The photograph was taken for an anthology about Vienna by Hilde Spiel. The book is dedicated to the history, the intellectual life and culture of the city, with contributions on political history, music and theatre or influential salons and literary circles. Two of the cross-cutting themes are the Viennese penchant for spectacle and the demons of »Gemütlichkeit« (cosiness).

More than 70 black-and-white illustrations are blocked in several image spreads between the text pages without specifically illustrating the essays. Pongracz's photographs of coffee houses, Heurigen, Confirmation and Wurstelprater are among the best examples of profiled photography in the book, along with those of Franz Hubmann.