Gedenktafel für Josef Stalin, Bronze commemorative plaque in Meidling, Vienna, Austria.
The Gedenktafel für Josef Stalin at Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 30 is a marble slab with a bronze relief portrait of Stalin and a German inscription, mounted on the exterior of the building that now houses Pension Schönbrunn in Meidling. A second plaque added in 2012 refers to the millions of victims of the communist dictator.
The plaque was installed in December 1949 by the Communist Party of Austria to mark Stalin's 70th birthday and a previous stay at this address. A second memorial was added in 2012 to acknowledge victims of Stalin's rule.
The plaque marks a moment when communist organizations in the West could still openly honor political leaders. It shows how different nations have chosen to reckon with their Cold War past.
The plaque is located on the exterior of an occupied building and is easily visible from the street without special access requirements. Visitors can view it at any time without restrictions.
During the 1956 Hungarian uprising the plaque was splashed with paint in protest, and Vienna's city administration restored it. Even a request from Nikita Khrushchev to remove it went unfulfilled; in 1991 Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze wrote to Leopold Gratz on the matter.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,601 contributors worldwide.