Hofburg

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Hofburg
From left to right: Ballroom wing, Neue Burg, Corps de Logis and outer castle gate. In the foreground the equestrian statue of Archduke Charles

From left to right: Ballroom wing, Neue Burg , Corps de Logis and outer castle gate . In the foreground the equestrian statue of Archduke Charles

Creation time : Late Middle Ages
Conservation status: Receive
Standing position : High nobility
Place: Vienna 1st
Geographical location 48 ° 12 '23 "  N , 16 ° 21' 58"  E Coordinates: 48 ° 12 '23 "  N , 16 ° 21' 58"  E
Hofburg (Vienna)
Hofburg
General plan of the Hofburg
01 a- Swiss wing
02a - Augustinian church
02b - Augustinian monastery
03 a- Stallburg
04 a- Amalienburg
05 a- Leopoldinischer wing
06 a- Redoutensaal wing
07 a- Winter riding school
0 8 a- Court library
09 a- Augustinian wing
10 a- Palais Archduke Albrecht (former Palais Silva-Tarouca)
11 a- Reichskanzleitrakt
12 a- Festsaaltrakt
13 a- Michaelertrakt
14 a- Neue Burg
15 a- Corps de Logis
16 a- Palmenhaus
A - In der Burg (former Franzensplatz or Innerer Burgplatz)
B - Ballhausplatz
C - Michaelerplatz
D - Schweizerhof
E - Josefsplatz
F - Albertinaplatz
G - Burggarten
H - Heldenplatz (formerly Outer Burgplatz)
Historical construction phases:
  • 13-17 Century (Middle Ages to High Baroque)
  • 18th century (late baroque main extension)
  • 19. – 20. Century (especially the Ringstrasse era)

    • The Hofburg in Vienna was the residence of the Habsburgs in Vienna from the 13th century until 1918 (with interruptions) . Since the end of 1946 it has been the official residence of the Austrian Federal President . It houses most of the Austrian National Library as well as various museums (including the Albertina ) and the Federal Monuments Office .

    The area, which has grown over the course of around seven centuries, covers an area of ​​around 24 hectares, making it the largest building complex in Europe built for non-religious purposes . The complex also includes two sacred buildings : the Hofburg Chapel and the Augustinian Church . If you add that of the museums, including the old court stables - today's MuseumsQuartier - to the Hofburg area , you get a total area of ​​around 50 hectares.

    Around 5000 people live or work on the Hofburg grounds, which, together with Heldenplatz, are frequented by around 20 million people every year. The Hofburg is owned by the Republic of Austria and is administered by the Burghauptmannschaft .

    history

    Mentioned in a document for the first time in 1279 under the Habsburg King Rudolf I , construction can already begin in the first half of the 13th century under the Babenbergs . Duke Leopold VI should lay the foundation stone . have laid. The first expansion took place under the Bohemian King Ottokar II Přemysl . The complex - anything but a representative residence - was part of the city fortifications with defense towers and moats .

    When Emperor Ferdinand I moved his residence to Vienna in the middle of the 16th century, expansion began and the castle became the Hofburg. Existing tracts were expanded and numerous new ones were added, a tradition that continues to this day. In order for a walking tour of the Imperial Palace, a tour through the history of art : tracts of different eras, from the Gothic period of the Middle Ages through the Renaissance , the Baroque to the 17th and 18th centuries, but also historicist wing from the 19th century to to create contemporary interior fittings from the 20th and 21st centuries.

    • Vienna 1547, detail, by Augustin Hirschvogel

    • Model of the Hofburg

    • The Hofburg in the 16th century (from Bermann: Old and New Vienna, 1880)

    • Aerial photograph of the Vienna Hofburg, around 1900

    Swiss wing

    Swiss Gate from 1552, connection from the inner courtyard to the Schweizerhof

    This oldest castle in the shape of a square corresponds roughly to today's Schweizerhof . There are also the Gothic (in the 15th century converted) Hofburgkapelle as well as the clergy and the Secular Treasury (both belong administratively to the Kunsthistorisches Museum ), where in the latter among other things, the insignia of the Holy Roman Empire ( crown jewels ) and the Empire of Austria are kept . The court music band is also located there.

    This Schweizerhof was rebuilt in the Renaissance style at the time of Emperor Charles V by his brother, the Roman-German King Ferdinand (from 1558 Emperor Ferdinand I ) .

    Swiss Gate

    The red and black Swiss Gate , on which the titles of Emperor Ferdinand I are listed and the insignia of the Order of the Fleece , is particularly well known . This gate, including the painting, was built by Pietro Ferrabosco in 1552. The Schweizerhof fountain from 1552 with the imperial eagle is located in a side niche of the gate. The basin is made of hard, white Kaiserstein from Kaisersteinbruch . The fountain formed the end of an aqueduct that was laid in 1534 and led into the castle from the suburb of Ortisei .

