UNESCO Removes Vienna From Endangered List

UNESCO has removed the Historic Centre of Vienna from its list of endangered World Heritage sites following revisions to the Heumarkt project.

During the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea, UNESCO officially removed Vienna from its list of endangered World Heritage sites. The Historic Centre of Vienna had held this status since 2017 due to concerns over the Heumarkt construction project, a venture by investor Michael Tojner and his company Wertinvest. While original plans for the development included a building reaching 73 meters in height, a 2023 project variant reduced the maximum height to 49.95 meters. This planning revision, which must still undergo an environmental impact assessment, helped secure the city's status. Shortly before the UNESCO decision, the Supreme Administrative Court of Austria rejected an extraordinary appeal against the project, clearing further legal hurdles for the development.