Application rejected

Viennese hackney carriages will not become world cultural heritage after all

Part of the Viennese cityscape: the horse-drawn carriage

(Bild: Martin Jöchl)

The Viennese hackney carriages have been rejected by the World Heritage Organization UNESCO with their application to be included in the list of intangible cultural assets. Animal rights activists are delighted. They are calling for an end to the carriage driving tradition in Vienna. 

Horse-drawn carriages have been part of the Viennese cityscape for what feels like ages. Tourists enjoy riding them, as do some Viennese. Animal rights activists, on the other hand, would like to ban the horses from the city altogether.

The Viennese hackney carriages have now suffered a setback: UNESCO has rejected the carriage drivers' application to be included in the list of intangible cultural assets. A UNESCO spokesperson explained to the "Krone" that a new submission is possible under very special conditions. De facto, however, a rejection means the end of the World Heritage ambitions.

"We hope that this decision will lead to a rethink, that the time of the Viennese horse-drawn carriages is over! Now we have to initiate a quick exit as soon as possible!" says Georg Prinz from the VGT. The animal welfare organization sees the old tradition as cruelty to animals. And Vier Pfoten explains: "Today is a good day for animal welfare! The fact that the UNESCO Commission has rejected the application of the horse-drawn carriage companies is a reason to rejoice."

Blacksmiths and "royal calls" now World Heritage Sites
The local farriers can also rejoice. They have been added to the coveted list (Austria-wide). Likewise, "Köningsrufen", a card game from the Tarock family, can now "hang" the World Heritage title around its neck.

In Vienna, the Heurigen, the coffee houses, the round dance on the ice and the Tschauner Bühen are all part of the World Heritage.