Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H.

“If I could be immortal, I would only wish so in order to be of service

to the unfortunate”

Empress Maria Theresa of Austria

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Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H. ad-ministers the leading attractions making up Austria's im-perial heritage: Schönbrunn Palace, the Hofmobiliende-pot · Imperial Furniture Collection, the Sisi Museum, the Imperial Apartments and the Imperial Silver Collection at the Hofburg Vienna, as well as Schloss Hof Estate and Schloss Niederweiden.

Our revenues are used for the preservation and reno- vation of cultural monuments, enabling us to continue offering a unique visitor experience. This is only possible with the help of our skilled and dedicated staff, visionary decision-making committees, and our innovative coope-ration and business partners. An essential element in all this is our open corporate culture and a spirit of mutual appreciation. For this reason, I would like to thank you for your interest and for placing your trust in us.

Indeed we not only preserve and maintain, but we also actively develop our institutions through our commitment and dedicated engagement, aiming to make every visit to one of our cultural heritage sites a truly memorable experience.

Mag. Klaus PanholzerManaging Director

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2Leading Austrian

cultural monuments

Mission Statement

Preservation and renovation of cultural monuments

Service orientation

Our principal aim is to maintain a con-sistent orientation towards service pro-vision. We are guided by the different requirements of our target groups and undertake to provide the best possible service. Our staff have both dedication and initiative, and work collectively to achieve our corporate goals.

We manage Austria's leading cultural monuments: the World Cultural Heri-tage site of Schönbrunn Palace, the Sisi Museum, the Imperial Apartments, the Imperial Silver Collection at the Hofburg Vienna and the Hofmobilien-depot · Imperial Furniture Collection. In addition, we also manage the sites of two classic day-trip destinations in Lower Austria: Schloss Hof Estate and Schloss Niederweiden.

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It is our aim, as a flagship enterprise of Austrian cultural tourism, to develop in an authentic style the resources com-prised in the monuments within our re-mit – befitting the status of Schönbrunn Palace as a World Cultural Heritage site – and to make such monuments readily usable for cultural, touristic and leisure activities.

Our revenues are primarily used for the preservation and renovation of cultural monuments. The guiding principle be-hind all our activities is thus the greatest possible protection of the historical sub-stance of the monuments in our care. 4

A flagship enterprise of Austrian cultural tourism

Ing. Herbert Polsterer Authorized officer and

assistant director

Mag. Dr. Alexander Keil Authorized officer and

assistant director

Mag.a Maria Theresia Mayr-Muñoz Carillo

Authorized officer

Management

Historico-cultural advisory Council

Mag. Klaus Panholzer Managing Director

Supervisory Board

DI Matthias Molzbichler SC Dr. Gerhard Popp

SC Mag.a Elisabeth Udolf-Strobl Deputy Chair

Michael Schuhböck Employee representative

KR Josef Fröhlich Honorary President

Mag.a Beatrice Schobesberger

Karin Lirzer Employee representative

Andrea Rotter Employee representative

The Council, consisting of art historians, preservationists, museum experts and tourism experts, holds an advisory role in relation to all key questions of touristic use.

Mag.a Karin Fuhrmann Chair

Management

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Schönbrunn AcademyInnovative management, audience-focused marketing and

expertise in the conservation of historical monuments can be combined to produce profitable synergies only through

international knowledge-sharing and the sound professional training of our own staff. In order that know-how and experience

in this domain can also be passed on at an international level, the Schönbrunn Academy was established.

EchocastQualification under the ECHOCAST Standard provides all

employees with skills relating to visitor contact, focusing on communication and engagement with visitors.

“EcoprofitOperation”Since 2002, Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H.

has been an “Ecoprofit Operation” and aims to run its business operations in an environmentally-friendly manner. The

basic concept of Ecoprofit (“Ecological Project for Integrated Environmental Technology”) is to link environmental /

ecological benefit with economic profit.

