Ballhausplatz
For more than 250 years Austrian history was made at Ballhausplatz; today the seat of the Austrian government and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs is at Ballhausplatz 2.
Austria's policies were not
resolved in the ministry but at Ballhausplatz according to Robert Musil in his novel "The Man without Qualities".
Office of the Federal Chancellor
The Bundeskanzleramt (Office of the Federal Chancellor), formerly the Privy Court Chancellery, was erected in Vienna's Ballhausplatz between 1717 and 1719 to plans by Lucas von Hildebrandt. It was
enlarged by Nikolaus Pacassi in 1766 and made even bigger when the State Archive Building was added in 1902. After damage in the war, restoration was completed in 1950. In the Privy Court Chancellery powerful chancellors such as Kaunitz under Maria Theresa, and Prince Metternich under Franz I and Ferdinand I determined the fate of the country. In 1814 and 1815 the Congress of Vienna met here for its deliberations after Napoleon's downfall. It was here, too, that the ultimatum to Serbia which led to the outbreak of the First World War was conceived and here, also, that Federal Chancellor Dolfuss was murdered in his office in 1934. In 1938 Federal Chancellor von Schuschnigg concluded in his famous farewell address with the words: "May God protect Austria". In 1940 Baldur von Schirach, Hitler's Governor in the Vienna District, moved into Ballhausplatz. The Federal Government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been housed here once more since 1945.
Butterfly House
The tropical Butterfly House is on the grounds of the Imperial palace. Hundreds of live, free-flying tropical butterflies live in a recreated natural rain forest environment.
Ephesus Museum
Around the turn of the century Austrian archaeologists excavating at Ephesus on the coast of Asia Minor brought to light interesting statues, reliefs and bronzes from this ancient trading city
They became a gift from the Sultan to the Emperor in Vienna and in 1978 were housed in the Ephesus Museum in Neue Burg. Among the most remarkable exhibits is the 2m/6.5ft-high bronze of an athlete composed of 234 fragments (Roman copy of a Greek original, second half of the fourth century B.C.). The Parthian Memorial, a nearly 40m/130ft-long frieze with life-size figures in relief commemorating Lucius Verus (d. 169), the co-regent and adoptive brother of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, was erected after the victorious conclusion of the war against the Parthians (161-165). Also noteworthy are "Hercules fighting with the Centaurs" and the "Boy with a Goose" (Roman copy in marble of an Hellenistic original). Particularly interesting among the architectural remains are the fragments of an altar of a Shrine to Artemis (fourth century B.C.), of an octagon (second half of the first century A.D.), of a so-called "Round House" (second half of first century A.D.) and of the Great Theater (mid first century A.D.) with erotic reliefs and a frieze of masks. A 8 ê 4m/26 ê 13ft model of Ephesus creates an imposing impression of its size and grandeur which was made of countless little pieces of wood and cost 1.3million schillings. Considerable discoveries from the Aegean island of Samothrace which complete the collection were excavated by the Archaeological Institute in 1873 and 1875. These include Victory figures, pediment sculptures (from the Hellenistic Hieron), Ionic capitals (from the Ptolemaion), frieze of lotus fronds (from the Arsinoeion) and a gable-end from the Propylon.
Burgkapelle
The present chapel castle at the Hofburg was constructed on the orders of Emperor Ferdinand III between 1447 and 1449. In the 17th and 18th C. there were alterations and additions in the Baroque
style. More changes were made in the 19th C. when the interior was reconverted to the Gothic style in 1802. Maria Theresa had the old wooden altars replaced by marble ones, but the present High Altar dates from 1802. The tabernacle contains Ferdinand II's miraculous cross; according to legend it inspired him with courage during the Wars of Religion. The Burgkapelle is now a much-favored and distinguished setting for weddings. The cynics say that the 13 500-year-old wooden statues of the "Helpers in time of need" - the was removed to make space for the pulpit - are in the right place in a church used in marriages. The boys' choir was originally founded to sing in the Burgkapelle used by the Imperial Court.
The Vienna Boys' Choir developed from this and together with members of the State Opera Choir sing at Sunday Mass and on religious holidays (9.15am except July-mid.-Sept.; pre-booking essential, tel. 5 33 99 27).
Heroes' Square
The Heldenplatz (Heroes' Square) in the Hofburg was originally the parade ground. After the erection of the two statues, one of Prince Eugene who defended the Turks and the other to Archduke
Charles who won the Battle of Aspern, it was given the name Heldenplatz. Both statues are the work of Anton Fernkorn. In the square the fiakers await passengers who wish to take a guided tour of Vienna in a traditional manner.
