While it may not seem like it, the face of Vienna is changing fast and there’s one Instagrammer who has taken it upon himself to document these changes in fascinating photos from Vienna back then, and Vienna now.
Armin, the guy behind @oldnew.vienna, collects old photographs and postcards of Vienna and matches them with photos that he reshoots of the same scene today. This results in paired photos that reveal an intriguing look at how much the streets we walk on today, have changed from the past.
1) So who is behind the OldNewVienna Project?
Hey, my name is Armin (@arminhdo) and I’d say I’m an original Viennese, born and raised in the most liveable city in the world.
2) How did you get your idea? What inspired you to start this unique Instagram account?
Good question! All the big building projects in Vienna – like the Hauptbahnhof area, Seestadt Aspern, Nordbahnhof – got me thinking about how much this city is transforming and made me curious about what these places looked like in the past. It all started with me trying to take photos that recreate the scenes of old photography. My friends thought that it was an interesting approach, so such feedback encouraged me to do more!
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3) Where do your source the old photographs that you reshoot?
All over the place, actually – the internet, forums…and I ask friends and relatives to rummage through their grandparents photo collections and send over what they find interesting! I would also love to do a shout out at this point, if anyone reading this has some interesting old photographs of Vienna, please send them over to oldnewvienna@gmx.at
5) Who are some other Vienna-based photographers you like at the moment?
There is so much good stuff out there! I mainly follow architecture and landscape photographers. The only Vienna-related ones I can think of at the moment would be Michael Prügl and Marion Payr – they take great shots of Vienna, and beyond.
6) What are your goals for this project?
Oh, I’m just doing this as a hobby. I like to show people how Vienna is changing, the good and bad sides of it. Right now, I prefer the old architecture to the new, glass and concrete stuff they’re building. It could all change in 100 years. I guess my short term goal would be to reach 2000 followers on Instagram. Haha!
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7) What is a cool thing you discovered about Vienna while researching for your project?
There are many things I discover along the way, and I try to depict this in the photos I capture. One thing that always fascinates me is how the tram lines network has changed over time. There used to be a tram line 47 that went from Joachimsthalerplatz to Steinhof and traveled to the highest point over Vienna.
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