Vienna gets Leopold Gratz Square
A Vienna square has been named after the late Social Democratic (SPÖ) Mayor Leopold Gratz.The location in the city centre close to the justice ministry was today (Fri) officially called Leopold Gratz Square.SPÖ Chancellor Werner Faymann and SPÖ Mayor Michael Häupl attended the ceremony honouring the iconic Social Democrat who presided as the capitals mayor between 1973 and 1984.Häupl praised Gratz, who died in 2006, as a “great politician and a fatherly friend.”Todays ceremony followed an event held to name a street in Vienna-Donaustadt after legendary Rapid Vienna goalkeeper Walter Zeman.Zeman, who passed away in 1991, was called up for the Austrian national team 41 times between 1945 and 1961. He won eight league titles and kept goal when Austria reached third place in the 1954 World Cup.Several current and former Rapid stars attended the ceremony.A bridge across the Danube was recently renamed after singer/songwriter Georg Danzer who died from cancer three years ago.The Joe Zawinul Park in the citys Landstraße pays homage to the late jazz / world music star who scored a global hit with his song “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”.