Hoftafel und Festsaaltrakt
In 1804 Francis I ordered the reconstruction of the oldest part of the Hofburg castle to provide a ceremonial suite in Classical style. The area of the chamber is 1,000sq.m/1,220 sq.yd. The
magnificent coffered ceiling is supported on 24 Corinthian columns. It served as throne room and ballroom.
It was here that the Habsburgs formally renounced their rights to the throne in the event of a morganatic marriage (i.e. a marriage to a partner of lower social status). Nowadays the chamber is part of the Hofburg Congress Center. Each year it provided the fitting setting for the Imperial Ball on New Year's Eve.
Imperial Apartments
The State Apartments open to the public in the Hofburg comprise the Franz Joseph Apartments in the Reichskanzleitrakt together with Elisabeth and Alexander's apartments in the Amalienburg.
It is
not possible for visitors to see the living quarters and ceremonial apartments of Empress Maria Theresa and of her son Emperor Joseph II (the Leopoldinischertrakt) because they comprise the official residence of the Austrian President.
The furnishing of most rooms remains unaltered.
Alexander's Apartments
Alexander's Apartments at the Hofburg take their name from Tsar Alexander I who occupied the rooms during the Congress of Vienna.
Linking room: The busts are of the last Austrian emperor, Emperor
Charles I, and of his consort, Empress Zita.
Red Salon: It is also called the "Boucher Salon" because the tapestries were worked by François Boucher. They were presented to Emperor Joseph II by Marie-Antoinette. After 1916 it became Emperor Charles I's Audience Chamber.
Study: A photograph shows the unhappy Crown Prince and there are two portraits of Crown Princess Stefanie and Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Banqueting Hall: The Brussels tapestries are 18th C. A special feature of the canopied "Highest Table" which is bedecked with gold and silver is the placing of all the cutlery on the right-hand side of the plate, in accordance with Spanish Court Etiquette.
Elisabeth's Apartments
Living Room: This is one of the prettiest rooms in the Hofburg. It served as living room and bedroom, with its bureau, reading desk, neo-Gothic altar of Carrera marble and bed. The Spartan iron bed
was pushed away during the daytime.
Gymnastics Room: Elisabeth was fanatical about keeping slim and was a superb horsewoman. She, therefore had gymnastic equipment fitted in her dressing-room which, moreover, she used regularly, much to the disgust of the Court.
Large Salon: Everything here is splendid. There is Louis XIV furniture, large Sèvres porcelain vases, Romantic landscape paintings and Antonio Canova's marble statue of Napoleon's sister.
Small Salon: The showcases contain mementos of the Empress who was assassinated in Geneva in 1898. There is a photograph of the gown she was wearing on the day she met her death.
Antechamber: The pictures are by Martin van Meytens, Maria Theresa's Court Painter; they portray her children. There is also a life-size statue of the 15-year-old Empress Elisabeth and some fine vases made of Sèvres porcelain.
Franz Joseph's Apartments
At the Hofburg are the apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph.
Dining Room: Here the Emperor used to take his meals with his staff officers. The Flemish gobelins currently being restored represent the
heroic deeds of Hercules; in their place hang 17th C. Brussels tapestries depicting the myth of Perseus and Andromeda.
Circle Room: This was where the Court used to meet for conversation after meals in front of the Roccoco ceramic stove which was fuelled from the corridor. The 17th C. Brussels tapestries depicting scenes from the life of Emperor Augustus are being restored and in their place are Flemish tapestries from Oudenarde (16th C.) showing the life of King David.
Smoking Room: The tapestries represent scenes from Graeco-Roman history.
Guard Room: In the guard room of the Imperial Life Guards the most interesting exhibit is a model of the old Hofburg.
Large Audience Chamber: This was the waiting room for the audiences which took place twice a week. The Bohemian crystal candelabrum with 80 candles is particularly fine as is the Biedermeier painting by Peter Krafft.
The Emporer's Audience Chamber: On a lectern lies a list of people coming to an audience on January 10 1910. It is said that audiences were conducted with everybody standing. Even the Emperor stood by his desk when he received those who came to an audience.
Council Chamber: It was in this room that the Emperor discussed matters with the Privy Councillors and his Ministers. It is furnished in Empire style.
Study: The rose wood furniture is in the Louis XV style. The study contains the bust and saber of Field- Marshal Radetsky who was one of the small select band permitted to appear unannounced before the Emperor.
