Schönbrunn Palace ( German: Schloss Schönbrunn ) was the main summer residence of the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

rulers, located in

Hietzing Hietzing () is the 13th Districts of Vienna, district of Vienna (). It is located west of the central districts, west of Meidling. Hietzing is a heavily populated urban area with many residential buildings, but also contains large areas of the Vi ...

, the 13th district of

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. The name ''Schönbrunn'' (meaning "beautiful spring") has its roots in an artesian well from which water was consumed by the court. The 1,441-room

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historic monuments in the country. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs. It has been a major tourist attraction since the mid-1950s.

History

In 1569,

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...

Maximilian II purchased a large

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river. Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high Discharge (hydrolog ...

of the Wien river beneath a hill, situated between Meidling and

. The former owner, in 1548, had erected a

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...

called ''Katterburg''. The emperor ordered the area to be fenced and put

game A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art ...

there such as

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

and

boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...

, in order for it to serve as the court's recreational hunting ground. In a small separate part of the area, "exotic" birds such as turkeys and

peafowl Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...

were kept. Fishponds were also excavated. During the next century, the area was used as a hunting and recreation ground. Eleonora Gonzaga, who loved hunting, spent much time there and was bequeathed the area as her widow's residence after the death of her husband, Ferdinand II. From 1638 to 1643, she added a palace to the Katterburg mansion, while in 1642 came the first mention of the name "Schönbrunn" on an invoice. The origins of the Schönbrunn orangery seem to go back to Eleonora Gonzaga as well. The Schönbrunn Palace in its present form was built and remodelled during the 1740–1750s during the reign of empress

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...

who received the estate as a wedding gift. Franz I commissioned the redecoration of the palace exterior in the neoclassical style as it appears today. Franz Joseph, the longest-reigning

Emperor of Austria The emperor of Austria (, ) was the ruler of the Austrian Empire and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The hereditary imperial title and office was proclaimed in 1804 by Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorr ...

, was born at Schönbrunn and spent a great deal of his life there. He died there, at the age of 86, on 21 November 1916. Following the downfall of the Habsburg monarchy in November 1918, the palace became the property of the newly founded Austrian Republic and was preserved as a museum. After World War II and during the Allied Occupation of Austria (1945–1955), Schönbrunn Palace was requisitioned to provide office space for both the British Delegation to the Allied Commission for Austria, and for the headquarters for the small British Military Garrison present in Vienna. With the reestablishment of the Austrian republic in 1955, the palace once again became a museum. It is still sometimes used for important events such as the meeting between U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Soviet premier

Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and the Premier of the Soviet Union, Chai ...

in 1961. Since 1992, the palace and gardens have been owned and administered by the ''Schloss Schönbrunn Kultur-und Betriebsges.m.b.H.'', a limited-liability company wholly owned by the Republic of Austria. The company conducts preservation and restoration of all palace properties without state subsidies.

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

catalogued Schönbrunn Palace on the

World Heritage List World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

in 1996, together with its gardens, as a remarkable

ensemble and example of synthesis of the arts (''

Gesamtkunstwerk A ''Gesamtkunstwerk'' (, 'total work of art', 'ideal work of art', 'universal artwork', 'synthesis of the arts', 'comprehensive artwork', or 'all-embracing art form') is a work of art that makes use of all or many art forms or strives to do so. ...

''). Schoenbrunn Palace precursor 1672.jpg, ''Schloss Katterburg'' and Gonzaga's palace, 1672 Schoenbrunn Palace utopic design I 1688.jpg, Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach's first design, 1688 Schoenbrunn Palace design II c1696.jpg, Fischer von Erlach's second design, after 1693 Мирные будни в послевоенной Вене-5.png,

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

troops in the Schönbrunn Palace gardens, 1945 1952 Schönbrunn.jpg, Schönbrunn during British occupation, 1951

Gardens

The sculpted garden space between the palace and the Neptune Fountain is called the ''Great Parterre''. In 1695, Jean Trehet, a disciple of

André Le Nôtre André Le Nôtre (; 12 March 1613 – 15 September 1700), originally rendered as André Le Nostre, was a French landscape architect and the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France. He was the landscape architect who designed Gardens ...

