Die Wiener Hofburg 1835‒1918

From both the historic and the artistic point of view, the Hofburg in Vienna is one of the most important secular building complexes in Europe. As the seat of Austria’s dukes and archdukes, of the kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian emperor it was at the heart of European politics from the 13th Century right through until 1918. This central position is reflected in the architectural development of the Hofburg, from the fortified castle of the Swiss Wing via the palatial buildings of the Renaissance and the 17th Century, which have survived as the Amalia Residence, Stallburg and Leopoldine Wing, to the large-scale, only partially realised, building projects of Emperor Charles VI – the State Library, the Imperial Stables, the Imperial Chancellery Wing, the Winter Riding School, St. Michael’s Wing – and Maria Theresa. With the never to be completed “Imperial forum”, an attempt was made in the 19th Century to integrate the Hofburg into the newly created urban context of the Ring Road. Approximately 20 researchers are researching a broad range of topics: the history of the planning, building and use of the building, the architecture and gardens, its urban context, its artistic decor and furnishing and the programmatic concepts of the owners and architects responsible which affected this.