Come stand in a place of history! Heldenplatz (Heroes' Square) was designed in the nineteenth century by Gottfried Semper as the central square of the Kaiserforum. An enormous plan was made for the Kaiserforum; however, only the south wing of the Neue Burg was completed before the Habsburgs' reign came to an end.
Heldenplatz is named for two Austrian war heroes. Prince Eugène of Savoy defeated the Turks in the seventeenth century; Archduke Charles defeated Napoleon in 1809. Each is honored with an equestrian statue created by Anton Dominik Fernkorn.
In the direction of the Ringstraße there is a triumphal arch, known as Burgtor. The arch commemorates the Battle of Leipzig, where Austria and its allies defeated Napoleon's troops.
There is a dark side to Heldenplatz's history. It is notorious as the site where Hitler announced the Anschluss (the annexation of Austria), where a large enthusiastic crowd greeted him.