HomePrint Editions
Print Editions
People
Meet Florian Skrabal, Editor-in-Chief of Corruption Media Outlet Dossier
“Politicians think we don’t like Vienna. In fact, the opposite is true: We’re critical because we love this city that much."
To access this content, join the community or log in with your existing account.
Food & Drink
LieblingsFisch – Shop Plump Trout and Bouillabaisse in the Leopoldstadt
Finding good fish to cook at home just got a lot easier. A new stand on the Karmelitermarkt is a good place to go.
Business & Career
Austrian Companies Wheeling and Dealing in Central and Eastern Europe
Austrian companies thrive all across Central and Eastern Europe. From kickbacks to bribes, booming business often also involves layers of corruption.
On Display
Nobel Laureate Charpentier’s Breakthrough Was “Born” in Vienna
The Nobel-Prize-winning chemist Emanuelle Charpentier laid the groundwork for her stunning scientific discoveries at the Max Perutz Labs in the Austrian capital.
Books
Anne Applebaum’s Twilight of Democracy Describes the Appeal of Authoritarianism
Anne Applebaum introduces us to the elites responsible for democratic backsliding in her new book, Twilight of Democracy.
On Display
Meet Bettina Knötzl, the President of Transparency International Austria
“I’ve got what you might call ‘helper syndrome.’ Being a lawyer is not just a profession for me – it’s a calling.”
Print Editions
Crisis in the Chancellory – Managing a Pandemic the Austrian Way
Austria’s pandemic response upheld the country’s long tradition of opaque administration and little accountability – a special report.
Grätzl
Nibelungenviertel | A Legend on Every Street
Rather than elaborate historicism, the buildings are in the lighter, more playful Jugendstil style.
People
Meet Susanne Reindl-Krauskopf, a Criminal Law Professor in Vienna
“Corruption will never be 100% eradicated. But it’s important to set parameters and structures that show people that in the end, corruption doesn’t pay.”
Gemischter Satz
Christoph Wiederkehr Tells Us How He Will Change Vienna for the Better
The new deputy mayor has ambitious plans to improve the schools and launch an independent office to fight corruption ... big ideas for the junior coalition partner.
Print Editions
All You Need to Know About Wine Ratings
In the wine ratings game, the big names often get the big scores, while smaller growers suspect the system is rigged. Whom can you trust?
Culture
Funding Austrian Culture
Austria is a cultural powerhouse and more than willing to invest public funds in the arts. But where does all the money go?
How To
How to Embezzle a Million Euros
Maintaining the highest quality of life in the world is a costly endeavor – thankfully, there is always someone out there gullible enough to pay the bills. A satirical look at Austrian corruption.
Culture
An Insight into ‘Bambi’ Author Felix Salten and the Discovery of Viennese Modernism
Best known as the author of a children’s classic and (possibly) a pornographic novel, Felix Salten has never been given his due in his hometown – until now, that is
Print Editions
How the Pandemic Stalled Scientific Research
Work on coronavirus has highjacked science, disrupting projects and schedules, particularly for women. Some see a chance to turn the crisis into opportunities for breakthrough thinking
Melange
Kurt Bayer’s Top 5 Austrian Corruption Scandals
From the Finance Ministry to the World Bank and Transparency International, Economist Kurt Bayer sniffs out all kinds of corruption.
Although sometimes, it just presents itself.
Print Editions
The Black Box of Media Funding in Austria
Print media received unprecedented public advertising during the pandemic, but a lack of transparency raises questions about how taxpayers’ money is being spent.
Print Editions
Margaret Childs Reflects on Austrian Corruption
Metropole's publisher introduces the spring issue, which is all about corruption.
Op-Ed
Transparency Requires Civil Courage
With the dismantling of Official Secrecy Laws in Austria, real transformation will require a change of culture.
Cover Stories
The Biggest Austrian Corruption Scandals in History
Austria is no more corrupt than other European countries – although possibly more colorful. But the consequences for wrongdoers are often laughably mild. This may be changing.
Spring 2021
Spring 2021 | Corrupt Austria
In our 42nd issue we take a look at the history and status quo of corruption in Austria and Europe, speak to the fighters for transparency, and take ...
