Elysium was the name of two entertainment venues created in Vienna by the court confectioner Josef Georg Daum (1789–1854), which existed from 1833 to 1864 and were well known at the time.
The "old" Elysium existed from 1833 to 1838 in the Seitzerhof in Steindlgasse between Tuchlauben and Seitzergasse and had to be closed because of its demolition. The New Elysium, which opened on March 1, 1840, became famous, a Biedermeier adventure world in the basement of the St. Anna monastery, below St. Annahof at Johannesgasse 4, (Vienna, Inner City ). The restaurant, programmatically named as an “underground walk through the world”, became one of the main attractions of pre-March Vienna. The major continents were presented here like a grotto train, and an underground horse-drawn railway took care of the transport. Music, dance, acrobatic performances and culinary delights were offered, there were also projection presentations ( fog images ) in the manner of the magic lantern . In December 1840, Daum enriched his establishment with the initially missing continent "Australia".
In 1854 Josef Daum died of cholera, his son initially continued the establishment, but had to close it in 1864 after a sharp decline in success (according to another representation, in 1857).
From the 1920s, the premises in Johannesgasse were used as a theater; the Metro Cinema is currently located here .
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The local historian Wilhelm Maximilian Kisch , a visitor to the Elysium in his youth, describes the world-famous attraction as follows:
“... A sea of lights of flames and an abundance of magical colors poured over all the rooms, and what the eye could not grasp, the ear listened, drunk with delight, heard the rustling of the palm trees, the splashing of the waterfalls and lovely from all sides resounding music ... The entrance to the Elysium was from Johannesgasse, first of all the front door where the school books are worn out ... you got through an antique portal over several steps to the cassa, behind which a comfortable colorful staircase led into the interior of the establishment and first to the regions 'Africa'. An Egyptian magic chamber now receives us; mysterious signs on the walls and a starry sky as a ceiling painting let us discover the secrets of this wonderland. The decorations are taken from various motifs from Egypt ... From there we enter a corridor, or rather a picture room, which leads to 'Europe', in the middle of our cozy homeland ... Here we are welcomed by real tables, and we listen to national zither sounds and cheerful yodelling. Another staircase leads us into the very heart of our beloved homeland, into elegant Europe. Straussian and Lannerian waltzes sound, and lustful couples swing in the dance. But we hurry on and take a narrow corridor to the primal cradle of mankind, to 'Asia' ... What only an oriental fantasy can create; Shining pearls and demantic shine, fragrant musk, charming odalisques glorify the harem of the sultan, who now shows himself with his wives to the surprised looks of the audience ... Well cheered, we enter a new world, 'America', across the isthmus of a long corridor. Even the first step on this continent is a surprise. A primeval forest presents itself to our astonished eyes. Palm trees now rustle around us, monkeys and parrots sway on the branches of the original tribes and let their screeching voices be heard alternately; Rapid communication is also ensured here by means of a double-track railway, but the steam is represented by a winged horse and the locomotive by a cloud car, yes, even the rose driver is a winged genius here, because we are in the middle of Olympus. Now we willingly climb into the car, and in flight we roar through divine realms, through picturesque grottos, tunnels and foaming cascades ...
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In Greek mythology Elysion was a magical place where virtuous people came to rest after death- the Greek poets described it as a paradise where there was never snow or bitter colds or problems of any sort. All earthly pleasures were perfected here, and instead of drawing water from the gold green wells, they drew eternal youth and happiness.
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Wolf, Franz (1795-1859)
Wien, Seitzerhof, Altes Elysium
Reunion im Wasser und Feuerreich am 17. Februar 1834
März 1840: Josef Georg Daum, Cafetier am Kohlmarkt, eröffnet in den ausgedehnten Kellerfluchten des St.Anna-Gebäudes in der Johannesgasse 4 das Neue Elysium (oder unterirdische Wanderung durch die Welt) mit einem Ballfest - im biedermeierlichen Wien sollte dieses Vergnügungszentrum zu einem Tempel der Schaulust avancieren. Das Haus gehört zum hinteren Trakt des großen Komplexes des St.Anna-Klosters und beherbergt seit 1774 auch die k.k. Normalhauptschule. Bevor Daum hier sein Vergnügungsetablissement errichtet, leitete er das "alte", 1833 eröffnete Elysium im Seitzerhof, der 1838 abgerissen wurde. Daum hatte die weitläufigen, über mehrere Stockwerke in die Tiefe reichenden Gewölbe in der Johannesgasse luxuriös ausgestattet und dort eine Welt der Illusionen und optischen Attraktionen geschaffen. Die verschiedensten Schaustellungen, Theateraufführungen, Bälle und Konzerte wurden hier veranstaltet, eine eigene Pferde-Eisenbahn transportierte das begeisterte Publikum von einer Lustbarkeit zur anderen und ließ es sogar die Erdteile "bereisen". Wie in einer Grottenbahn reihten sich die Kontinente vor dem Auge der Besucher aneinander, "Asien" mit einem orientalischen Fürstenzelt und Türkenorchester, "Europa" mit einer eleganten (Tanzsaal) und einer gemütlichen (Almhütte) Abteilung , "Afrika" mit einem ägyptischem Zelt mit Ausblick auf die Pyramiden, einem Harem mit Pascha und den "Kampfspielen der Söhne der Wüste" sowie "Amerika", wo ein Urwald mit üppiger Vegetation, echten Affen und Papageien nachgebildet war. Panoramatische Gemälde, Lichteffekte, Wasserfälle, Zauberkunststücke, Pantomimen etc. bereicherten die Szenerien. Im Dezember 1840 erweitert Daum die Weltreise noch um den Kontinent "Australien", das sich in fantastischen (weil damals noch weitgehend unbekannten) Landschaften und seltsamen Ungeheuern darstellte. Von Jahr zu Jahr wuchs die Zahl der Schaustellungen, die Daum zur Belustigung des Publikums aufbot: Maskenzüge, Artisten, Ballette, Wahrsager, Zwerge und Riesen, lebende Bilder, Projektionsvorstellungen (Nebelbilder) etablierten das Neue Elysium noch vor dem Wiener Prater als Erlebniswelt par excellance. 1854 stirbt Josef Daum an der Cholera, sein Sohn übernimmt die Leitung des Unternehmens, muss es aber nach stark rückläufigem Geschäftsgang 1864 schließen.
8932 Marochini Das alte Elysium im Seitzerhof (Wien).The old Elysium in the Seitzerhof (Vienna). Collection: Wien Museum . 1833. Franz Wolf (1795–1859) Austrian painter and lithographer
