Vienna Is The World's Leader In Espionage

Vienna Named As Global Spying Hub In New Book -- The Telegraph

Vienna is the world leader in espionage with at least 7,000 spies plying their trade in the Austrian capital

Its reputation as a centre of espionage long predates its notoriety as the setting for the 1949 film The Third Man but only now can a figure be put on the number of spies operating in Vienna.

A survey compiled by experts in spying activities in the Austrian capital shows that at least 7,000 agents work undercover in the city.

As neutral country, Vienna was a Cold War spying hub where both sides were able to ply their trade and openly dealt with each other. Its allure was explained in the opening sequence in the Third Man when the narrator observed that Vienna allows agents a free run: “We’d run anything if people wanted it enough, and had the money to pay.”

Unrivalled as a Cold War playground, the proximity of the Balkans following the collapse of the Soviet bloc, proved to be a fresh start for the second oldest profession.

Since the 2001 attacks on America, the city has also been a significant theatre for competing Middle East interests.

Read more ....

My Comment: Vienna?!?!?! I love Vienna. The Danube river, the great climate, the good food, the beautiful women, the great sights, the skiing in winter, .... hmmm ... now I understand why spies want to be deployed there.