Poldi, an enormous Prater whale, floats mid-air above a 5.4-metre model of St Stephen’s Cathedral in the Wien Museum, which reopened to the public as Austria’s first free museum on Wednesday, after a four-year renovation.
The wood and copper plate structure, spanning 10 metres long and weighing 1.4 tonnes, was originally created in the 1950s to sit on the roof of Zum Walfisch, a centuries-old restaurant in Wiener Wurstelprater that was demolished in 2013. Instead of allowing Poldi to go with it, the museum stepped in and rescued him.
Poldi became the first resident of the new and improved Wien Museum. The creature – now stabilised with wooden beams and tubular steel construction – is so big, he had to be hoisted into the building before the walls were finished.
But he had to be saved, says Florian Pollack, the museum’s head of communication and development. After all, he’s a beloved slice of Viennese history, just like his new home.
A surprising structure
The Wien Museum, originally designed by architect Oswald Haerdtl, first opened in 1959 on Karlsplatz, one of the Austrian capital’s most famous squares. Since the 1980s, however, it has sorely needed an upgrade and expansion, and it wasn’t until 2013 that the Vienna City Council finally decided to go ahead.
An anonymous architectural competition was held in 2015, which attracted entries from world-famous practices such as Zaha Hadid Architects and Foster + Partners. The winner was Austrian team Certov, Winkler + Ruck, which decided to create two extra levels for the building that now float atop the existing structure, much of which has been carefully and cleverly preserved.
The result is surprising; huge black steel cantilevers cut through the concrete structure, allowing the new floors to appear as if they’re floating with no columns. A glazed glass entrance space is inviting and, from the outside, this stark, modern construction looks nothing like a national history museum.
Turning curation on its head
Educators and curators worked together on the content for the Wien Museum’s new permanent exhibition, Vienna. My History – not the norm in the museum world – but Pollack says it was important to the team to stay true to the city’s history while still making it engaging.
It’s laid out in a chronological, circular manner. “It’s a bit like the Guggenheim Museum in New York, but with three floors instead of seven,” Pollack explains. “Or like Ikea,” he adds with a laugh.
The exhibition takes visitors from prehistoric to contemporary times via 13 chapters and 1,700 objects, plus more than 100 media stations and interactive displays. There are many highlights. Poldi, of course, stands out, alongside the recreation of the cathedral, arguably Vienna’s most famous landmark.
There are several incredibly intricate models of Vienna as it was at various points throughout history, as well as preserved original items that date back centuries, such as a masterful gothic blueprint on parchment from the 1400s of St Stephen’s north tower, which was never completed.
Elsewhere, there’s a section dedicated to the second Ottoman siege in 1683. The Wien Museum has played a central role in spreading a certain narrative of this time, with a focus on heroic Austrian military leaders who saved the city. In the past, it displayed so-called Turkish loot, a collection of Ottoman weapons seized as spoils following Vienna’s liberation.
But with this new exhibition, it questions this narrative, asking if these supposed spoils actually had anything to do with the siege. Where these items are displayed, handwritten notes read “unlikely” or “what’s missing?” and “blank spot!”.
The room serves as a historical laboratory, says Pollack. “We question history because, who writes history?”
The good and the bad
A collection of original Nazi propaganda is also on display, something that caused much debate within the museum team as to how they might showcase it – or if they should at all.
“We’re not an art museum, we’re a history museum,” says Pollack. “We know some people will likely get offended, while others might take selfies by Hitler’s bust … but as the city museum, we were collecting and these things came into the collection, so we have to show it.”
Much thought has gone into the presentation of these pieces so as not to iconise them. A painting of Hitler in 1938, when he made his infamous Hofburg speech, is framed and leaning against a reflective stand. The artwork, which is not particularly well made or well kept, was deliberately not restored nor mounted. “It’s on the floor and at a height where people can look over it at themselves in the reflective surface. We want people to think, ‘Where might I have been? Where were my grandparents?’”