    Court kitchen

    For a long time, the court kitchen was located below this wing. Overall, this part of the Hofburg, including the Hofburg chapel, is called the “Swiss wing ” . The name comes from the troop made up of Swiss mercenaries who provided the gate guard at the time of the imperial couple Franz I Stephan (of Lorraine) and Maria Theresa .

    Ancestral hall

    The Federal Monuments Office , which is based here , can be reached via the staircase in the Swiss wing . Here is the ancestral hall with the Habsburg imperial portraits, furnished around 1874 for Crown Prince Rudolf :

    Antechamber

    The Antekammer leads to the marble hall in the ceremonial hall wing, which dates from the 19th century. The particularly thick walls still come from one of the defense towers of the old castle fortifications. The term Antekammer refers to the former use as an anteroom.

    In March 2013, remnants of the 6 x 20 meter foundation of the Kunstkammer of Emperor Ferdinand I built between 1558 and 1563 , the first museum building north of the Alps, were discovered near the Schweizertor in the direction of Michaelerplatz . The discovery by the art historian Renate Holzschuh-Hofer was made through the evaluation of sources that had been known for a long time and that had only been misinterpreted.

    Hofburg Chapel
    Interior view of the Hofburg chapel

    The Hofburgkapelle is the oldest and main chapel of the Hofburg and was the house chapel of the Habsburgs . Probably around 1287/88 Albrecht I had a late Romanesque chapel built, which was first mentioned in a document in 1296. From 1423 to 1426 there was an expansion under Albrecht V ; the wood of the current roof structure dates from 1421. Albrecht, who commissioned a large-scale persecution of Jews in Vienna that year , probably also arranged for Jewish tombstones to be set into the foundation of the chapel (they were later removed and placed in a Jewish cemetery kept).

    From 1447 to 1449 Emperor Friedrich III. the chapel was rebuilt and expanded in the Gothic style. Maria Theresa ordered a late baroque renovation of the chapel. In the course of classicism , it was regotized again in 1802. In it the Emperor concerted I. Maximilian founded Hofmusikkapelle whose tradition of the Philharmonic Viennese and the Vienna Boys Choir continues. By the end of the monarchy in 1918, the Hofburg chapel served as a parish church of exemten k.uk Court and Castle parish .

    Stable castle

    Although a separate building, the Stallburg is connected to the rest of the Hofburg complex with a passage. It was originally built as a residence for Maximilian II as heir to the throne. According to tradition, Emperor Ferdinand I did not want to live under one roof with his son, who was inclined to Protestantism .

    In the 17th century the Stallburg housed the extensive art collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm , the art-loving brother of Emperor Ferdinand III. , which forms an essential part of the collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

    During the 18th century the building was converted into one of the stables for the imperial horses, from which the name "Stallburg" is derived. A large part of the Spanish Riding School is housed there to this day.

    Amalienburg

    The Amalienburg with the monument to Emperor Franz I.

    Opposite the Schweizertor is the Amalienburg , also known as the Amalientrakt , named after Amalie Wilhelmine , the widow of Emperor Joseph I , which was built more than a hundred years earlier as the Viennese residence of Emperor Rudolf II in the late Renaissance style. In the courtyard of the wing, the Amalienhof , there is a renaissance fountain with a basin made of imperial stone. Noteworthy are the turret with a Welscher hood and the astronomical clock on the facade. In the center of the inner courtyard of the Vienna Hofburg, between the Amalienburg and the Schweizertor, there is a monument to Emperor Franz I of Austria by Pompeo Marchesi from the years 1842 to 1846, which can be seen in the left part of the photo.

    In the course of time, apart from Amalie Wilhelmine, various archduchesses and dukes resided in the Amalienburg, from 1790 to 1792 Leopold II , 1814/15 during the Congress of Vienna Tsar Alexander I , 1831–35 the future Emperor Ferdinand I with his wife Maria Anna of Savoy , 1854–98 Empress Elisabeth and 1916–18 Emperor Karl I.

    The Amalienburg was built on the square of the Cillierhof (originally owned by the Counts of Cilli ) and a group of medieval houses. After the demolition, the new building for the future Emperor Rudolf II began in 1575. The building was completed in stages by 1611. In the course of a renovation around 1683/84, the building was raised by a half-story and the facade was designed to face Ballhausplatz. In 1711 Franz Jänggl created the connecting wing to the Leopoldine wing and probably also the new clock tower. The preserved furnishings of the bel étage (apartments for the later Emperor Joseph II ) and the rococo mezzanine were made by Nikolaus Pacassi .

    Today the Chancellery Ministers and State Secretaries reside in the Amalientrakt (as a branch of the Federal Chancellery ), the Schönbrunn Palace Cultural and Operating  Society and the Austrian Conference on Spatial Planning (ÖROK).

    Hofburg with Amalienburg, Reichskanzleitrakt and Swiss wing with a monument to Emperor Franz I.

