Big wheel (Riesenrad)Oblique view from Prater
Pictured against the sun
The engineer Walter B.Basset, an british marine-lieutnant, built from November 1896 8 months up to the festivals to 50th return of the accession emperors Franz Josef I. 1897 a gigantic iron wheel, as he had constructed before in London, Lackpool and Chicago. The wheel was found at the attraction "Venice in Vienna" and was pursued with great success. In the year 1914 the Riesenrad was closed and used as military watchpoint. After the a landowner did not want to extend the lease, a court decision demanded the demolition up to February 28, 1916. The owners, heirs of Mr.Basset (died 1907), did not have the money to it and so the Riesenrad wqas executed and sold in an auction to Mr.Eduard Steiner, a descendant of the entrepreneur Gabor Steiner. He also did not have the money for the demolition and he decided to lease the Riesenrad.
1938 the Riesenrad was "arisiert", Eduard Steiner, a Czech, died in a concentration camp.
On September 16, 1944 the Riesenrad burned by virtue of the bombs thrown off by the allied forces. After worldwar II in November 1945 a company ("Praterbetriebsgesellschaft") was founded, whose goal was the reconstruction of the Riesenrad. The opening took place on May 25, 1946.
1953 restitution to the heirs of Eduard Steiner. But they could not leave Czechoslovakia and sold their shares of Dr.Lamac, already companions in a common GmbH&CoKG (like a Ltd.). 1961 he offered the Riesenrad to the community of Vienna to the purchase, they refused.
Dr.Lamac died in the year 1972. In January 2001 the known senior partner died, the senior-CEO of Riesenrad and heiress after Dr.Lamac, the attorney Elisabeth Petritsch.
The Riesenrad is not only known from the film "The third man" but also from 15th James-Bond-Film "The Living Daylights" from the year 1986.
Every year there are 1 million visitors of the Riesenrad.
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