Hotel Metropole - Markus Friediger

The Hotel Metropole was built between 1871 and 1873 by the architects Carl Schumann and Ludwig Tischler on behalf of the Hotel Metropole-AG on Morzinplatz near Franz-Josefs-Kai for the World Exhibition in Vienna.

The Hotel Metropole, also known as the Hotel Metropol, was a luxury hotel and the largest hotel in Vienna at the time.

It was often referred to as the "Jewish Sacher".The reason for this name may have been its location on the edge of the Jewish textile district just opposite Leopoldstadt, and the fact that some of the Aktionäre were Jews or of Jewish origin. It was also a popular venue for Jewish parties, and in March 1938 the hotel was confiscated by the National Socialists, who set up the Vienna State Police Headquarters there and turned the hotel into the Gestapo headquarters. On March 12, 1945, the former Métropole burned down during a heavy air raid on Vienna, and according to other witnesses, the fire was set by the Gestapo itself in order to destroy any traces. In the mid-twenties, Markus Friediger and the Klein family were the main actionére.Markus Friediger was born on October 20, 1875 in Andrichau /Andrychów / Galicia.he was an entrepreneur and hotelier.In addition to the Hotel Métropole in Vienna, he also owned the Hotel Hessler in Berlin, the Hotel Grünwald in Munich, the Hotel Grünwald in Partenkirchen, the "Café Stadt Wien" in Munich and the "Café Regina Palast" in Dresden.He also owned extensive properties in various communities, including Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which was used as the location for the Olympic Village for the 1936 Winter Olympics. Markus Friediger was married to Hedwig Friediger, née Klein, born on November 18, 1878 in Vienna. The couple had three children - Karl, Anna Maria and Leopold. Markus and Hedwig Friediger were deported from Cologne to Riga on July 12, 1941 and murdered there.