    Leopoldine wing

    Hofbauamt balcony 1752, stonemason order for Kaisersteinbruch
    Leopoldine wing; has housed the Federal President's office since 1946

    monarchy

    The connecting building between the Amalienburg and the Swiss wing is the "Leopoldine wing" , which was built under Emperor Leopold I in the 1660s. The architect was Filiberto Lucchese , the execution was in the hands of the Italian builders Carl Martin Carlone and Dominico Carlone . The major order for stone deliveries and stone carvings went to Kaisersteinbruch , to the masters Ambrosius Ferrethi and Camillo Rezi. Settlements are listed in the Camerale payment office books of the Hofkammerarchives : Hard imperial stone for the facade, "the large cornice panels on the outer side" , staircase, and finally the portal. The Viennese court stone mason Urban Illmayr was responsible for working on the “soft” stone . At the west end of the Leopoldine wing is the chamber chapel , which was completely renovated by Maria Theresa in 1772 .

    After the second Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683, the wing was rebuilt by Giovanni Pietro Tencalla and an additional floor was added. The style of the building is baroque . In 1752 a balcony was added by the court stone masons Elias Hügel and Johann Baptist Regondi . Below this Leopoldine wing and the Amalienburg was also the Hofburg's huge wine cellar . The "Secret Council Chamber" was also located in the area of ​​the Leopoldine wing . Emperor Franz Joseph I held his opening speeches for the Austro-Hungarian delegation meetings here. In the hall on June 28, 1900, the then heir to the throne and nephew of Franz Joseph, Franz Ferdinand , swore the “oath of renunciation” and renounced the succession to the throne on behalf of his future (unequal) wife and his descendants.

    Republic of Austria

    From 1923 until its dissolution in 1939, the influential German-national to National Socialist -oriented German Club , with Federal President Michael Hainisch (1920 to 1928) and at least fifteen government members from the interwar period as well as several July Putschists in the ranks, had its seat in eight representative rooms in the Leopoldine wing .

    The Leopoldine wing houses the offices of the Austrian since the end of 1946 President and its associated authority of the President's Office , previously in a wing of the Federal Chancellery were staying. The Hofburg police station is also located in the wing .

    Reich Chancellery Wing

    Reich Chancellery Wing, sculptor Lorenzo Mattielli

    Coproductions between Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and his son Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach are the winter riding school opposite the Stallburg - where the first Austrian parliament met in 1848 - and the Reich Chancellery wing opposite the Leopoldine wing . This was built in 1723–1730 by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt (like the Secret Court Chancellery, now the Federal Chancellery , under Imperial Vice Chancellor Friedrich Karl von Schönborn-Buchheim in 1717–1719 ). It housed the offices of the Imperial Vice Chancellor , the actual "Prime Minister" of the Holy Roman Empire (the position of Imperial Arch Chancellor , whose representative the Imperial Vice Chancellor was considered to have been held by the Archbishop of Mainz since the Middle Ages ), and the Imperial Court Council . After the end of the empire, this wing housed the apartments of the Duke of Reichstadt and, most recently, of Emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary .

    In the castle with the monumental monument to Emperor Franz I in the center

    The Swiss wing, the Amalienburg, the Leopoldine wing and the Reich Chancellery wing form a courtyard that was called Franzensplatz from 1846–1919 and has been called In der Burg since 1919 .

    In the middle of the square is a bronze statue of Emperor Franz II / I erected at the instigation of Emperor Ferdinand I and unveiled on June 16, 1846 . by the hand of the Italian sculptor Pompeo Marchesi , who depicts the emperor on an octagonal pillar like a Roman Caesar. On the side of the pillar, there are bronze reliefs depicting the activities of the people. The pillar is flanked by four colossal statues, which symbolize faith, strength, peace and justice.

    Court library

    Building yard at the rear of the Austrian National Library, 1893
    Charles VI (right) in the state hall of the court library

    Initially free-standing on the other side of the castle (at today's Josefsplatz ) was the court library , which was used by Emperor Karl VI. and which today contains the baroque state hall of the Austrian National Library . Its construction was started by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach; In 1735 his son Joseph Emanuel completed the building. Prince Eugene's book collection , a ceiling fresco by Daniel Gran and pictures of the emperor by Paul Strudel are located in the magnificent hall . The central statue represents Charles VI. as Roman-German Emperor and is attributed to Antonio Corradini . This part is arguably the most artistically important part of the Hofburg.

    Fischer von Erlach had only planned access from the Swiss wing, i.e. no public access for a library, which was actually conceived as a public institution from the start. The ceremonial acts of April 23, 1731 report on a "... inspection of the new library by the imperial majesty and the archduchess ..." . It was not until 1733 that a neighboring small building of the Augustinian convent was purchased in order to build a generally accessible staircase, the so-called large service staircase .

    Soil subsidence, which occurred in the years after 1760, forced some renovations, which Nikolaus von Pacassi carried out. Subsequently, the present day staircase to the state hall was built until around 1767, here too with smoothly polished imperial stone for steps and platforms. In 1769 the building threatened to collapse due to the enormous weight of the books. Empress Maria Theresia and her son Joseph II had it strengthened under the supervision of court building director Count Losy von Losymthall and court architect Nicolaus Pacassi. On this occasion, a new open square, the Josefsplatz , was created, in the middle of which there is an equestrian statue of Emperor Joseph II by Franz Anton von Zauner .

