Jenny Nevins, age 16, of Annapolis, Md., for her question:
WHEN WAS VIENNA, AUSTRIA, ESTABLISHED?
In 15 B.C., the Romans established a frontier post named Vindobona on the site of what is now Vienna, Austria. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the A.D. 400s, invading Germanic tribes took over the area. During the years since then, Vienna has become one of Europe's leading cultural centers.
During the 800s, the Magyars, a people from Hungary, gained control of the city, which by then was called Vienna. They lived there until the Germans conquered them in the mid 900s.
In 1273, a member of the Hapsburg family became Holy Roman Emperor. The Hapsburgs made Vienna their capital, and the city grew rapidly in wealth and importance.
The Turks attacked Vienna in 1529 and again in 1683, but they failed to capture the city.
Some of Vienna's most beautiful baroque palaces and churches were built during the 1700s. Also during the 1700s and 1800s, Vienna won fame as a world center of education, literature, music and science.
During this time some of the world's most important composers made Vienna their home. They include Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Mozart, Franz Schubert and Johann Strauss.
Some of Vienna's most impressive public buildings line a band of streets that encircle the Inner City. They include the Museum of Art History, the Opera House and the Parliament Building. These buildings date from the second half of the 1800s.
In the suburbs are many other important buildings including Karlskirche or the Church of St. Charles and the Belvedere Palace. These structures rank among the world's finest examples of baroque architecture, a highly decorative style of building.
The magnificent Schonbrunn Palace is another important Vienna landmark
The Schonbrunn Zoo, which lies on the Schonbrunn Palace grounds, was established in 1752 and today ranks as the world's oldest existing zoo.
Vienna is the home today of many fine institutions of higher learning. They include the Academy of Fine Arts, the Academy of Music, the Technical University and the University of Vienna.
The city also has some of the world's most important museums and art galleries. It also has many important libraries. Musical events take place at such opera houses as the Musikverein, the State Opera House and the Volksoper. The famous Vienna Boys' Choir sings every Sunday in the Hofburgkapelle, one of the city's many churches.
After World War I, Vienna became the capital of the Austrian republic, German troops took over the city during World War II and the area was badly damaged by Allied bombing. From 1945 to 1955, the people lived under the control of the victorious Allies.
During recent years, the Viennese have rebuilt almost all of the destroyed or damaged landmarks and the city has regained much of its former spirit and wealth.