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At the end of the great war in 1918, Austrias economy was in tatters.
Unemployment, poverty and famine paralyzed Vienna and soon a powerful workers movement emerged, asking for change.
At the time, more than 250 000 workers lived in old jam-packed apartment buildings with no running water.
The election of the Social Democrats in 1919 marked the beginning of a new era.
Some of these buildings were huge structures that resembled fortresses, but none was more iconic than Karl Marx-Hof.
Karl Marx-Hof occupies an area 156,000 sq-meters.
This was the first building in Vienna to have attached toilet with cold running water, and individual balconies.
Until then, public housing projects had only communal toilets and communal cold water taps.
The balconies were considered an aristocratic luxury that workers had never experienced before.
New tenants are still mostly young couples starting families.
Also see:The 10,000 Bedroom Nazi Hotel That Was Never Used
Source:Wikipedia/Vienna Direct/The Basement Geographer/NYTimes
