In 1679, the great plague epidemic raged in Vienna, claiming countless victims. In the midst of this time of despair, Marx Augustin—a balladeer and bon vivant well-known throughout the city—drank himself into a deep stupor at his favorite tavern.
Late at night, he staggered out onto the street, stumbled, and ended up lying in the gutter, dead drunk, where he fell into a deep, sound sleep.
The Mistaken Tossing into the Plague Pit
That same night, the so-called “plague servants” made their way through the alleys with their hearse carts. They found the bagpiper lying motionless on the ground; in the darkness, they mistook him for yet another plague victim and loaded him onto the cart without a second thought.
Outside the city walls of that time, near what is now St. Ulrich in the 7th district, they threw him into a huge, open plague pit with the other dead. The next morning, Augustin woke up with a massive hangover and realized with horror where he was.
Since the walls of the pit were too steep, he grabbed his bagpipes in desperation and began to play loudly. Passing churchgoers heard the unexpected music, discovered the very much alive musician, and pulled him out of the mass grave.
A Visit to the Griechenbeisl
Despite spending the night surrounded by infected corpses, Augustin never contracted the plague; he survived for many more years and inspired the folk song “O du lieber Augustin, alles ist hin” (“Oh, dear Augustin, all is lost”). At least, that’s the legend.
Anyone who wants to retrace his story today will find the musician right in the heart of the 1st District. The historic Griechenbeisl at Fleischmarkt 11 is considered his former musical haunt. There, a meticulously detailed statue of the bagpiper now sits, silently greeting guests at Vienna’s oldest tavern. Today, the restaurant serves authentic home-style cooking, such as roast pork from Austrian rye-fed pigs for 22.90 euros or beef goulash for 24.50 euros.
📍 Location/Address: Griechenbeisl, Fleischmarkt 11, 1010 Vienna
⏰ Hours/Date: Monday through Sunday, 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