    In 1904 the Hofbaucomité commissioned the design of an entrance to the court library from Josefsplatz. The stone work was done partly from old existing Almaser , Wöllersdorfer , Kaiser, Marzano and Kelheim stone , partly from newly provided Kaiserstein for steps and floor slabs, Cava Romana and Orsera.

    Augustinian tract

    Josefsplatz, Augustinertrakt, court library, equestrian statue of Joseph II.

    Adjacent to the court library on the southeast side of Josefsplatz is the Augustinertrakt , named after the adjoining Augustinian church and the Augustinian monastery, which were built in front of the court library, but became part of it through the expansion of the Hofburg. Since the Palais Archduke Albrecht (formerly Palais Tarouca-de Sylva), which houses the Albertina graphic collection , is structurally connected to the Augustinian monastery and was inhabited by members of the imperial family, it is also part of the Hofburg complex.

    Redoutensaal wing

    Court table in the Redoutensaal on the occasion of the wedding of Joseph II to Isabella von Bourbon-Parma in 1760
    The Great Redoutensaal during a concert by the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra

    Adjacent to the north of the court library is the Redoutensaal tract , named after the Redoutens' halls in it . These include the large and small Redoutensaal and the roof foyer, which opened in 1997.

    Maria Theresa had an opera house from the 17th century rebuilt and thus created the redouten halls, the dance and concert halls par excellence. The first structural conception came from Jean Nicolas Jadot de Ville-Issey , the outer facade bears the handwriting of Nikolaus Pacassi and Franz Anton Hillebrandt .

    Carter and Brezhnev in 1979 in the Redoutensaal

    The redoubt halls have been redesigned again and again, for example by mirroring the windows, stucco and gold strips on the ceiling or introducing electricity. In 1973 the halls were converted into a congress center. On June 18, 1979, Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev signed the arms limitation agreement SALT-II here .

    On the night of November 26th to 27th, 1992, a major fire broke out in the Hofburg in the area of ​​the Redoutensäle on Josefsplatz. Part of the roof and the upper floor burned down completely. The fire could only be extinguished with difficulty, and the Lipizzaner horses in the adjacent riding school had to be brought to safety. After the fire disaster, the little less damaged redout hall was restored to its original state. An artist competition was announced for the furnishing of the Great Redouten Hall. The Austrian painter Josef Mikl emerged as the winner . He made oil paintings based on quotes from the literary figures Ferdinand Raimund , Johann Nepomuk Nestroy , Elias Canetti and Karl Kraus . In the course of the renovation of the burned-out redoutes halls, Manfred Wehdorn's former attic was converted into a roof foyer.

    The restoration of the redouten halls took five years and took place under the auspices of the Castle Authority Austria . Since 1997 the wing has been in the administration of the Vienna Congress Center Hofburg operating company . In 1998 the Redoutensäle were put back into operation on the occasion of the first Austrian EU presidency. In 2006, Wehdorn created the “Hofburg Gallery” and the “Hofburg Forum” below in the former courtyard of the Hofburg.

    Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz speaks to the Federal Council in the Great Redoutensaal

    The Redoutensaal tract, the court library and the Augustinertrakt form an architectural, harmonious ensemble in the structure of a horseshoe that forms the Josefsplatz.

    In December 2014, the six Austrian parliamentary parties agreed to use the Redoutensaal wing of the Hofburg as an alternative location for the plenary sessions during the renovation work on the parliament building from 2017 to 2021. The meetings of the National Council and the Federal Council have been taking place in the redoubt hall adapted for this purpose since September 2017. Access to public meetings and guided tours is possible on non-meeting days via the main entrance on Josefsplatz.

    In 2019, the Court of Auditors criticized the fact that the recommended fire protection equipment, especially in the residential area, is still not up to date.

    Michaelertrakt

    Michaelertrakt to Michaelerplatz, around 1900

    By Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach was 1726 and the Michaelertrakt, the connection between the Winter Riding School and Reichskanzleitrakt planned. But since the old Burgtheater stood in the way, this plan remained unfinished for a long time and was only actually built by Ferdinand Kirschner in a slightly different form from 1889 to 1893 .

    As a result, there were repeated changes and adjustments, especially from 1763 to 1769 under Nikolaus von Pacassi , who connected the court library with the rest of the castle and on the other side with the Augustinian Church and thus created Josefsplatz , which is one of the most beautiful squares in Vienna applies. After the renovation of the Albertina in the 1820s by Joseph Kornhäusel based on plans by Fischer von Erlach, it too is connected to the Hofburg from the other side.

    The Michaelertrakt is crowned by a large, bronze dome. After the completion of Michaelerplatz , two fountains with sculptures were attached to the front: Die Macht zur See by Rudolf Weyr on the left and Die Macht zu Lande by Edmund Hellmer on the right.