Bedroom: Franz Joseph I lived simply. He slept in a modest iron bed and took his bath in a wooden tub which was placed in the bedroom. He died at Schönbrunn.
Large Salon: This room has rose wood furniture with bronze fittings. Francis Xavier Winterhalter's famous picture shows the Empress Elisabeth in a fine gown with jeweled stars in her hair.
Small Salon: In the former breakfast room may be seen one of the few portraits of Maximilian of Mexico, the Emperor's brother, and a bust of Admiral Tegetoff who brought back from Mexico the body of this unfortunate Prince.
Inner Courtyard
The Inner Courtyard of the Hofburg was used by the Emperor Maximilian II as a tilt yard as early as 1545. Later it was the site of tourneys, festivities and executions. In 1846 a monument was
erected to the memory of Emperor Francis II. On its plinth may be read a line from his will: "My life is for my peoples".
Leopoldinischertrakt
The Leopoldinischertrakt is a range of Baroque buildings, constructed at the behest of Emperor Leopold I, Maria Theresa's grandfather, which connects the Schweizerhof and the Amalienburg. The
buildings were erected between 1660 and 1680 and were occupied by Maria Theresa and her husband Francis Stephen of Lorraine. Their apartments together with those of Joseph II opposite them, now form part of the Presidential Chancellery. The Austrian President works in what was formerly Joseph II's study.
Michaeler Range
The Michaeler range was the site of the Hofburg Theater until 1888. After its demolition Emperor Franz Joseph I went back to the old plan drawn up by J. E. Fischer von Erlach and ordered the
construction of a range of buildings linking the Reichskanzleitrakt and the Winterreitschule. This was done between 1889 and 1893. The grandiose Michaelertor (Michael Gate) which is flanked by figures of Hercules leads into the domed chamber. The figures in the niches symbolize the mottoes of various rulers: "Constantia et Fortitudine" (With Constance and Fortitude - Emperor Charles VI), "Justitia et Clementia" (Justice and Mercy - Maria Theresa), "Virtuete et Exemplo" (By Might and Example - Joseph II) and "Viribus Unitus" (With all our Strength United - Franz Joseph I). In the hallway are the entrances to the Silver Room and to the State Apartments.
New Palace
Plans for a vast Imperial Forum and a gigantic New Palace at the Hofburg were drawn up by the architects Karl Hasenauer and Gottfried Semper. Emperor Franz Joseph I, however, gave his approval only
to the building of a new wing to the palace, and the over-all plan was never carried out. Work on the interior of the New Burg went on until 1926. It has only once been the scene of historic events: it was here that Hitler proclaimed the annexation of Austria in 1938 while the first Austrian resistance fighters were being taken to the German concentration camps. Nowadays museums are housed here: the Museum für Volkerkunde, Ephesus Museum, the Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente, the Waffen-Sammlung, as well as the new Reading Room and the Archives of the Austrian National Library.
The palace also houses the Ephesus Museum, the Collection of Arms and Armour and the Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments.
Collection of Old Musical Instruments
The Collection of Old Musical Instruments is housed in the middle section of the Neue Burg in Vienna. To form the collection the resources of Archduke Ferdinand of Tirol and the Union of Viennese
Music Lovers were pooled. After several years of restoration work the magnificent collection of musical instruments owned by the Kunsthistorisches Museum was re-opened to the public at the end of 1993. This valuable collection contains some unique Renaissance pieces and an extensive collection of keyboard instruments, from clavichords and cembaloes of the 16th C. down to modern pianos. At the start of the tour visitors will be given headphones on which is played the music relevant to the individual rooms and to the historical instruments displayed therein. As the music is received by means of a sensor in each room visitors can choose which particular music they wish to concentrate on, and can miss out certain epochs if they wish or enjoy others in more detail. Illustrious personalities in the history of music act as "guides" to the various musical eras: Emperor Leopold I, no mean composer and musician himself, is the main character in the reports on Austrian Baroque, while Viennese Classical music centers on Beethoven and Mozart. The waltz composer Joseph Lanner can be heard playing on his own fiddle, while the Strauss family and the Schrammel brothers present the many faces of Viennese dance music. Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Hugo Wolf, whose pianos can be seen and admired, cover the turn of the century. The most valuable instruments include a cembalo and a table piano which belonged to Joseph Haydn, a grand piano which Erard Frères of Paris presented to Beethoven, and a Viennese table piano at which Schubert composed his music. Among the brass wind instruments are a richly ornamented trumpet made for Duke Ferdinand of Tyrol in 1581 and silver trumpets from Maria Theresa's Court Band, The woodwind collection includes "Zinken" (lit. cornets) used by the town pipers.