Culture
The Kaffeemuseum – a Time Capsule of Vienna’s Coffeehouse Culture
The Kaffeemuseum presents the city’s long-standing love affair with caffeine through tours, courses and countless artifacts from yesteryear.
Print Editions
How Wienwein Is Revitalizing Vienna’s Wine Scene
Rising costs and real estate speculators have been a real threat to Viennese wine, but a gang of six have been pushing back.
Print Editions
Your Rights as a Guest
“Keine Haftung für Garderobe” – “No liability for wardrobe.” This sentence is everywhere if you are out on the town. But is it actually possible to evade liability for lost or damaged items belonging to a guest?
People
Meet Photographer Sepp Dreissinger – the Coffeehouse Is His Studio
"When I don't feel at home, I go to the coffeehouse"
Food & Drink
Wilde Ehe Offers an Eclectic Dining Experience in Vienna’s 18th District
Wilde Ehe marries chill savoir-faire with thoughtful quality – just don’t ask about the name.
How To
How to Find Your ‘Stammcafé’ in Vienna
In Vienna, you need to prove yourself worthy of your café of choice in what can be a lengthy application process.
Explore Vienna
Franziskanerviertel | Historic Downtown Treasures
The streets have stayed essentially untouched since the Middle Ages – narrow and winding with many a hidden courtyard branching off in unexpected places.
Food & Drink
Mochi Ramen Bar Serves to Vienna’s Foodies
Hip and relaxed, the Mochi Ramen Bar is a great hangout – but the secret’s in the soup
Melange
Grande Dame Susanne Widl Explains Coffeehouse Culture and the View of Vienna through Café Korb
Viennese legend Susanne Widl discusses her Café Korb upbringing, her illustrious past and the future of how we spend time together – inside the 'Kaffeehaus' and out.
City Life
How Vienna’s Secessionists Left Their Mark on the Coffeehouse
Between 1890 and 1920, Vienna was a world leader in design. An unlikely mix of imperial decree and cultural revolution drove the Wiener Ästhetik and left its mark on the city even today.
Print Editions
Margaret Childs Reflects on the Viennese Coffeehouse Culture
Metropole’s publisher introduces the winter issue, which is all about the “Kaffeehaus.”
Books
Katja Perat’s ‘The Masochist’ Depicts Life in Fin de Siècle Vienna
Set in the gloaming of the Habsburg Empire, Katja Perat’s ardent debut novel is a fictional coming-of-age memoir from the daughter of the world’s first “masochist."
Fall 2020
The Newest Food and Drink Spots in Vienna This Spring
The pandemic has wreaked havoc on Vienna’s eateries, but there are still lots of ways to indulge yourself: Some restau- rants have managed to adapt to the age of corona, offering groceries, wine and other delicacies to go, as food mar- kets and delicatessens are exempt from lockdown. Here are some of our favorites!
People
Meet Michael Parzefall, Roasting Enthusiast and Owner of Rauwolf Coffee
“Vienna has a great coffeehouse culture, but sadly – or in my case, fortunately – a bad coffee culture when it comes to quality.”
Books
Sylvia Petter’s All the Beautiful Liars Details the Hunt for Answers in Postwar Vienna
In Sylvia Petter’s debut novel All the Beautiful Liars, Katrina Klain arrives in Vienna in search of the lost pieces of her life.
City Life
The Ongoing Battle to Uphold Coffeehouse Cultural Heritage in Vienna
Vienna’s coffeehouses are a cherished pillar of the city’s cultural life – but that may not be enough to keep them alive.
People
Meet Johanna Weichselberger, Founder of the Vienna School of Coffee
“I’m not sure I know what fourth wave coffee culture is – but I know I’m the tsunami!”
Film
5 Movies and Series to Stream in Austria This Spring
Thanks to successive lockdowns and closed cinemas, streaming has become an even bigger part of our pandemic lives, and while many productions grinded to a halt last year, this spring’s lineup features an iconic superhero indulging in ’80s nostalgia, a Victorian sci-fi extravaganza, a comedy icon revisiting one of his most beloved characters, an animated Bollywood melodrama and a madcap Spanish road saga.