    Ceremonial hall wing

    Ceremonial hall in the ballroom wing

    Another extension from this period (as early as 1804) is the ceremonial hall wing or Montoyer wing with the ceremonial hall by Louis Montoyer . Since it was built at right angles to the Leopoldine wing, it protruded from the castle and was called "The nose of the Hofburg" for a long time. Today it is integrated into the Neue Burg .

    The ceremonial hall is the most magnificent hall in the Hofburg. The Belgian architect Louis Montoyer designed the wing on behalf of Emperor Franz II./I. as a throne room. An artistic coffered ceiling and 26 crystal chandeliers, formerly equipped with 1,300 candles, give the hall an imperial shine. The 24 Corinthian columns are made of artificial marble. Here Napoleon's courtship for the daughter of Emperor Franz II / I, Marie Louise, and the exclusive " Ball at Court " took place. On Maundy Thursday, Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth invited twelve poor old men and women each to wash their feet in the traditional way.

    The satellite room served as the lounge of the satellite bodyguard , which was responsible for the personal protection of the monarch. The guardsmen were distributed throughout the castle and stationed at important access points.

    On May 15, 1717, Maria Theresa was baptized in the knight's hall by the papal nuncio Spinola, the deputy of Pope Clement XI.

    The structure of the marble hall next to the ceremonial hall dates from the 16th century, its interior with artificial marble was adapted to the ceremonial hall around 1840. During the imperial era it served as a dining room and for court children's balls.

    In gratitude for his commitment in the Italian campaign during the revolutionary year of 1848, Franz Joseph I allowed the honored Field Marshal Radetzky to live in his own rooms in the castle, even though he was not a member of the court. In the corners of the so-called Radetzky apartments, there are still historic tiled stoves that were heated from the outside by a separate corridor.

    Heroes' Square

    Photo of a rare procession of the Hoflakaien on Heldenplatz, around 1900

    In 1809 part of the old bastions near the castle was blown up as a result of the coalition wars and then razed. At that time, new outer works (the so-called Hornwerks- curtain wall and the Escarpen ) were laid out towards today's Ringstrasse , into which the classicistic castle gate was integrated. Three gardens were laid out within these ramparts, newly built in 1817: the private imperial castle garden, the Heldenplatz as a lawn with avenues and the Volksgarten with the Theseus temple , which, like the castle gate, was designed by Peter von Nobile .

    New Castle and Corps de Logis

    Main stairs in the New Castle

    In the course of the city expansion after the city walls were razed in the 1860s, the last major expansion of the castle took place. A Kaiserforum was planned , a two-wing complex across the Ringstrasse, with the twin museums ( art history and natural history museum ) as flanks and the old stables of Fischer von Erlach as a conclusion. Gottfried Semper and later Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer were responsible for the construction management of this project . The plan was only partially implemented. The museums were completed in 1891, the rest of the forum was delayed. In 1913, the southeast wing, the Neue Burg , was largely completed, but the Kaiserforum was finally shelved. After all, this is how Heldenplatz and Maria-Theresien-Platz were created .

    The final part of the building facing the Ringstrasse and the Outer Burgtor is the Corps de Logis . The plans for the Kaiserforum were downsized, an identical counterpart to the Corps de Logis was to be built in order to make the area around the castle gate symmetrical. In the planned other corps de logis, heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand wanted to set up a museum.

    The interior was completed after the end of the monarchy in the 1920s. Neither of the two wings was therefore ever inhabited. Today they serve as exhibition rooms for numerous museums and as a reading room for the Austrian National Library .

    In the course of the construction of the New Castle, the monumental equestrian statues of the two most important Austrian generals, Prince Eugene of Savoy and Archduke Karl , were erected on Heldenplatz . On March 15, 1938 , the dictator Adolf Hitler proclaimed the "annexation" of his homeland to the German Reich from the balcony of the Neue Burg towards Heldenplatz .

    The large, cast-iron, ornate gates and bars by Anton Biró on the Neue Burg and the Corp de Logis were originally painted green and gilded. Over time, they were painted black and the original color scheme was forgotten. In the course of renovation work at the beginning of the 21st century, the original colors came to light again during investigations. In agreement with the Federal Monuments Office, the Burghauptmannschaft has restored the gates to the Corps de Logis in green and gold.

    Ballroom wing

    The large ballroom during a concert by the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra

    The ballroom wing was built by Ludwig Baumann in the years 1910–1923. It connects the New Castle with the ceremonial hall wing and has the main page to Heldenplatz. It was originally planned as part of the "Kaiserforum" planned by Carl Hasenauer in 1866 and generously redesigned by Gottfried Semper in 1869.