Museum of Ethnology (closed for renovations until Spring 2007)
This museum was developed from the Ethnographical Department of the Naturhistorisches Museum.
The collection is housed in the former "corps de logis" of the Neue Burg. it comprises more than 150
,000 objects pertaining to races that have not used a written language. Because of lack of space most of the collections can only be displayed in temporary exhibitions.
The permanent exhibitions include, on the ground floor, Benin bronzes with royal portrait busts dating back to the 15th C., and the Mexican Collection which belonged to the Emperor Maximilian. It includes the notable head-dress and feather shield of an Aztec sacrificial priest. In the mezzanine can be seen the collections made by the British seafarer James Cook, which were purchased in London in 1806 on instructions from the Emperor. There are also valuable exhibits from Polynesia, African sculptures and pottery, Indian playing cards and cult-objects owned by North American and Brazilian Indians.
Closed for reconstruction from 1 March 2004 until spring 2007.
Weapons Collection
The first collectors of the armor and weapons displayed here in Vienna were Archduke Ernst of Styria (15th C.) and Archduke Ferdinand of Tirol (16th C.) It eventually became the major collection of
its type when in 1889 all the Habsburg armories were combined. The collection was transferred from the Kunsthistorisches Museum to the Neue Burg in 1935-36, and extensive restoration work went on until 1994 in the Hunt and Armor Rooms. The valuable exhibits include medieval helmets, the armor of Frederick I of the Palatinate and a ceremonial sword belonging to Frederick III, Late Gothic suits of armor and swords and Louis XII's crossbow, tournament armor, Maximilian I's jousting equipment, mainly from the Innsbruck Court workshops, High Renaissance armor and ceremonial swords, with two suits of boy's armor made for Charles V, parade armor for Charles V, Philipp II, King Ferdinand I and Francis I, early firearms, the "Adlergarnitur" (Eagle Armor), some of the finest 16th C. armor, numerous examples of the armor worn by Archduke Ferdinand of Tirol, 16th C. costumes, ceremonial weapons belonging to Maximilian II, including his golden dagger, richly ornamented shields and helmets and some superb 16th C. Ottoman weapons.
Also on display are weapons for hunting and target practice, Maximilian II's "Rose Petal" armor and the "braided" armor of his sons, Papal gifts to Ferdinand II of Tirol and Tirolean armor belonging to his sons, Baroque armor and richly inlaid 17th C. sporting weapons including Archduke Leopold V's silver gun by Hans Schmidt, Turkish weapons seized as booty in the time of Leopold I as well as a large quantity of Imperial hunting weapons and equipment from the 18th and 19th C.
The notable costumes in the museum are virtually "fashions in metal." Various types of fabrics such as velvets and brocades are copied in steel.
Old Castle
Schweizerhof or Schweizertrakt is the name commonly given to the part of the Hofburg known as Alte Burg (Old Castle). There is evidence that it has been here since 1279. Ferdinand I had the
buildings reconstructed in the style of a Renaissance castle between about 1547 and 1552. The massive Schweizertor (Swiss Gate) dates from this period. All the emperors resided in the Burg from Ferdinand I's time until 1916.
Outer Gate
The Outer Gate of the Hofburg palace was built exclusively by soldiers as in Roman times to plans drawn up by Peter Nobile. It was inaugurated in 1824 on the anniversary of the Battle of Leipzig at
which Napoleon was at last defeated and converted into a memorial to heroes in 1933.
Reichskanzleitrakt
The Imperial Chancellery range in Vienna constitutes the northeast wing linking the Schweizerhof and the Amalienburg in the Hofburg complex. It was designed by Hildebrandt in 1723 and completed by J
E. Fischer von Erlach, who gave it the Baroque facade in 1730. Some of its rooms are set out as State Apartments.
Secular and Sacred Treasures
The Treasuries - reopened in 1987 at the Hofburg after four years of restoration - contain in 21 rooms the Imperial regalia and relics of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, coronation and
chivalric insignia, badges of rank, secular and sacred treasures, and ornaments and mementos formerly owned by the Habsburgs. It is all of incalculable artistic, historic and material value. The origins of the Treasury go back to Ferdinand I's "Kunstkammer" (art chamber). From the 16th C. onwards all the emperors brought their treasures here and kept them in various rooms in the Hofburg. During Charles VI's reign the treasury was moved to the ground floor of the palace. The iron door at the entrance bears the date 1712 and the Emperor's monogram. After leaving room 8 of the Secular Treasury the visitor passes through the Robes Corridor into the five rooms housing the Sacred exhibits. Then, beginning with Room 9, the visitor returns to the Secular Treasury.