International
CEE – The Coronavirus Has Revealed Central Europe’s Chaotic Governance
What remains of public trust in the state is vanishing rapidly as the coronavirus roars back into the region.
Print Editions
Facing Instability and Populist Agendas at Home, Southeastern Europeans Move West
Southeastern Europe is one of the world's fastest shrinking regions. What drives so many young and well-educated abroad?
Print Editions
The Science of Coffee Roasting
The world is waking up and (really) smelling the coffee – in all its glory, scope and complexity.
Food & Drink
Alma Gastrothèque Serves to Vienna’s Vegetarian Gourmets
Alma Gastrothèque serves soulful vegetables and natural wines with esprit.
Business & Career
Meet Lisa Biasillo, the New Director of the Vienna International School
How the new director of the Vienna International School left her small town for distant places and turned her passion for learning into a mission to educate for change.
Cover Stories
The Lore and Legend Behind the Viennese Kaffeehaus
A myth, a tradition, but most of all a very real place that many in the Austrian capital cannot imagine life without.
Business & Career
How Viennese Hotels Hold On During the Pandemic
After years of seemingly endless growth, the pandemic plunged the tourism sector into deep crisis. Vacillating between hope and despair, Vienna’s hoteliers summon resilience and creativity
People
Meet Christina Meinl, the Great-Granddaughter of Austria’s Coffee Roasting Pioneer
“I wish global politics were more like the global coffee community: We have no borders and
we work together to make coffee better.”
Op-Ed
What Europe Can Learn From Joe Biden’s Victory
There are lessons we can draw from Biden's election that can help the European Union better deal with far-right populism.
Print Editions
Behind the COVID Vaccine – The Austrian Key to the BioNTech Breakthrough
As the world awaits a vaccine, Polymun, a small high-tech company provides essential ingredients for the first candidate to reach the EU Market.
Health
Axon Neuroscience to Launch the First Independent COVID-19 Vaccine
Independent biotech firm Axon Neuroscience – in neighboring Slovakia – is developing a vaccine for COVID-19 with a uniquely targeted approach.
Gemischter Satz
Renowned Journalist Slavenka Drakulić Revisits Café Europa and Post-Communist Central Europe
A new collection of essays by the renowned journalist retakes the pulse of Central Europe 30 years after communism, and finds the optimism faded into disappointment, fueling an exodus.
Print Editions
Smile and Stay Safe With the Zero Face Mask, Made in Vienna
Designed in Austria and produced in Germany, this ingenious face mask brings back non-verbal communication in times of corona.
Winter 2020
Winter 2020 | Coffeehouse Culture
In our 41st issue we explore Vienna's coffeehouse culture, depict the true Kaffeehaus (coffeehouse) experience and all the mix of people and topics t...
Books
Anna Goldenberg’s “Belonging to Vienna” – a Touching Family Memoir
Close-knit ties triumph over
trauma in Anna Goldenberg’s moving family memoir of torture, exile and ultimate homecoming.
Fall 2020
To Beat Climate Change, Austrian Winemakers Turn Biodynamic
Biodynamic winemaking offers a holistic, more natural approach for a post-pandemic world.
Fall 2020
Meet Mato Johannik, the Fashion Photographer Who Chose Vienna Over Hollywood
“I’ve consciously chosen to continue my career in Vienna. I could have stayed in Hollywood, but as Caesar once said: ‘I would rather be first in this little village than second in Rome.’”
Books
Martin Rady’s “The Habsburgs” Recounts The Family’s Rise and Fall
Martyn Rady’s new history of the Habsburgs argues that their empire was undone by the very things that once made it mighty.
Fall 2020
What “Rule of Law” Means Since the EU Budget Summit
On the surface, the EU budget summit smoothed over the friction between Brussels and the bloc’s problem children. Deeper down, the rift may be growing.
Culture
Wienerland – Guns, Motorcycles, and Magic Made in Austria
An independent fantasy western
made in Austria, Wienerland has
international festivals buzzing.
