Österreich - Die ganze Geschichte S02E15 - Der Kampf um die Straße

The automobile began as a toy for the wealthy, with only a few hundred examples driving around Vienna at the end of the 19th century. At that time, the traffic revolution this vehicle would later spark was not yet on the horizon. For a while, the car was seen as a cleaner solution to the growing horse traffic and its mountains of waste. Whether powered by steam, electricity, or internal combustion was still undecided in the early days.

Young Ferdinand Porsche entered the automobile industry as an electrician, initially working on hybrid engines before fully committing to the gasoline engine. In those days, chauffeurs led perilous lives—bursting tires, exploding engines, and even criminals stringing ropes across roads were part of everyday automotive challenges. Rudolf Hruza, who retrained from a coachman to become the driver for a wealthy family, would pay for his fascination with the car with his life.

Meanwhile, in Galicia—Austria's "Texas"—oil production peaked, briefly placing Austria among the major players in the global petroleum industry. This episode, hosted by Andreas Pfeifer and Mariella Gittler, takes viewers back to the birth of the automobile in Austria.