    With around 1,000 m², the large ballroom is the largest hall in the entire Hofburg. Although it was designed as a throne room, it was never used as such: the interior work ended in 1923, the artistic design remained incomplete. Three ceiling paintings by Alois Hans Schramm glorify the rule of the Habsburgs. The motto of Emperor Franz Joseph I, Viribus Unitis , served with united forces. Eduard Veith and Viktor Stauffer have immortalized personalities from Austrian history in the lunettes and octagon fields below . In the ceiling paintings you can see Maximilian I , Karl V , Ferdinand I , Rudolf II and Ferdinand II of Tyrol , in the side panels Leopold I , Karl VI. , Prince Eugene and the Polish King Jan III. Sobieski .

    Since 1958 the ballroom wing has been used as a congress center by the Hofburg Kongresszentrum & Redoutensäle Wien GmbH. The 1967 Eurovision Song Contest was held here. The OSCE has had an event organization office here since 1992 . In 2005 the so-called "Kesselhaushof" was roofed over and converted into a conference room. In addition to numerous other balls, the Vienna Corporation Ball, which has been controversial because of the repeated participation of right-wing extremist politicians, has been held here every year since 1968 .

    Burggarten

    Palm house in the castle garden

    The castle garden adjoins the southeastern front of the Neue Burg. In contrast to the Volksgarten, it was reserved for members of the imperial family only. A spacious terrace leads from the Neue Burg into the castle garden. The palm house there, also known as the butterfly house, was built by Friedrich Ohmann as the last building of the Hofburg in Art Nouveau style and replaced a greenhouse that had been built a hundred years earlier by Ludwig Gabriel von Remy .

    There was once a connecting building between the Palm House and the New Castle, which closed the back of the court library to form a new courtyard. This part was demolished by order of the heir to the throne Archduke Franz Ferdinand , who wanted a clear view of the castle garden from the court library. The castle garden was only opened to the general public in the 1920s. After the Second World War , the Mozart monument was moved here from the heavily damaged Albertinaplatz . There are also monuments to the Emperors Franz I. Stefan and Franz Joseph I.

    fence

    The fence in its red and gold coloring

    At the time the New Castle was being built, several cast-iron works were commissioned. This includes the long and high fence that encloses and protects the entire area. The fence begins at the Palmenhaus in the Burggarten and encompasses the Burggarten towards Goethegasse , then along the Ringstrasse past the Corps de Logis, to the Burgtor and then along the Ringstrasse around the Volksgarten to the Burgtheater. There it stretches along Löwelstrasse to the east, where it separates and closes the Volksgarten from Heldenplatz. Thus, the parks of Burggarten, Heldenplatz and Volksgarten belong to the immediate ensemble of the Hofburg. The ornate fence in the neo-baroque style was originally painted red and partially gilded. The lanterns are adorned with the imperial crown. Over time, the fence was painted completely black. The original coloring reappeared in the course of restoration work in the 1990s. The fence was completely dismantled down to the foundations and the sandstone base ( Mannersdorfer Stein ) was repaired. Rust damage was removed and missing parts replaced. After long investigations, at least in the area of ​​the castle gate, the fence was able to shine again in its original red and gold color, but the rest of the area was kept in black again, probably for cost reasons.

    Museums in the Hofburg

    Various areas of the Hofburg are open to the public as museums. However, they are not all under the same administration:

    • The Imperial Apartments , the Sisi Museum and the Silver Collection are among the most visited sites in Austrian history. The original office and living quarters of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth of the former residence of the Habsburgs can still be viewed today . The Sisi Museum brings the visitor closer to the myth and truth about Empress Elisabeth ("Sisi") in an elaborately staged manner. The former court silver and table chamber presents valuable porcelain, glass and silver services from the possession of the Habsburgs.
      These areas are administered by the state-owned Schönbrunn Palace Culture and Operating Company.
    The Austrian imperial insignia are in the treasury
    The Archduke Albrecht Palace completes the building ensemble of the Hofburg in the southern part (view of the Musensaal)


    The Institute for Theater, Film and Media Studies is located in the Hofburg, the entrance is next to the Sisi Museum.

    Congress and event center

    The Hofburg is the permanent seat for OSCE / OSCE conferences

    The Hofburg Congress and Event Center was founded in September 1958 and is located in the parts of the Old Castle, the New Castle and the Leopoldine Wing. It was involved in the development of congress tourism in Vienna. It was initially managed by the Burghauptmannschaft Austria , but in 1969 the Vienna Congress Center Hofburg Betriebsgesellschaft took over management under a lease agreement with the Republic of Austria. The Hofburg Congress Center has 17,000 m² in 35 rooms for events from 50 to 4,900 people. Every year around 300 to 350 events, with the permanent conference seat of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE / OSCE) even more than 600 events from congresses and conferences to trade fairs and exhibitions, to concerts, balls and banquets, take place in the historical and modern premises. The rooms that are used regularly include the large ballroom, the ceremonial hall, the marble hall, the secret council room, the Antekammer, the Radetzky apartments, the knight's hall and the redoubt halls.