Business & Career
Inside FABB – the Impact Hub’s Fashion Accelerator for Better Business
Alexis Eremia and Karin Granner have marshaled the Impact Hubs in Vienna and Amsterdam to focus on local, sustainable fashion brands.
Coronavirus
How Austrian Scientists Are Fighting COVID-19
As nations around the world follow every twist and turn of the developing science to combat the coronavirus, Austrian researchers and companies could play a key role.
Cover Stories
Death in Vienna
Some Viennese may play down any special relationship with death. But, then again, it’s probably better not to take any chances...
Fall 2020
Roland Huber’s Parisian Bistronomy Esslokal Serves Up a Storm in Hadersdorf
The award-winning chef’s new restaurant in the Kamptal is refined, yet unpretentious.
Fall 2020
Everything You Need to Know About Trademarking in Design
What’s in a name? It is not sleeve, nor pant leg, nor button... How brands distinguish quality and set fashion makers apart. Designers beware, make sure to take trademarking seriously.
Art
The Newly Opened Albertina Modern Boasts Austrian Art From Fantastic Realism to Viennese Actionism
After delays and controversy, Albertina Modern opens with an extensive review of Austrian art from 1945-1980.
Books
Is Liberalism Dying? A Look at What Went Wrong After 1989
“The Light that Failed: A Reckoning” by IWM fellow Ivan Krastev and NYU professor Stephen
Holmes explains what went wrong with Western liberalism.
Fall 2020
Should Fashion Seek Diversity?
“Inclusive sizing” and “disabled-friendly” clothing have joined the buzzwords of conscious consumerism. Does this make sense for an industry built on the allure of unattainability? What is beauty anyway?
Fall 2020
How Austrian Designer Carolin Holzhuber is Sculpting the Future of Footwear
The shoe designer is blending the line between fashion and art with sculptural footwear.
Fall 2020
Meet Praline Le Moult, a Parisian Fashion Designer Who Launched Her Brand in Vienna
“Beauty, like a butterfly, is fleeting. Like a spectacular sunset, it’s there for a moment – and then it’s gone.”
Diplomacy
Vienna’s IAEA Is in a Dangerous Standoff to Defend the Iran Nuclear Deal
During an adventurous raid, Israel stole vital intelligence information in Iran that now could help the US build the case for terminating the Iran nuclear deal once and for all.
Business & Career
Austrian Giants Like Swarovski and Wolford Promise Eco-Friendly Quality Over Fast Fashion
Superior craftsmanship and the willingness to pivot have ensured the
longevity of Austrian fashion luxury brands like Swarovski and Wolford.
Fall 2020
Neubaugasse | Vienna’s Millenial Mile and the 7th District’s Beating Heart
Recently transformed into a 'Begegnunszone,' the street is about to embark on a new chapter.
City Life
Hut ab! Vienna Leads the Return of the Hat
Out of style for decades, the hat is making a gradual comeback, aided by local manufacturers who kept the custom alive.
Fall 2020
Meet Simon Winkelmüller, a Fashion Stylist With Something to Say
“I would never write some kind
of trend column stating what’s ‘in’
or ‘out.’ For me, that’s somehow
so 2000.”
Art
Is Vienna a Fashion Capital? Not Yet.
Once a burgeoning capital of fashion, Vienna lost its design industry with the Jews who supported it and has struggled in the decades since. But the next chapter may be different.
Fall 2020
Historian Philipp Blom – “The Machine Can Be Stopped.”
On the Enlightenment’s mixed legacy, European solidarity and lessons of the pandemic.
Fall 2020
Kitzbühel in Summer Is For Gourmets Who Hike
A picturesque medieval town, regional gourmet cuisine, hiking and idyllic scenery make Kitzbühel the perfect getaway.
Fall 2020
Star Designer Thomas Kirchgrabner Spills the Secrets of His and Lena Hoschek’s Success
The head of Lena Hoschek’s couture atelier, designer Thomas Kirchgrabner describes demanding clientele, recounts his rise in Austria’s fashion scene and how he met his boss.
City Life
Will Vienna’s Clubs Survive the Coronavirus Lockdown?
