols are played at 5pm and 6pm.
Time Travel TipArrive at the clock shortly before 12 noon to be able to see and photograph the spectacle from the front row. There is a good sausage stand and a good ice cream parlor at Hoher Markt . The “Bermuda Triangle” just around the corner also offers you a variety of restaurants for lunch afterwards.
More information: History & Idea | Helvetia