European Heritage Label: BHÖ (Hofburg)

European Royal ResidencesThe European Royal Residences Association (ARRE) was founded in 2001 on the initiative of the Palace of Versailles, where it is also based. Today, the members of this unique European network consist of over 85 historical palaces in 13 countries of the European Union as well as Russia and Monaco. The Association represents a unique heritage and is a leading representative of European culture. The aim of the Association, of which SKB has been a member from the beginning, is, firstly, targeted on knowledge-sharing by members in a wide range of areas such as research, preservation of heritage, management, opening up to tourism, etc.; secondly, the Association aims to create greater public awareness of our common European heritage.

Numerous awards for the online platforms: “World of the Habsburgs” (www.habsburger.net) and “The First World War and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy” (ww1.habsburger.net)

• Erasmus EuroMedia Award / Seal of Approval • State Prize for Multimedia and e-Business, winner in the category Culture, Learning, Knowledge • Comenius EduMedia Seal of Approval and Comenius EduMedia Medal • World Summit Award received in Cairo in the category e-Culture and Heritage • EuroMedia Seal of Approval and • Erasmus EuroMedia Special Award

Prizes, Awards, Certifications

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Die Standorte der SKB

Our LocationsSCHÖNBRUNN PALACE

HOFMOBILIENDEPOT • IMPERIAL FURNITURE COLLECTION

SISI MUSEUM, IMPERIAL APARTMENTS AND IMPERIAL SILVER COLLECTION AT THE HOFBURG VIENNA

SCHLOSS HOF ESTATE

SCHLOSS NIEDERWEIDEN

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Schönbrunn Palace is a unique Baroque work of art consisting of the erstwhile residential Palace of the Habsburgs as well as the surroun-ding Gardens measuring 1.5 km².

From 1569 until the end of the monarchy in 1918, the estate was owned by the European ruling dynasty of the Habsburgs. Under the reign of Empress Maria Theresa, from 1740 onwards, the Palace saw its most glorious era, becoming the centre of both court and political life. The original Baroque features from that time have been preserved to this day. With the end of the monarchy, Schönbrunn Palace passed into the ownership of the Republic of Austria and, soon thereafter, was opened to the public. In 1996, the Palace and Gardens as a unit were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today, visitors to Schönbrunn Palace can gain an impression of the authentic imperial lifestyle from the residential and state rooms which faithfully reflect their original features. Of the 307 rooms in the Palace, around forty are open to visitors. A tour of the Palace begins with

the living accommodation of Emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife Elisabeth, dating from the 19th century and situated in the west wing of the Palace. The tour continues via the state rooms in the middle section and the apartments occupied by Maria Theresa.

In the east wing are the so-called Franz Karl Apartments, which were occupied by the parents of Emperor Franz Joseph I, Archdu-chess Sophie and Archduke Franz Karl. The various features and furnishings are indicative of the lifestyle, atmosphere and worldview prevailing in the imperial age.

Likewise, the Gardens, with their imposing architectural features, re-main largely in their original condition and are accessible for visitors to explore. The Neptune Fountain, the Obelisk Fountain, the Roman Ruin and above all the Gloriette, which stands on a visual axis with the Palace and affords a view over the entire grounds, form the de-fining features of the Gardens, which were conceived as a continu- ation of the Palace's stately interior.

Schönbrunn Palace is a World Cultural Heritage site and Austria’s most-visited tourist attraction. This Baroque architectural masterpiece, which was owned over many centuries by the Habsburgs and consists of the Palace and Gardens, is still largely in its original condition. Visitors can enjoy numerous attractions, from a tour through the authentically-furnished living and state areas used by the imperial family inside the Palace, to the maze and labyrinth in the Gardens, as well as the Palace's own Children's Museum.

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Historical events are communicated in a child-friendly way through numerous interactive exhibits. At the forefront is the life of the imperial children at the court, which was far from ordinary. The Museum is concei-ved as a world of experience in which children can be-come acquainted with courtly life in all its facets. The rooms are dedicated to different topic areas and show how children at court dressed, how they played, how they ate and much more.

Museum visitors themselves participate in imperial life; thus children are able to copy elaborate hairstyles, try on clothing and lay a festive table. The Museum's special events are also unique, such as quadrille dancing and mascot Poldi's craft workshops. Birthday parties can also be booked in this imperial setting.

The Children's Museum at Schönbrunn Palace Meetings and events

The Children’s Museum invites its young visitors on a trip to experience the monarchy at the time of Maria Theresa and her descendants.

