The triangular, slightly sloping Freyung square takes its name from the old German word "frey" meaning "free". Once used for festivals, the square was originally lined only by the Scottish Abbey (Schottenstift). From the 17C onwards, the seven palaces which now surround the Austria fountain (Austriabrunnen, 1846) were built. The figures on the fountain represent the main rivers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, namely the Po, the Elbe, the Vistula and the Danube.