Vienna’s Public Scales

An unusual thing that can be found in Vienna is public scales. Just take a walk here and you'll eventually run across one, often at a tram stop or subway station. There are about 150 of them in total.

They first appeared in 1888, when technology started permitting the construction of coin-operated machines that could actually check coins correctly. The scales are about as tall as an average person, with their beautiful inner workings visible through a round window on the front. The Berkel model of scale found on the streets of Vienna today was last manufactured in 1978.

But why are they still around today? All the scales were bought by a locksmith and his wife in 1980, who have been keeping them in perfect working order ever since, often making the necessary parts themselves.

Though it is no longer popular to weigh yourself fully clothed in public, they are still an interesting and quirky relic of the past that is enjoyed by tourists. You can weigh yourself on one for only 20 euro-cents.