The Secular Treasury is housed in 16 rooms, with the collections organized on a thematic basis.
Insignia of hereditary fealty. This applied to the Habsburg monarchs who as rulers of Austria had the rank of Archduke until 1804, whereas in the Holy Roman Empire they ruled as Emperors and Kings. The Imperial orb (second half of the 15th C.) was borne by the Emperor Matthias. the scepter (mid 14th C.) belonged to Charles VI, and the sword of investiture, used at fealty ceremonies, belonged to Maximilian I.
The Habsburgs, who remained Holy Roman Emperors until 1806, had their own private insignia made, since the insignia of the Empire was kept in Nuremberg from 1424. On view are the Imperial Crown ("Kaiserliche Hauskrone") of Rudolf II, made by the Court Jeweler Jan Vermeyen (1598-1602) together with the orb and scepter made in Prague (1612-15).
In 1804, with the rise of Napoleon, the Holy Roman Empire came to an end and Francis II proclaimed the hereditary Austrian Empire. Exhibited is his gold-embroidered mantel with an ermine collar he wore in 1830 when his son was crowned King of Hungary. Also on view are civil orders; the Hungarian Order of St Stephen (1764), the Austrian Order of Leopold (1808) and the Order of the Iron Crown (1815).
The Congress of Vienna awarded Austria the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom. The coronation regalia and sword are exhibited, together with a herald's tabard of this kingdom.
Mementos of Mary Louise, daughter of Francis I and consort of Napoleon I. These include a silver jewel box, a silver-gilt trivet presented by the City of Milan on the birth of her son (King of Rome, Duke of Reichstadt), a silver-gilt cradle given by the city of Paris on the same occasion. There are also mementos of the Emperor Maximilian of Mexico.
Baptismal robes and vessels. Among the exhibits are the baptismal robes given by Maria Theresa. It is said that the Empress herself undertook some of the embroidery. There is also a gold christening flagon and spoon (1571) and a little jug from the Prague Court workshop.
Jewelry. Only very little of the Imperial jewelry was preserved. On November 1 1918 the senior Chamberlain, Count Berchtold, took the Habsburgs private jewelry out of the country at the command of Charles I. On view are the Colombian emerald (2,680 carats), hollowed out to form a salt cellar and polished (1641) and the hyacinth "la bella" (416 carats), set as a double eagle into enamel, flanked by an opal and an amethyst. A small genealogical tree presents 16 portraits of the Habsburgs in chalcedony cameos; there are displays of 19th C. jewelry and insignia. There is also the "Golden Rose", a Papal decoration given in 1819 to Carolina Augusta, fourth wife of Francis I, two Turkish sabers used by Charles VI and Maria Theresa at the Hungarian coronation and the crown of Stephen Bocskay who became King of Hungary in 1605.
Two items left by King Ferdinand I (1564) were considered so valuable that the Habsburgs raised them to the status of "inalienable heirlooms". They are an agate dish of the fourth C., the largest of its kind that is known and which was once considered to be the vessel of the Holy Grail, and the 243cm/96in. long narwhal's horn which in the Middle Ages was believed to be the horn of the legendary unicorn, a symbol of Christ.
Holy Roman Empire. The presence of the regalia of the Electoral Prince of Bohemia is explained by the fact that from the 14th C. the elected king was also King of Bohemia and, therefore, the duties of the electoral office were delegated to a deputy at the coronation festivities. Also on show are pictures and documents of the coronation of Joseph II (1764).
Holy Roman Empire. Robes which formed part of the Imperial regalia from the 13th C. came into the possession of the Hohenstaufens; they were presumably used at the coronation of Frederick II and were assigned in 1246 to the Imperial treasury. They include the coronation mantel of King Roger II, made 1133-34, an indigo tunic of the same period, a white robe of 1181 which corresponded to the outer garment of the Byzantine emperor and which was later worn as an alb, red silk stockings of the last Norman king, William II, sumptuous shoes and gloves and a gold- woven sword belt from Sicily. Two items were added in the 14th C. - the eagle dalmatic which was worn instead of the blue tunic, and a stole.
