Photo album "Golden Days before they end": A toast to the corner pub! - Vienna's Vanishing Pubs Captured in a Poignant Photo Book Before They Fade Forever
A new photo book captures the fading charm of Vienna's traditional pubs. Golden Days Before They End documents 70 iconic Beisln—small, unpretentious bars where locals once gathered for drinks, cigarettes, and lively conversation. Many of these spots have already vanished, making the collection a nostalgic record of a disappearing era.
Photographers Klaus Pichler and Clemens Marschall spent four years visiting and documenting Vienna's Tschocherl, the city's beloved old-school pubs. Their work, published in 2019 by Edition Patrick Frey, fills 250 pages with vivid images and stories. The book, priced at €52, serves as both a celebration and a farewell to these humble meeting places.
The decline of these pubs stems from broader social shifts. Changing work routines, evolving drinking habits, and younger crowds favouring modern bars have all played a part. Today, nearly a third of the Beisln featured in the project no longer exist. The title Golden Days Before They End nods to a sense of nostalgia, echoing themes from Peter Alexander's song Die kleine Kneipe (known in Austria as Das kleine Beisl). The lyrics, inspired by the Dutch song In 't kleine café aan de haven by Vader Abraham, evoke the warmth and simplicity of these vanishing spaces.
The book stands as a visual archive of Vienna's pub culture, preserving memories of places that once thrived. While some Beisln still operate, their numbers continue to dwindle. For those who remember them, the photographs offer a poignant reminder of a slower, more communal way of life.
