Vienna officially became a city in 1137, but its true historical significance dates to 1278, when the Bohemian King Ottakar was defeated by Rudolf von Hapsburg. The resulting Hapsburg dynasty endured until just after World War I.
Those intervening years were far from stable, however. Plague decimated Vienna's population in the mid-1300s, and various military sieges against the city were to come: the Turks in the 16th and 17th centuries, and Napoleon twice in the early 19th century. During the reign of Emperor Franz Josef I, Europe's longest-serving monarch (1848-1916), Vienna saw many changes. Walls surrounding the city center were removed and replaced by the Ringstrasse, fortifications along the outskirts were torn down to allow for the growth of suburbs, and the government changed to a dual monarchy with Hungary.
Austria became a republic on 12 November 1918, at the conclusion of World War I, and its empire reduced dramatically. World War II was also turbulent for the city, marked by occupation, anti-Semitism and heavy fighting. But since then, Vienna has rebuilt itself and grown into a major cosmopolitan capital, as well as an increasingly popular tourist destination. In 1995, Austria united with other European countries and became part of the European Union, further securing Vienna's future as a flourishing European capital.