, planned the French garden. The complex includes many noteworthy staple luxuries of European palaces of the time, including the Tiergarten, an orangerie erected around 1755, and a palm house (replacing, by 1882, around ten earlier and smaller glass houses in the western part of the park). The area called ''Meidlinger Vertiefung'' (Engl.: depression of Meidling) to the west of the castle was turned into a play area and drill ground for the children of the Habsburgs in the 19th century. At this time it was common to use parks for the military education of young princes. Whereas the miniature bastion, which was built for this purpose, does not exist anymore, the garden pavilion that was used as shelter still does. It was turned into a café in 1927 and is known as ''Landtmann's Jausen Station'' since 2013. At the outmost western edge, a

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

going back to an earlier

arboretum An arboretum (: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees and shrubs of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arbor ...

was re-arranged in 1828, when the ''Old Palm House'' was built.

Sculptures

Gloriette

The garden axis points towards a hill, which since 1775 has been crowned by the Gloriette structure. Maria Theresa decided the ''Gloriette'' should be designed to glorify Habsburg power and the '' Just War'' (a war that would be carried out of "necessity" and lead to peace), and thereby ordered the builders to recycle "otherwise useless stone" which was left from the near demolition of Schloss Neugebäude.

Roman Ruin

Originally known as the Ruin of Carthage, the Roman Ruin is a set of follies that was designed by the architect Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg, and erected as an entirely new architectural feature in 1778. The fashion for picturesque ruin that became widespread with the rise of the

Romantic movement Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

soon after the middle of the 18th century symbolized both the decline of once great powers and the preservation of the remains of a heroic past. The Roman Ruin consists of a rectangular pool enclosed by a massive arch with lateral walls, evoking the impression of an ancient edifice slowly crumbling into the ground.

Activities at Schönbrunn today

Schönbrunn is Vienna's most popular tourist destination, which has been attended by 3,800,000 visitors in 2017. The whole Schönbrunn complex with Tiergarten Schönbrunn, Palmenhaus, Wüstenhaus, the Wagenburg, and the Schoenbrunn Palace Concerts accounted for more than five million visitors in 2009. At the official website tickets can be purchased in advance for tours. In addition to tours and tour packages, many classical concerts featuring the music of

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 ...

and his contemporaries can be enjoyed with the added benefit of more time in the spectacular halls, Orangerie, or Schlosstheater. The annual Summer Night Concert Schönbrunn is held on the grounds of Schönbrunn.

Schönbrunn Palace Concerts

The Schönbrunn Palace Concerts are served by the Schönbrunn Palace Orchestra. Founded in 1997, it is led by the chief opera conductor Maestro Guido Mancusi since 1998. He also founded Chamber Opera Schönbrunn in the Schönbrunn Palace Concert series. In Vienna, they offer daily concerts at the original location of the world-famous contest between Mozart & Salieri (1786). They have a wealth of experience working with singers and ballet dancers. The Orchestra regularly tours around the world.

Film and television productions

The gardens and palace have been the location for many films and television productions including such productions as the '' Sissi'' trilogy in the 1950s, '' A Breath of Scandal'' with Sophia Loren, and also briefly in the Bond movie '' The Living Daylights'' when Bond (Timothy Dalton) and Kara are riding through the palace garden; the palace is also seen during the end credits. The comedy ''

The Great Race ''The Great Race'' is a 1965 American Technicolor epic slapstick comedy film directed by Blake Edwards, starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood, written by Arthur A. Ross (from a story by Edwards and Ross) and with music by Henr ...