Dotted throughout the exhibition are also four period rooms, each a recreation of a famous living space using original furniture. For example, the room of Franz Grillparzer, one of Austria’s most prominent 19th-century playwrights. In front of it is a 1.3-square-metre space that depicts his maid’s sleeping quarters – about the size of a child's bed – as a comparison to his own lavish space.
In another area, the living room of celebrated Austrian architect Adolf Loos is on display, and the literature that accompanies it does not shy away from mentioning the man was also a paedophile.
Elsewhere, visitors learn the history of the Ringstrasse, a grand circular boulevard that replaced the city’s medieval fortifications. It’s part of Vienna’s historic centre, a designated Unesco World Heritage Site, but on display here are the workers who created it while living in slave-like conditions.
“We acknowledge reality,” says Pollack.
Histories of the present
The final section takes us to modern day, and screens hang from the ceiling with projections of everyday people who live and work in the city talking about what matters now.
There’s a plaque that invites visitors to help the team locate other objects that exemplify Vienna’s contemporary culture. “The stories a museum can tell are always incomplete,” it reads.
One of the last items is a Foodora bag, something that makes the tour group laugh. “The restoration department hates this,” Pollack jokes, since the material will likely disintegrate in less than a decade. “But it has so much to say. You can talk about the pandemic, and how we were forced to eat differently. You can talk about migration to the city. You can talk about today’s working conditions.”
This slice of the city’s culinary history might not be as treasured as Poldi the prater whale, but if the Wien Museum teaches us anything, it’s that Vienna, and indeed history itself, is not perfect – but that’s what makes it fascinating.
Match info
Bournemouth 1 (King 45 1')
Arsenal 2 (Lerma 30' og, Aubameyang 67')
Man of the Match: Sead Kolasinac (Arsenal)
Brief scores:
Everton 2
Walcott 21', Sigurdsson 51'
Tottenham 6
Son 27', 61', Alli 35', Kane 42', 74', Eriksen 48'
Man of the Match: Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
1971: The Year The Music Changed Everything
Director: Asif Kapadia
4/5
Results
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1hr 32mins 03.897sec
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda) at 0.745s
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 37.383s
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 46.466s
5.Sergio Perez (Red Bull-Honda) 52.047s
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 59.090s
7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) 1:06.004
8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 1:07.100
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:25.692
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:26.713,
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.
DUBAI SEVENS 2018 DRAW
Gulf Men’s League
Pool A – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Sports City Eagles
Pool B – Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Saracens, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Al Ain Amblers
Gulf Men’s Open
Pool A – Bahrain Firbolgs, Arabian Knights, Yalla Rugby, Muscat
Pool B – Amman Citadel, APB Dubai Sharks, Jebel Ali Dragons 2, Saudi Rugby
Pool C – Abu Dhabi Harlequins 2, Roberts Construction, Dubai Exiles 2
Pool D – Dubai Tigers, UAE Shaheen, Sharjah Wanderers, Amman Citadel 2
Gulf U19 Boys
Pool A – Deira International School, Dubai Hurricanes, British School Al Khubairat, Jumeirah English Speaking School B
Pool B – Dubai English Speaking College 2, Jumeirah College, Dubai College A, Abu Dhabi Harlequins 2
Pool C – Bahrain Colts, Al Yasmina School, DESC, DC B
Pool D – Al Ain Amblers, Repton Royals, Dubai Exiles, Gems World Academy Dubai
Pool E – JESS A, Abu Dhabi Sharks, Abu Dhabi Harlequins 1, EC
Gulf Women
Pool A – Kuwait Scorpions, Black Ruggers, Dubai Sports City Eagles, Dubai Hurricanes 2
Pool B – Emirates Firebirds, Sharjah Wanderers, RAK Rides, Beirut Aconites
Pool C – Dubai Hurricanes, Emirates Firebirds 2, Abu Dhabi Saracens, Transforma Panthers
Pool D – AUC Wolves, Dubai Hawks, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Al Ain Amblers
Gulf U19 Girls
Pool A – Dubai Exiles, BSAK, DESC, Al Maha
Pool B – Arabian Knights, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