Imperial Jewels and Coronation Insignia of the Holy Roman Empire. On view are the Imperial Crown (second half of 10th C.), the Sacred Lance, the Processional Cross and the Imperial Cross (1024-25), the orb (end of 12th C.), the Gothic scepter, the Aspergillum used for sprinkling holy water on the altar and the Imperial Cross (renewed c. 1200). Also exhibited are the Imperial Gospel, a Carolingian purple codex (end of eighth C.), on which the new ruler took the oath and the sword (first half 10th C.) formerly a relic of Charles the Great with which kings were girded at their coronation.
Treasures of the Burgundians. These comprise the treasures of the Order of the Golden Fleece and the inheritance of Maria of Burgundy who married the future Emperor Maximilian. On show are the insignia of the Order, coats of arms and Mass vesels (between 1425 and 1475) as well as the Cross (about 1400) of the Order of the Golden Fleece on which the oath was taken and Philip the Good's Court cup (c. 1453-67).
The five rooms of the Sacred Treasury exhibit liturgical objects, reliquaries and robes which were used at the Imperial Court.
18th C. robes and the silver-gilt replica of the Am Hof Maria Column (see Am Hof).
Medieval objects and the reliquary cross of the Hungarian King Ludwig the Great (between 1370 and 1382). St Stephen's purse, the oldest item in the Sacred Treasury (late 11th or early 12th C.), a Gothic goblet belonging to the Emperor Frederick III (1438). Also to be seen is a collection of reliquaries and small altars of ebony with silver or gold decoration (late 16th-17th C.).
As well as cut gem stones, Augsburg silver work and rock-crystal there are valuable carvings including crucifixes (Giambologna, Guglielmo della Porta), a crucifixion group (Geremias Geisebrunn), an ebony tempietto (Christoph Angermair).
Among the most impressive items are the reliquary which holds the nail which is said to have pierced the right hand of Christ, two reliquary altars (1660-80) which belonged to the Emperor Leopold I and the monstrance containing the fragments of the Cross, which were preserved in a miraculous fashion in 1668 when the Hofburg caught fire.
18th and 19th C. works including 22 reliquary busts, some of them very large and made of silver, rosaries and a tempietto with one of Peter's teeth.
Silver Chamber
The ceremonial and everyday tableware of the Imperial Court is on display in the so-called "Silver Chamber" at the Hofburg where restoration work should be completed by the end of 1994.
Among the
treasures in the collection are 18th C. East Asian porcelain, the formal dinner service of the time of Franz Joseph, now used at State receptions, a silver traveling service of the Empress Elisabeth Christine, wife of Charles VI (Paris 1717/1718), three particularly fine 18th C. services of tableware in Sèvres porcelain, gift of the French Court, 18th C. cutlery (Vienna, Paris), the Milanese table center, nearly 10m/30ft long, made of meticulously carved and gilded bronze, the Meissen service (c. 1775), Viennese Empire service (early 19th C.). The most important service in the collection is the Ruby service for Imperial grand occasions, with settings for 140 guests. It is decorated with silver which was given a gold hue by heat treatment. It was made by a Parisian goldsmith in the early 19th C.. There are also smaller glass services (c. 1850) and plates decorated with pictures and flowers (1800-30), 19th C. tableware, vases decorated with historical scenes, the "English service" which Queen Victoria gave to the Emperor Franz Joseph and a Romantic period service in Neo-Gothic style (Vienna 1821-24).
Stallburg (Mews)
In 1558 Emperor Ferdinand I ordered the construction of a Renaissance palace, one of the most important Renaissance buildings in Vienna, for the particular use of his son Maximilian. When
Maximilian became Emperor and moved into the Hofburg, Maximilian's palace was converted into Court mews. Since the time of Charles VI the stables for the Lipizzaner horses of the Spanish Riding School have occupied the ground floor. (Not open to the public.)
Winter Riding School
The Winter Riding School, where the Spanish Riding School gives its equestrian displays, was the scene of numerous glittering events, especially during the Congress of Vienna in 1814 and 1815. This
handsome white room was designed by J. E. Fischer von Erlach at the behest of Emperor Charles VI. The coffered ceiling spans an arena in which the horses exercise and which is 55m/175ft long and 18m/60ft wide. The gallery is borne on 46 pillars. The arena may be visited in July and August.