    Picture gallery

    • The old ditch around the Swiss wing

    • Back of the castle chapel, with Gothic architecture

    • Fountain in the Schweizerhof from 1552, Kaiserstein

    • Well in the courtyard of the Amali wing, as well

    • Adlerstiege in the presidential office

    • The emperors Franz Joseph I and Wilhelm II, before 1916

    • Stairs to the State Library of the National Library

    • Steps and resting platforms of the above stairs made of smooth polished Kaiserstein

    • Column staircase in the Swiss wing, inserted in the middle of the 18th century

    • Small Redoutensaal stairs

    • Redoutensaal stairs, Kaiserstein

    • Kaiserstiege

    literature

    • Rosenauer Arthur (ed.): The Vienna Hofburg - construction and functional history (series: publications on the construction and functional history of the Vienna Hofburg), volumes 1–5. Vienna 2018.
      • Hellmut Lorenz , Anna Mader-Kratzky (ed.): The Vienna Hofburg 1705-1835, the imperial residence from baroque to classicism. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2016, ISBN 978-3-7001-7843-9 . With contributions by Christian Benedik, Lieselotte Hanzl-Wachter, Petra Kalousek, Hellmut Lorenz, Anna Mader-Kratky, Jochen Marz, Andrea Sommer-Mathis, Werner Telesko, Rainer Valenta and Manuel Weinberger.
      • Werner Telesko : The Vienna Hofburg 1835–1918: The expansion of the residence from Vormärz to the end of the "Imperial Forum". Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2012, ISBN 978-3-7001-7231-4 .
    • Bernhard A. Macek et al. Renate Holzschuh-Hofer: The Vienna Hofburg. The unknown sides of the imperial residence. Sutton Verlag, Erfurt 2014, ISBN 978-3-95400-420-1 .
    • Richard Kurdiovsky (Ed.): The Austrian Presidential Chancellery in the Vienna Hofburg. With contributions by Herbert Karner, Richard Kurdiovsky, Marcus Langer, Hellmut Lorenz, Anna Mader, Florian Steininger and Manuel Weinberger; Photographs by Manfred Seidl. Christian Brandstätter Verlag, Vienna 2008.
    • Hofkammerarchiv: z. B. Lower Austria lordship files 1660–1667 Neue Burg (Leopoldinischer Trakt) , Camerale payment office books 1727, arrears of court craftsmen and artists etc.
    • Josef Cachée: The Emperor's Court Kitchen: The Imperial and Royal Court Kitchen, the Hofzuckerbäckerei and the Court Cellar in the Vienna Hofburg. Amalthea Signum, Vienna 1985, ISBN 3-85002-208-0 .
    • Margaret Gottfried: The Vienna Imperial Forum. Utopias between the Hofburg and the Museumsquartier. Böhlau, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-205-99196-6 .
    • Richard H. Kastner: Splendor and Glory. The Vienna Hofburg under Emperor Franz Joseph. Amalthea, Vienna 2004, ISBN
    • Walter Koschatzky : The Kaiser peep box. A collection of old Austrian views from the Vienna Hofburg. ISBN 3-7017-0646-8 .
    • Harry Kühnel : The Hofburg. Zsolnay, Vienna 1971, ISBN 3-552-02304-6 .
    • Harry Kühnel: The Hofburg in Vienna. Böhlau, Vienna 1964, ISBN 3-205-08045-9 .
    • Oswald Kutschera-Woborsky : The Vienna Hofburg (= Austrian art books , volume 5). Ed. Hölzel, Vienna 1920. ( digitized version ).
    • Christian Neuhold: Hofburg. The heart of Austria. ISBN 3-85058-033-4 .
    • Paul Neumann: Guide through the Hofburg in Vienna. Publishing house of the Austrian State Printing House, Vienna 1961.
    • The Austrian Presidential Chancellery in the Vienna Hofburg. Richard Kurdiovsky (ed.), With contributions by Herbert Karner, Richard Kurdiovsky, Marcus Langer, Hellmut Lorenz, Anna Mader, Florian Steininger and Manuel Weinberger; Photographs by Manfred Seidl. Christian Brandstätter Verlag, Vienna 2008.
    • The Presidential Chancellery, the official seat of the Austrian Federal President in the Vienna Hofburg. Verlag der Österreichische Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1958 and 1961.
    • Austrian Academy of Sciences / Commission for Castle Research (Author), Harry Kühnel: Communications from the Commission for Castle Research. Research results on the history of the Vienna Hofburg. Rohrer, Vienna, No. 6, 1957; No. 9, 1959; No. 10, 1960; No. 12, 1962.
    • Austrian National Library : The Austrian National Library in the Neue Hofburg. Austrian National Library, Vienna 1966.
    • District heating power station Hofburg for the heat and power supply of the State Opera and Burgtheater. Austrian State Printing Office, Vienna 1955.
    • Georg Schreiber : The Hofburg and its residents. Ueberreuter, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-8000-3491-3 .
    • Otto Stradal : Wonderful Vienna Hofburg. Österreichischer Bundesverlag, Vienna 1964.
    • Eva B. Ottillinger (author), Lieselotte Hanzl: Imperial interiors. Böhlau, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-205-98680-6 .
    • Thomas Trenkler : The Hofburg Vienna. History - buildings - sights. Ueberreuter, Vienna 2004, ISBN 3-8000-7042-1 .
    • Franz Weller: The imperial castles and palaces in pictures and words: depicted on the basis of source works. Hofburg in Vienna via Augarten, Belvedere, Prater ... Gödöllő, Ischl ... all the way to Miramar, all the imperial castles are explained. kk Hof-Buchdruckerei, Vienna 1880, ISBN 0-00-322171-7 .
    • Herbert Chr. Winkler: Former court silver and table chamber. Collection catalog I. Silver, bronzes, porcelain, glass. Böhlau, Vienna 1998, ISBN 3-205-98323-8 .