The Meetings and Events department is situated on the east side of the Palace complex in the so-called Apothecaries’ Wing (Apothekertrakt). It operates event management for conferences, seminars, congresses and corporate events as well as weddings and private festivities.

SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE

The rooms were originally used in connection with the gardens and for residential purposes; following comprehensive renovation, they were allocated for new use in connection with meetings and events, and present a unique atmosphere. The Apothecaries´ Wing offers a total area of 1,800 square meters; in addition, the Orangery, mea-

suring 700 square meters, and in the summer, the Plant Orangery, covering a further 1,000 square meters, may be booked. In addition, the Meetings and Events department also offers the opportunity to hire the Great Gallery in the main Palace building, as well as the White-and-Gold Rooms on the ground floor.

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the furniture, which is of such importance in both artistic terms and from a historico-cultural perspective. To this day, the Bundesmobi-lienverwaltung - Federal Administration of Moveables remains res-ponsible for furnishing offices of state as well as Austrian embassies abroad, and for providing the furnishings for state receptions. Tradi-tional crafts are practised in the Administration's workshops, and the relevant skills passed on to young people through traineeships.

Changing special exhibitions are dedicated in particular to the crea-tive architectural, design and furniture output of the 20th century, as well as leading figures from the Habsburg dynasty.

The Imperial Furniture Collection boasts an exceptional wealth of historico-cultural assets. The core of the Museum consists of original furniture items of the Habsburgs, once used to furnish Schönbrunn Palace, Belvedere Palace, Laxenburg Castle and numerous other castles and palaces. The items on display include armchairs, tab-les, beds, commodes and entire room suites, as well as carpets, chandeliers, paintings or cutlery. Attributed to individual members of the imperial court household, such as Crown Prince Rudolf, Maximilian of Mexico, Empress Elisabeth, Emperor Franz II/I or Prince Eugene, the items not only reflect political events and stately ceremonies, but also aspects of everyday life.

The items on display, numbering approximately 6,500, originate from the furniture depository established by Empress Maria Theresa in 1747, in which all furniture of the imperial court house-hold was stored and maintained until the end of the monarchy. Since 1919, the depository has been owned by the Republic of Austria, with the Bundesmobilienverwaltung - Federal Administra-tion of Moveables being responsible for maintaining and caring for

Originally, the Imperial Furniture Collection was the Habsburgs’ furniture repository. Today, with around 165,000 items, it ranks as one of the largest furniture collections in the world, with furniture exhibits spanning over four centuries, and ranging from imperial furniture to a whole variety of decorative styles, from Biedermeier, historicism and the Viennese Moderne, to contemporary furniture design.

HOFMOBILIENDEPOT • IMPERIAL FURNITURE COLLECTION2

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Over several centuries, the Hofburg Vienna constituted the centre of the Habsburg Empire. Today, three museum attractions provide authentic historical insights into courtly tradition and everyday life: the Imperial Apartments, their décor faithfully reproduced in the original style, the Imperial Silver Collection, an extensive collection of fine imperial tab-le-ware, and the sensitively- designed Sisi Museum.

SISI MUSEUM, IMPERIAL APARTMENTS AND IMPERIAL SILVER COLLECTION AT THE HOFBURG VIENNA

Sisi Museum

Since 2004, the Stephan Apartment, named after Archduke Stephan Viktor, has housed the “Sisi Museum”. Through numerous personal items of Empress Elisabeth, the personality of this often-misunderstood and frequently-misinterpreted Empress is presented. The empathetic design, by renowned set designer Prof. Rolf Langenfass, is based on the monarch's personal poetry, and illustrates how Sisi, a carefree little Bavarian girl, became an un- approachable and melancholy woman. In designing the Museum,

particular attention has been given to avoiding an uncritical per-petuation of the Sisi myth, but instead, avoiding common clichés, portraying a true-to-life picture of Empress Elisabeth. The objects exhibited in the Sisi Museum, numbering over 300, include parasols, fans, jewellery, beauty recipes, a reproduction of the gown worn by Elisabeth on the eve of her wedding, her Hungarian coronation gown, the black coat with which the monarch was covered after her assassination in Geneva, her death mask and autopsy report, as well as a replica of the imperial saloon car.