Hofburg Amalienburg
Following the example of his father, Maximilian II had a palace built between 1575 and 1577 for the particular use of his son. He was called Rudolf, hence the name Rudolfsburg. The upper floor was
added in the 17th C. and the tower rebuilt. In the 18th C., however, the name was changed to Amalienburg when the Empress Wilhelmine Amalie lived here during her widowhood. The rooms were later used by the Empress Elizabeth and Tsar Alexander I were furnished as State Apartments.
Michaelerplatz
A start was made in constructing Michaelerplatz in accordance with plans drawn up by J. B. Fischer von Erlach, but Adolf Loos was responsible for completing it. In the course of archaeological digs
carried out by the city authorities in 1990-91 when the square was being redesigned, the foundations of a Roman settlement and remains of the walls of the "Paradiesgartls" (Garden of Paradise) were unearthed. The Viennese architect and designer Hans Hollen described the excavations in 1991 as "a display window of Vienna's history" and built a stone wall around them which, while protecting the historic remains, does detract somewhat from the elegance of the square.
Cafe Griensteidl
Re-opened in 1992, the Cafe Griensteidl at No. 2 is one of the legendary symbols of the coffee house culture of old Vienna. From 1847 to 1897 the former chemist Heinrich Griensteidl ran a coffee
house here in the Palais Dietrichstein which was patronized by such well known writers and artists as Hermann Bahr, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Arthur Schnitzler, Karl Kraus, Hugo Wolf and Arnold Schönberg. After Griensteidl's death the cafe had to move to the Palais Herbertstein, but Karl Kraus ensured it a place of honor in literary history by describing it in his satirical polemic "Literature Vandalized".
Loos-Haus
On the west side of the Michaelerplatz square stands a piece of scandalous Viennese architectural history, namely, the six-story "Loos-Haus", carefully restored in 1989, which now houses the
Raiffeisenbank. Adolf Loos designed the linear building in 1910 for the firm of master tailors Goldmann & Salatsch, and in doing so incurred the displeasure of Emperor Franz Joseph, who regarded the "house without eyebrows" - the windows appear to have no frames - as an absolute monstrosity. Loos used this plain form of construction as a protesting contrast to the grandiose style of the Hofburg. Simple elegance is expressed in well-proportioned marble on the facade of the lower double-story, while the interior is decorated in expensive mahogany and contains a self-winding brass clock.
Redemptionist Church of St Michael
The Redemptorist Church of St Michael, now also a cultural center, used to be the parish church of the Imperial Court, and it was also favored for the interment of prominent Austrians. It stands
directly opposite the Michaeler wing of the Hofburg on the east side of the Michaelerplatz. It is not known for sure who was the founder of the church. It may have been the crusader Archduke Leopold IV or else perhaps Ottokar Präemsyl. The three-aisled arcaded Late Romanesque basilica was built in the first half of the 13th C., in the same period as the "Alte Burg". The architects were connected with St Stephen's Cathedral. The basilica was enlarged in the 14th C. and restored in the Gothic style in the 16th C. The Baroque narthex with its portal was added in 1724-25. The west portal with the sculpture of the Fall of the Angels by Lorenzo Mattielli dates from 1792, as does the Classical facade. Among the oldest treasures of the church are the remains of the once-famed Late Romanesque frescoes in the tower, the "Man of Sorrows" (1430) in the Baptistery and the stone figures of 1350 in the Chapel of St Nicholas. Jean Baptiste d'Avrange designed the High Altar in 1781. The Chapel of St Nicholas, to the right of the choir, was founded by a ducal cook in about 1350 as a thanks offering when he was acquitted in a poisoning case.
The crypt was a burial place: the floors and walls are covered with bones and there are some 250 coffins of wood, metal and stone.
Palace of the Lower Austrian Estates
The official seat of the Lower Austrian Provincial Government is in the "Palace of the Lower Austrian Estates". The Estates acquired the former "Liechtensteinisches Freihaus" in 1513. In the 16th C
the building was completely renovated, and in the 19th C. it was restored to its original plan. In 1986 St Pölten was designated as the provincial capital of Lower Austria, and a start made on constructing new government offices there, into which it is expected that the local authorities will move in 1996.
The Renaissance rooms in which Beethoven, Liszt and Schubert performed and where Abraham a Sancta Clara wrote his account of the plague in 1679, were restored in 1953. If a booking is made in advance it is possible to view the Hall of the Knights, the Hall of the Aldermen, the Hall of the Prelates, the great Debating Chamber and the parlors. The great Debating Chamber, built c. 1570 in Renaissance style, boasts an elaborate coffered ceiling with a painting eulogizing "Austria" (1710, by Antonio Beduzzi): it was in this chamber that the founding of the Republic was approved in 1918.
