Mozart's birthplace (German: or ) is the birthplace of

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

at No. 9 Getreidegasse in

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

, Austria. The

Mozart family The Mozart family were the ancestors, relatives, and descendants of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The earliest documents mentioning the name "Mozart", then spelled "Motzhart" or "Motzhardt", are from the Bavarian part of Swabia (today the ''Regierungsb ...

resided on the third floor from 1747 to 1773, and Mozart was born in the residence on 27 January 1756. He was the seventh child of

Leopold Mozart Johann Georg Leopold Mozart (November 14, 1719 – May 28, 1787) was a German composer, violinist, and music theorist. He is best known today as the father and teacher of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and for his violin textbook ''Versuch einer grün ...

, who was a musician with the Salzburg Royal Chamber. Since 1880, the building has housed a museum, which depicts the early life of Mozart, his first musical instruments, his friends, and his passionate interest in

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

. The third floor exhibits Mozart's childhood

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

as well as portraits, documents, and early editions of his music, and the second floor is devoted to Mozart's interest in opera and includes the

clavichord The clavichord is a stringed rectangular keyboard instrument that was used largely in the Late Middle Ages, through the Renaissance music, Renaissance, Baroque music, Baroque and Classical period (music), Classical eras. Historically, it was most ...

on which he composed ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (, ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It is a ''Singspiel'', a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on ...

''. The structure is owned by the Mozart Foundation.

History

The house was built in the 12th century on ground which had been part of the garden belonging to the

Benedictine monks The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, the ...

of St Peter's, Salzburg. Otto Keutzel, a merchant, is mentioned as the owner in 1408 while Chunrad Fröschmoser, the court apothecary, purchased the property in 1585. On the doorway, the coiled serpent in the lion's mouth, the symbol of

Asclepius Asclepius (; ''Asklēpiós'' ; ) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Religion in ancient Greece, Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis (lover of Apollo), Coronis, or Arsinoe (Greek myth), Ars ...

, still testifies to his ownership. In 1703, the house came into the ownership of the Hagenauer family who had arrived in Salzburg around 1670, including Joseph Matin Hagenauer and Johann Laurenz Hagenauer who became Mozart's landlord."Mozarts Geburtshaus"
by Rudolph Angermüller. Retrieved 29 September 2013. After marrying Anna Maria Pertl on 21 November 1747,

rented the apartment on the third floor which consisted of a kitchen, a small cabinet, a living room, a bedroom and an office. It was their residence until 1773, and their seven children were born here; only two, Maria Anna and Wolfgang Amadeus, survived. Leopold Mozart was in constant touch through letters with his landlord during the

Mozart family grand tour The Mozart family grand tour was a journey through western Europe, undertaken by Leopold Mozart, his wife Anna Maria Mozart, Anna Maria, and their children Maria Anna Mozart, Maria Anna (Nannerl) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wolfgang Theophilus ...

between 1763 and 1766. The family moved out of the premises in 1773; greater prosperity and the need for space led them to move into more spacious quarters in the Tanzmeisterhaus, also a Mozart museum today.

Museum

A museum since 1880, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart birthplace introduces visitors to the early life of the composer, his first musical instruments, his friends and his passionate interest in

. The third floor exhibits Mozart's childhood

harpsichord A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...

, as well as portraits, documents, family letters, and early editions of his music. There are also records of his life in Vienna and of his wife and family. The second floor is devoted to Mozart's interest in opera and includes the

on which he composed ''

''. The first floor replicates living conditions in Mozart's day with period furniture. Original documents and paintings illustrate his life in Salzburg.Mozarts Geburtshaus Rundgang (Archive)
, Stiftung

Mozarteum Mozarteum University Salzburg ( German: ''Universität Mozarteum Salzburg'') is one of three affiliated but separate (it is actually a state university) entities under the "Mozarteum" name in Salzburg municipality; the International Mozarteu ...

Salzburg. Retrieved 29 September 2013. Other items in the museum are an incomplete portrait of Mozart painted by Joseph Lange, his brother-in-law in 1789 (one of Mozart's striking portraits), pictures of his childhood, and his childhood violin.

References

Bibliography * *

External links

Official website in English
{{Authority control

Birthplace The place of birth (POB) or birthplace is the place where a person was born. This place is often used in legal documents, together with name and date of birth, to uniquely identify a person. Practice regarding whether this place should be a cou ...

Museums in Salzburg Houses in Austria Museums in Salzburg (federal state) Tourist attractions in Salzburg Birthplaces of individual people Establishments in the Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg 1880 establishments in Austria 19th-century architecture in Austria Music museums in Austria Historic house museums in Austria

History

Museum

See also

References

External links