Vienna's lost castle: Topography and lordship in the early city

This article draws upon recent research in the area around Judenplatz and Am Hof, above all on excavations at Judenplatz and structural archaeology in the so-called Palais Collalto (Am Hof 13/Parisergasse 1).

Vienna was built on the site of the Roman fort Vindobona, which was abandoned in the early fifth century. Although pottery has shown that from the ninth century onwards people were living within the north-eastern corner of the defences, by the early twelfth century the settlement was still confined largely to this original nucleus. Two roads, Tuchlauben and Wipplingerstrasse, in the thirteenth century known as Wildwerkerstrasse, connected the southern and western gates of the fort respectively with the settled area. Vienna had three churches at this time, St. Rupert's, St. Peter's and St. Stephen's, apparently at least one market, Kienmarkt, and possibly a castle, the Berghof.