The drinking pump room Bad Ischl used to be part of a former
hospital, and today it is an architectural monument and is under
state protection. The pump room was built by Franz Loessl in 1829
and received its first visitors in 1831. To be fair, it should be
noted that a drinking hall already existed in Bad Ischl. The new
building with Corinthian columns, however, helped attract a wider
audience, which immediately affected the popularity of the resort.
Guests were offered not only mineral waters for drinking and
bathing, but also serum, which was extremely rare for that time.
In the period between 1851 and 1853, two wings were added to the
building, which significantly expanded the pump room's capacity.
However, in the XX century the pump-room fell into decay and in
the 60s the possibility of its demolition was even considered. After
long disputes, it was decided not only to cancel the demolition, but
also to carry out the restoration measures that are so necessary for
the building.
Today, within the walls of the former pump
room, the Bad Ischl Tourism Office is located, exhibitions of
various types are held, as well as international receptions. In
particular, in 1999, proclaimed the Year of Strauss, the exhibition
“Johann Strauss, What I Know About Him. Shine and Darkness in the
Life of the Waltz King. In 2006, a meeting of the ministers of youth
affairs of the European community took place, and in 2008 the
exhibition People, Myths, Monarchs opened its doors, which tells
about the importance of Bad Ischl in the life of the Austrian
imperial family.
Story
The drinking hall was built in 1829 by Franz Lössl in the
classical style as a brine bath and was put into operation in 1831.
There was already a first bathing room in Ischl in 1823, set up by the
saline physician Josef Goerz. The new building received a gallery with
Corinthian columns. In the early years, the facility was named Solbad or
Wirerbad after Franz Wirer, the Viennese personal physician of Emperor
Franz Joseph I. Wirer established Ischl's fame as a summer resort and
health resort. In addition to various baths, drinking cures with whey
were administered. Spa guests met in the conversation salon. Between
1851 and 1853 the building was extended by two side wings.
In the
20th century the building was temporarily neglected. In the 1960s the
drinking hall was to be demolished; finally it was decided to preserve
it. In 1963 extensive renovations began. In 2005, the federal state of
Upper Austria, which owned the once again neglected building, exchanged
the pump room near the town of Bad Ischl for areas of the old building
yard. In March 2006, the Bad Ischler Council passed the "Statute for the
establishment of the drinking hall as a business with market-oriented
activities in the municipality of Bad Ischl". He decided on a conversion
and renovation plan that provided for total costs of 1.9 million euros.
During the refurbishment in 2007, the original off-white color scheme
was restored in addition to work on the interior; The palmettes and
acanthus leaves of the pillars are gold again. The forecourt was also
redesigned. The drinking fountain, which no longer exists, is to be
re-erected.
The drinking hall is used by the Bad Ischl spa administration; the Bad Ischl Tourist Association is also housed there. In 1999, Strauss Year, the exhibition "Johann Strauss: What's my business? Splendor and Darkness in the Life of the Waltz King". In March 2006 she served the mayor of Bad Ischl to receive the youth ministers of the EU states at their informal meeting in Bad Ischl. As part of the Upper Austrian State Exhibition 2008, the exhibition "People, Myths, Monarchs" was shown in the drinking hall. It gave an impression of the importance of Bad Ischl from its heyday as the summer residence of the Austrian imperial family to the present day.