In the courtyard there is a 1571 tablet with an Imperial injunction that "nobody should venture to scuffle or fight or cause a disturbance in front of or within the chartered Landhaus". The decreed peace was, however, broken in 1848, when the Revolution actually started at the Landhaus.
Spanish Riding School
The Spanish Riding School is the last living survivor of the Baroque era and the Viennese monarchy. The institution dates back to the time of Emperor Maximilian II who introduced the breeding of
Spanish horses into Austria in 1562. The name "Spanish Riding School" is first documented in 1572. This is the only place where the Classical style of riding, once popular at every Court in Europe, is still practiced. The famous equestrian displays have been held in the Baroque Winter Riding School since the time of Charles VI. The magnificent hall, built in 1735 to plans by J. E. Fischer von Erlach, was designed for the nobility to show their ability in riding skills and to compete together. It was later used for a variety of other purposes, but since 1894 has been reserved exclusively for the training of the Lippizaner horses and their displays.
The horses are a cross of Berber and Arabian stock with Spanish and Italian horses. The horses were bred in Lipizza until 1918 when the stud was transferred to Piber in Styria. The stud, part of which was moved to the former Czechoslovakia during the Second World War, was saved from destruction in 1945 by Colonel Podhajsky, who was then head of the riding school (until 1956), as well as by the horse loving American General Patton. The spectacular "Flight of the White Stallions" to Bavaria was made into a film by Walt Disney. The foals are born any shade between brown and mouse-gray; their coats turn white when they are between four and 10 years old. Lippizaners are more suited than any other breed of horses to the difficult courtly dressage. Their compact build makes grouping easier, their long, strong necks provide the required upright posture, while the powerful hindquarters assist in performing difficult piaffes, pirouettes, etc. The high knee action enables them to demonstrate the special "Spanish step" in which the legs appear to bend effortlessly as if in slow motion. There still survive today six lines of stallions which can be traced back to their forefathers, Pluto (1765), Conversano (1767), Maestoso (1773), Neapolitano (1790), Favory (1799) and Siglavy (1810). The stallions do not begin their training until they are four years old. At the age of about seven they learn the so-called ground exercises, including high speed gait changes, piaffes, passage and pirouettes. They then graduate to the "aerial exercises", with pesades, levades, courbettes and caprioles. In the levade the horse lowers its hindquarters and elegantly raises its body with the front legs bent, in the courbette the horse leaps forwards several times, and in the capriole it leaps in the air and kicks out backwards with lightning speed. The finale, in which eight snow white Lippizaners elegantly dance the "Spanish step", demonstrates perfection in the art of courtly riding. The impressive displays of the Spanish Riding School have always been performed in historical costume. The riders wear white buckskin breeches with high black boots, a brown riding jacket and a bicorn hat trimmed with gold. Deerskin saddles cover the gold trimmed red and blue saddle cloths. At the beginning and end of each display the riders silently salute the portrait of Charles VI who commissioned the building.
Tickets for the performances are very sought after and should therefore be booked as early as possible in advance by writing to the Spanish Riding School. Performances are put on from March to June and in September, on Wednesdays at 7pm and Sundays at 10.45am, in November and December on Sundays only at 10.45am - the exact dates and times can be obtained from the Spanish Riding School and from the Vienna Tourist Board. Visitors can watch the horses at their morning practice to music from April to June and in September, on Saturdays at 10am (tickets can be ordered from ticket and travel agencies in Vienna); normal morning practice takes place from mid-March to the end of June and August to mid-December, Tuesday to Friday 10am-noon (tickets on the day of the event at the entrance in Josefsplatz, Gate 2).
Volksgarten
The Volksgarten lies between the Hofburg and the Burgtheater. This, the second largest park in the city center, was opened in 1820 on the site of the fortifications which had been blown up by the
French in 1809, and soon became a favorite spot with Viennese citizens out for a Sunday afternoon stroll. In the center of the gardens stands the Temple of Theseus, built in 1823 by Peter Nobile for Antonio Canvas's statue of Theseus and modeled on the Theseion in Athens. The order for this had originally been given by Napoleon I while he was in Vienna, but nothing came of it, for obvious political reasons, until Francis I stepped into the breach. Later, in 1890, the statue was removed from the Temple and placed in the staircase of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Notable monuments in the park include the Grillparzer Memorial with reliefs portraying scenes from six of his plays, and the memorial to the Empress Elisabeth.
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