COVID-19 has brought Vienna’s nightlife to a screeching halt, with clubs unsure of when they can reopen - and how to survive until then.
Fall 2020
How Disease Detectives Help Us Beat COVID-19 By Tracking Superspreaders
The crucial role of public health and contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fall 2020
Clothes Make the Metropolitan
Our publisher Margaret Childs introduces our fall issue, which is all about fashion in Vienna.
Fall 2020
How To … Make Your Own Clothes
Vienna is full of sewing shops and DIY stores. We checked out some of them – and ended up printing 100 T-shirts.
Fall 2020
Fall 2020 | Fashion
In our 40th issue we delve into Vienna's fashion scene, see how it has evolved over time, ask the question of how the city will "dress for it" in the...
People
Sisters and Business Partners
At the Viennese label Kids of the Diaspora, founders Leni Charles and Cherrellone do everything together – even motherhood – creating a space where everyone belongs.
Culture
Our Top 5 Picks to Stream This Summer
A search for self in lost memories, crafting a more inclusive historic Hollywood, the final triumph of the greatest basketball team ever and a send-up of American interstellar militarism all vie for your attention.
Summer 2020
HERSTORY – Metropole x Women of Vienna
In this series, incredible women from the Women of Vienna (WoV) community tell their stories. Aiming to bridge communities and celebrate diversity, Metropole has partnered up with Women of Vienna to bring you a slice of Herstory.
Summer 2020
How COVID-19 Affects Rent, Memberships & Data Protection
COVID-19 poses a major challenge to all, raising questions about rent payments, the assessment of (unfulfillable) supply contracts, lower franchise fees and why data protection should not be neglected even during a pandemic.
Cover Stories
Families – Dreaming of Life After Corona
So there she was, on a Tuesday morning of what we now call the Corona Era, gazing at the
walls of the little “water closet” decorated in Viennese style.
City Life
Having a Tough Time With German? You’re Not Alone
Although few argue with the importance of mastering German, the
system needs to change – children of
immigrants in Austria rarely receive the support they need.
Culture
Letters from the Anschluss in Elisabeth Åsbrink’s New Book
A history and a memoir, the Swedish journalist's And in the Vienna Woods the Trees Remain is the story of a family, reconciling the past, and the power of friendship over politics.
Business & Career
Post-COVID Work Will Be Flexible, Agile & Adaptive
The coronavirus lockdown has taught us a lot and may herald a new era of organizational flexibility, agility and adaptability.
Business & Career
From Jewelers to Wineries, Family Businesses Often Thrive in Vienna
Businesses that span generations are known for consistency, stability and tradition. Keeping these values alive is a continuous labor of love.
People
Meet Hedwig Wölfl, Director the Child Protection Agency “Die Möwe”
Families come in many shapes and sizes, but they share challenges. These Viennese are here to guide and inspire.
City Life
How Red Vienna Revolutionized Urban Living
Red Vienna revolutionized urban living for the working class. Here’s how they did it.
Culture
Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt Is a Portrait of Vienna’s Jewish Life
Lush and ultimately shattering, Leopoldstadt is a loving portrait of Jewish life in early 20th century Vienna, and a heartfelt embrace of Stoppard’s own immigrant story.
International
In This Land of Immigrants, Tales of International Families
Having relatives all around the planet makes for exciting family stories, but keeping in touch with your loved ones is also a constant challenge.
Books
The Viennese Ida Pfeiffer Circumnavigated the Globe Alone Twice
Wife, mother, traveler – humble but headstrong Ida Pfeiffer took the world by storm by circumnavigating the globe her way.
Op-Ed
Who Protects Women from Domestic Violence?
Under COVID-19 lockdown, domestic violence has predictably gone up. Intervention helps.
People
Meet Walter Hermann, Family Psychotherapist in Vienna
Families come in many shapes and sizes, but they share challenges. These Viennese are here to guide and inspire.
Food & Drink
The Virus Won’t Stop Vienna’s Wines From Flowing
Corona affects everybody, but wine growers remain resilient in the
face of unrecoverable losses, weather and labor problems.