Café Central

Café Central is a charming Viennese café situated at Herrengasse 14 in the historic Innere Stadt district of Vienna, Austria. The café occupies the first floor of the former Bank and Stockmarket Building, today called the Palais Ferstel after its architect Heinrich von Ferstel.

The café was established in 1876 and quickly became a prominent gathering spot for Vienna’s intellectual community during the late 19th century. The key regulars of the group included Peter Altenberg, Theodor Herzl, Alfred Adler, Egon Friedell, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Anton Kuh, Adolf Loos, Leo Perutz, Robert Musil, Stefan Zweig, Alfred Polgar, Adolf Hitler, and Leon Trotsky. In January 1913, notable figures such as Josip Broz Tito, Sigmund Freud, and Stalin were patrons of the establishment. Regularly played here were tarot games of the Tarock family, with Tapp Tarock being particularly popular between the wars.

The café earned the nickname “Chess school” (Die Schachhochschule) due to the frequent presence of numerous chess players who utilized the first floor for their games.

The café was a popular meeting place for the members of the Vienna Circle, a group of logical positivists. They would often gather there for meetings both before and after World War I.

There is a well-known story about Victor Adler objecting to Count Berchtold, the foreign minister of Austria-Hungary. Adler argued that war would incite revolution in Russia, even if it didn’t happen in the Habsburg monarchy. In response, Count Berchtold asked, “And who will be the leader of this revolution? Could that be Mr. Bronstein, also known as Leon Trotsky, sitting over there at the Café Central?”

The café closed when World War II ended. The Palais Ferstel underwent renovations in 1975, and as a result, the Central was newly opened in a different section of the building. The renovation was completed in 1986.

Today, it serves as both a tourist attraction and a beloved café, renowned for its significant role in literary history.