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Imperial Apartments

The Imperial Apartments comprise the 19 rooms occupied by Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth. Visitors to these rooms are able to see them with their original features and furnishings, renewed through extensive restoration work. The décor of the private rooms reflect Emperor Franz Joseph's modest tastes. While such décor conveys impe-rial splendour, it does not suggest extravagant pomp.

Highlights of a tour include the Study, where Franz Joseph surrounded himself with countless pictures and mementos of family members, the Dressing and Exercise Room used by the beauty-conscious Sisi, as well as the Dining Room, its table laid with original tableware of the period.

For over 600 years, the Hofburg Vienna was the residence of the Habsburgs. In addition to residential apartments, in the former castle complex each individual family member also had their own ceremonial rooms, rooms for their staff, and several kitchens; there was also the Court Silver and Table Room. In parts of the total of eighteen wings, comprising 2,600 rooms, three different visitor attractions are currently offered, providing an authentic insight into imperial life.

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Imperial Silver Collection

The Imperial Silver Collection, situated on the ground floor, is the largest display collection in the world reflec-ting the culture of a courtly household. From the contents of the former Court Silver and Table Room, exquisite individual items used by members of the imperial house, as well as whole sets, are presented, impressively illus- trating the affluence of the imperial household.

Over an exhibition area of 1,310 square meters, 7,000 items are displayed. Cooking pots from the Court Kitchens, baking tins from the Court Confectionary, table linen, glassware services, silverware, porcelain crockery and centrepieces made of gilded bronze are included among the astonishing variety of preserved everyday items and works of art.

Particularly prized exhibits are the personal utensils (“Mundzeug”) of Empress Maria Theresa, the golden table service of Napoleon I, the Minton dessert service (a gift from Queen Victoria to Emperor Franz Joseph), Empress Elisabeth's travel service, imperial sanitary ware, bourdalous and chamber pots, the impressive Milan centrepiece and a unique collection of Bieder- meier floral plates.

The Palace

Following the authentic restoration of Maria Theresa and Emperor Joseph II's Apartments and the original furniture of Prince Eugene, restored with attention to the finest detail, the Palace's state rooms are once again as resplendent as back at the time when they were designed by the leading artists of the day. These rooms on the piano nobile, which served to demonstrate the taste, wealth, and status of the Palace's owners, are still used today for presentations and special exhibitions.

The Garden

Still more than the Palace, the Baroque Garden, arranged over seven terraces descending gently down to the March, was much admired even back in the 18th century. The artistically-arranged broderie flower beds, boskets and ornate fountains serve today, just as in the past, as an idyllic place of retreat in which to spend time relaxing. Prince Eugene's Orangeries – two technically-impressive and architecturally-imposing glass houses with adjacent gardens – also testify to the Prince's great passion for plants.

The stately residential building, an elaborate terraced garden and a tranquil estate farm with adventure paths are combined to form an integral experience linking imperial splendour and rural idyll in a unique fashion. As early as during the time of Prince Eugene, Schloss Hof Estate was known far and wide as a venue for glittering festivities. Today, this tradition is being continued through opulent amenities and numerous events for the whole family.

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The estate farm

Everyday life during the Baroque era is turned into a sensual expe-rience at Schloss Hof Estate; on the picturesque estate farm, tra-ditional herbs are once again flourishing, while fruit and vegetable varieties may be found in the Weinviertel Garden and the Kitchen Garden. In a separate “Naschgarten”, berry tasting is offered. The Herb Garden, arranged in the style of a Baroque monastery garden, as well as the Rose Garden and the “Herrenhof” Courtyard, planted with mature shrubs, complete the selection of themed gardens at Schloss Hof Estate.

Authentically equipped craft workshops show the art of wood turners, potters and basket weavers. The Hammock Garden provides the op-portunity to relax in the shade of ancient nut trees. In the interactive Children's and Family World in the Bäckenhof, as well as on adven-ture paths, the Palace's youngest visitors learn through play how the Palace was provided for during the Baroque era. However, the main attraction of the estate farm is its animal inhabitants: in total, around 200 animals, including numerous now-rare ancient Austrian dome-sticated breeds, such as Noriker horses, Walachian and Hungarian sheep, four-horned goats or white donkeys can all be seen.

