The west façade of the university

The finest sgraffito art

The facades of the University of Vienna are designed by architect Heinrich von Ferstel in the Classical style. This is most clearly seen on the rear façade, rich in sgraffito decoration, originally designed by August Eisenmenger in 1884.

The term sgraffito comes from the Italian “sgraffiare” meaning “to scratch”. This technique, especially popular in the 16th century in Italy and Bohemia, involves covering a wall surface with various layers of plaster in different colours.

Only a small part of the sgraffito used to decorate the west façade of the University of Vienna in 1884 survives today. The sgraffiti in the 9 closed round arch windows on the 2nd floor each show 3 figures beneath baldachins. They can be identified as scientists by their books, scrolls and writing instruments.