Ditteshof, Protected residential complex in Döbling, Austria

Ditteshof is a residential complex comprising 279 apartments arranged around a central courtyard with alternating tower buildings and cubic structures extending along Heiligenstädter Straße. The complex contains community facilities such as shops, a kindergarten, bathing facilities, and a festive hall serving the daily needs of residents.

Built between 1928 and 1929 by architect Arnold Karplus, the complex was named after German educational reformer Friedrich Dittes. Its design reflects the architectural style of interwar Vienna and embodies the social housing ideals of that era.

The courtyard displays a 1932 relief by Georg Ehrlich showing two embracing children, commemorating a solidarity action where residents housed children from homeless families. This artwork reflects the social unity that shaped the founding of this residential complex.

The site is freely accessible and the courtyard can be visited at any time to view the architecture and artworks. The best time to visit is during daylight hours when the buildings and artistic details are clearly visible.

A second relief in the courtyard, made by Georg Ehrlich in 1932, shows two children embracing and carries an inscription about Viennese workers taking in children from Austria's poorest areas. It recalls residents housing children of homeless families from Steyr, Lower Austria and Styria in 1931/32.