Historisches Wetterhäuschen (Historic Weather House), Melk

the Historic Weather House, within the City Park, was part of the original furnishings when the park was laid out in 1886. Shaped in the style of a small pavilion, it is fitted with instruments such as a thermometer, barometer, and hygrometer, and was one of several ornamental features-alongside ponds, fountains, and promenades.

Today, the structure is listed as a protected cultural monument. Though modern forecasts have long replaced its practical role, the Weather House recalls an era when public meteorological displays embodied civic progress and innovation. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these installations were valued for providing accessible information on temperature, humidity, air pressure, and cardinal directions.

They often became familiar local landmarks and points of reference within their communities. A curious anecdote from World War I tells of a newspaper quip suggesting that people could study “war geography” at such sites, since many bore marble plaques showing directions and distances to far-off cities.