    Web links

    Commons : Hofburg  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

    Individual evidence

    1. ↑ See also the list of the largest castles and palaces
    2. ↑ Parliament in the alternative quarters. (PDF) In: sanierung.parlament.at. Parliament building renovation company mbH, 2018, p. 9 , accessed on December 11, 2018 .
    3. ↑ The Vienna Hofburg reveals its age. Masonry from the Babenberg era discovered . Website of the Federal Monuments Office. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
    4. ↑ Von der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Hofburg, in: Fuhrmann, Mathias: Historical description and briefly chamfered message from the Roman. Kaiserl. and Royal Residence City of Vienna, and its suburbs, Vienna 1770, Third Part, pp. 1–13, digitized version of the Bavarian State Library
    5. ↑ Information about the Swiss wing in the Vienna Hofburg at www.stadt-wien.at, accessed on September 18, 2011.
    6. ↑ Profile No. 13/2013, pp. 108-109, http://www.profil.at/articles/1313/560/355373/kunstkammer-hofburg-schatz-puzzle
    7. ↑ Kaisersitz, Hitler balcony, Holy Lance ( memento from August 26, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
    8. ^ Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon , Volume 2, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2003, ISBN 3-7001-3044-9 .
    9. ^ Vienna Hofburg - Amalientrakt , burghauptmannschaft.at
    10. ^ Die Hofburg ( Memento from May 11, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) , hofburg-wien.at → Worth knowing;
      Other official buildings of the Federal Chancellery ( Memento from June 10, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) , Federal Chancellery, bka.gv.at → Locations
    11. ↑ Master Ambrosius Ferrethi, Heiligenkreuz subject and judge in quarry . In: Helmuth Furch , communications from the Kaisersteinbruch Museum and Culture Association . No. 38, 1995, pp. 12-48. ISBN 978-3-9504555-3-3 .
    12. ↑ a b Linda Erker, Andreas Huber and Klaus Taschwer : From the "foster home of the National Socialist opposition" to the "extremely threatening secondary government". The German Club before and after the "Anschluss" in 1938. Retrieved on July 24, 2017 .
    13. ^ German Club in the Vienna History Wiki of the City of Vienna
    14. ↑ Linda Erker, Andreas Huber, Klaus Taschwer: Austro-Nazis in the Hofburg. derstandard.at, accessed on July 23, 2017 .
    15. ↑ Die Welt der Habsburg: The Presidential Chancellery and the long shadow of the double-headed eagle ; accessed on 23 Sep. 2016
    16. ↑ Hofburg Police Department (guard room ) on the website polizei.gv.at.
    17. ^ Redoutensäle in the Vienna History Wiki of the City of Vienna
    18. ↑ derStandard.at - Parliamentary restructuring: National Council will meet in the Hofburg from 2017 . Article dated December 4, 2014, accessed December 4, 2014.
    19. ↑ Renovation of the parliament building - information on the renovation project . Retrieved December 4, 2014.
    20. ^ Contract awarded to master builder, new schedule decided . Retrieved December 17, 2017.
    21. ↑ Further fire protection deficiencies in the Hofburg on ORF from September 13, 2019, accessed on September 13, 2019.
    22. ↑ a b The green grilles of the Hofburg. Bundesdenkmalamt, 2011, retrieved on September 20, 2011 : “Findings on historical buildings and components can be surprising: the many black wrought iron on and around the new Hofburg was originally red (the fences) and green (the doors, window grilles and window baskets on the Corps de Logis), with gilded decorations. "
    23. ^ Kesselhaushof: Extension of the conference center of the Vienna Hofburg. (PDF; 1.5 MB) Burghauptmannschaft Österreich, 2005, accessed on September 20, 2011 .
    24. ↑ SPIEGEL Online , January 2012: FPÖ boss compares fraternity members with persecuted Jews
    25. ^ Jochen Martz: A paradise, directly accessible from the Imperial apartments - Remy's former conservatory in the garden of the Imperial Castle (Hofburg) in Vienna / Austria . In: Supplement to Die Gartenkunst  20 (2/2008) = Habsburg. The House of Habsburg and garden art . ISBN 978-3-88462-271-1 , pp. 77-86.
    26. ↑ City Expansion Fund