Great personalities

Franz I, the "good emperor", came to Baden for the first time in 1796 to take a cure and promptly fell in love with the lovely little town south of Vienna. From then on, he spent almost every summer in Baden and from 1804 - 1834 he designated the town as his official "imperial summer residence". Architecture, art and garden culture experienced a heyday at this time, architects such as Carl von Moreau, Josef Kornhäusel and Otto Wagner[L1]  left their mark in the form of noble town houses, palaces or beautiful squares.

Within a short time, the presence of the emperor caused an influx of aristocrats and wealthy citizens, who had wonderful buildings erected in Baden. The reputation of the town was further enhanced by the presence of renowned artists and composers. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Strauss father and son, Franz Grillparzer are just a few in a list of eminent personalities who regularly sojourned in the city. Beethoven composed his 9th symphony with the "Ode to Joy" here, which is why Baden is also called the "City of the European Anthem". The great composers of this time founded a cultural tradition in Baden, which continues to this day.