'' was filmed there in 1965. Jackie Chan shot scenes for '' Armour of God'' on the grounds. The 2006 television drama ''The Crown Prince'' starring Max von Thun as Crown Prince Rudolf and Klaus Maria Brandauer as Kaiser Franz-Josef was filmed there. The Austrian television series, '' Kommissar Rex'' has shot several episodes there. In the '' Kuroshitsuji'' episode 2, "His Butler, Omnipotent", Sebastian Michaelis tells his master that he was a guest at the Schönbrunn Palace soirees before his contract was sealed with Ciel as he teaches the young master how to dance. Dutch violinist André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra, along with the Opera Babes used it as the backdrop for a version of the European Anthem, "Ode to Joy" in 2003. In the third leg of '' The Amazing Race 4'', the palace hosted a Fast Forward task where one team had to carry trays of champagne glasses across a ballroom floor of waltzing couples. In the sixth leg of '' The Amazing Race 23'', teams had to race through the garden's maze and search for the Pit Stop located at the Gloriette.

Gallery

Palacio de Schönbrunn, Viena, Austria, 2020-02-02, DD 10.jpg, A garden pavilion, Kammergarten pavilion 15-04-18-Schloß-Schönbrunn-Großer-Saal-DSCF3688-RalfR.jpg, Great Gallery Cafe Gloriette Schönbrunn 1.JPG, Cafe Gloriette Schönbrunn Gloriette Schönbrunn Wien.jpg, Gloriette in the gardens Roman Ruin - Schönbrunn.jpg, The ''Roman Ruin''. Schonbrunn gardens.JPG, View from ''Great Parterre'' towards the ''Gloriette''
(app. towards South). Austria august2010 0033.jpg, View of the gardens Autumn in Schoenbrunn - Schöbrunn'da Sonbahar 04.JPG, View of the gardens in autumn Orangerie 07932.JPG, Orangery, in NE part of the gardens. Columbary (Schönbrunn) (2).jpg, Columbary Vena 04.jpg, Palm pavilion in western part of the gardens Palmenhaus.Schönbrunn August 2006.jpg, The Palm House Sundial House (Schönbrunn) original main entrance 0080216 244.jpg, Sundial House Privy garden Schönbrunn winter.jpg, Privy garden in winter Schoenbrunn Palace as seen from Neptune Fountain, September 2016.jpg, Schönbrunn seen through Neptune Fountain Schönbrunni kastély.tif, Schönbrunn

The Schönbrunn Palace silver coin

The palace was selected as the main motif of a high value commemorative coin: the Austrian 10-

euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...

The Palace of Schönbrunn silver coin, minted on 8 October 2003. The obverse shows the central part of the frontage of the palace behind one of the great fountains in the open space.

References

External links

Official Schönbrunn website

Information about Schönbrunn

(12,000 Megapixel)
Wien.info: Schönbrunn Palace—"Empress Sisi's former summer residence"''Schönbrunn Palace: My Way of Telling History''
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PDF Portable document format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe Inc., Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, computer hardware, ...

format)
Official Vienna city map: Schönbrunn
��a far better aerial view, zoomable up to <1m resolution.
*Click "Orthophoto" and "Draw new map", then zoom in here seems to be no direct link
Video of a street walk through the Schönbrunn Palace GardensVideo about the Japanese Garden in the park of Schoenbrunn Palace
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schoenbrunn Palace Imperial residences in Austria Museums in Vienna Schonbrunn Baroque architecture in Vienna Buildings and structures in Hietzing Gardens in Austria Historic house museums in Austria Landscape design history Baroque gardens Schonbrunn Rococo architecture in Austria Houses completed in 1548 1548 establishments in the Habsburg monarchy 16th-century establishments in Austria Houses completed in 1643 1643 establishments in the Habsburg monarchy 17th-century establishments in Austria Houses completed in 1750 World Heritage Sites in Vienna Establishments in the Archduchy of Austria History of Vienna