An imperial place of relaxation

Maria Theresa herself was impressed by the unique beauty of Schloss Hof Estate. She came here with her large family so as to “relieve his (the Emperor's) soul of the burden of ruling”; such are her words as inscribed on the Palace facade facing the gardens. To this day, the Palace complex on the Marchfeld is an idyllic retreat providing the opportunity to relax and enjoy unforgettable experiences of the Baroque era brought to life. An extensive and colourful programme of events invites the visitor to come back again and again.

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Just as Schloss Hof Estate, Schloss Niederweiden also acquired its present-day appearance essentially under the influence of Maria Theresa. In 1765, her court architect, Nikolaus von Pacassi, remo-delled the building in accordance with her wishes, and many rooms were decorated in Chinese style, which was highly fashionable at the time.

One particularly charming example of this is the Great Hall (Fest-saal), the paintings of which originate from Jean-Baptiste Pillement; out of the wood panelling grow exotic flowering trees decorated with musical instruments, extending up to the celling; in the areas of the wall in between, sit musicians of Oriental appearance. In order to provide hospitality befitting the status of illustrious guests, Fischer von Erlach incorporated a game kitchen into a building adjacent to the Palace residence.

Two open hearths were built – large enough to accommodate an entire stag on a spit or to cook large pieces of game on a gridiron. Three hundred years after it was built, the room, furnished in its original style, once again conveys an authentic atmosphere of Ba-roque cosiness and is also used for culinary events in the cont-ext of annual special exhibitions. An added attraction at Schloss Niederweiden is the garden, with its ancient trees and tranquil paths.

Schloss Niederweiden was built in 1693 by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach for Count Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg under the name “Engelhartstetten Hunting Lodge”. In 1726, Prince Eugene of Savoy bought the Palace, having acquired the nearby Herrschaft Hof a year before as a country residence and hunting ground.

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Contact details

Schönbrunn PalaceSchönbrunner Schloßstraße 47

A-1130 Wien Tel.: +43 (0) 1 / 811 13 - 0

E-Mail: info@schoenbrunn.at www.schoenbrunn.at

Sisi Museum & Imperial Apartments & Imperial Silver Collection

Hofburg - MichaelerkuppelA-1010 Wien

Tel.: +43 (0) 1 / 533 75 70E-Mail: info@hofburg-wien.at

www.hofburg-wien.at

Hofmobiliendepot • Imperial Furniture Collection

Andreasgasse 7 A-1070 Wien

Tel.: +43 (0) 1 / 524 33 57E-Mail: info@hofmobiliendepot.at

www.hofmobiliendepot.at

Schloss Hof Estate Schloss Hof 1 A-2294 Schloßhof Tel.: +43 (0) 2285 / 20 000E-Mail: office@schlosshof.atwww.schlosshof.at

Schloss Niederweiden Niederweiden 1A-2292 Engelhartstetten Tel.: +43 (0) 2285 / 20 000E-Mail: office@schlosshof.atwww.schlosshof.at

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Factbox 2017 OWNED BY: The Republic of Austria MANAGEMENT: Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H. (SKB) MANAGING DIRECTOR: Mag. Klaus Panholzer NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: c. 345, 67% female TOTAL SALES REVENUES: c. EUR 60,500,000.00 INVESTMENT & RESTORATION VOLUME: c. 9,500,000.00 TOTAL NUMBER OF VISITORS: 3,877,000 NUMBER OF VISITORS TO EACH LOCATION: Schönbrunn: c. 2,740,000 Sisi Museum & Imperial Apartments & Imperial Silver Collection at the Hofburg Vienna: c. 772,000 Hofmobiliendepot • Imperial Furniture Collection: c. 65,000 Schloss Hof Estate & Schloss Niederweiden: ca. 300,000

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Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47 A-1130 Wien Tel.: +43 (0) 1 / 811 13 - 0 Fax: +43 (0) 1 / 812 11 06 E-Mail: info@schoenbrunn.at

© 2018 Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H., 1130 Wien, photos: © SKB, BMobV printing house: Druckhaus Thalerhof concept and design: Hannes Eder Creations, 5114 Göming

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