Federal Geological Office

The Geological Survey of Austria stands in Vienna’s third district, Landstraße, as the national centre for earth-science information. Created as a ministry agency, it supplies geological maps in many scales for waste disposal, water supply, transport, raw materials and geothermal projects. These maps also support scientific research across Austria. The building once housed experts who turned field data into practical tools for planners and engineers. After more than a century of independent work, the agency merged in 2023 with the meteorological service to form GeoSphere Austria. The institute’s most visible output is its map series, which cover the whole country at scales from 1:50 000 down to detailed site plans. Special regional maps highlight areas rich in groundwater or prone to landslides. Researchers such as Thomas Hofmann and Hans P. Schönlaub have used these products to compile the Geo-Atlas Österreich, a comprehensive overview of Austria’s subsurface variety. Hans Georg Krenmayr’s book ‘ROCKY AUSTRIA’ draws on the same data to tell the country’s geological story in vivid colour. Together these works make the agency’s work accessible beyond technical reports. Visitors find a quiet office building where geological maps line the walls of meeting rooms. A small exhibition room displays rock samples and cross-sections that illustrate how the maps are made. Staff still answer questions from local authorities about foundation conditions for new buildings. Outside, the surrounding streets of the diplomatic quarter offer cafés and embassies, a contrast to the institute’s technical purpose. The building itself, though unassuming, carries the weight of national geological knowledge within its walls.