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76-512: As can be seen in the annual Hof- und Staats Handbuch, the monarch's Obersthofmeister ranked directly behind the royal family and above all other high nobility. The Obersthofmeister of the monarch had his seat in the Hofburg in Vienna. The tasks of His Majesty's Obersthofmeister's Office in Vienna included the administration of the castles and palaces used by the court, including construction work,

152-669: A form not visible to the viewer. The Redoutensäle reopened in 1998 in the framework of the first Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and became since then part of the Hofburg Congress Centre. Restoration of the roof of the wing gave an opportunity to convert the original loft space into a new amenity called the Rooftop Foyer ( Dachfoyer ). The architect Manfred Wehdorn designed

228-770: A member of the imperial family. In the Knight's Hall ( Rittersaal ), on 15 May 1717 the Empress Maria Theresa was baptised by the papal nuncio Giorgio Spinola, representing Pope Clement XI , with baptismal water containing a few drops from the River Jordan . Next to the Knight's Hall is the Guard Room ( Trabantenstube ), where the duty officer of the Household Guards kept watch over the emperor. The lower section of this wing once accommodated

304-759: A modern interior, completed with a spherical structure for secure conferences and panoramic windows. Besides the roof, he also converted the former courtyard between the Hall of Festivals and the southwest wing of the Swiss courtyard to another space. By 2017 the wing was renovated to house the National Council and the Federal Council while the Austrian Parliament Building is under renovation. Although not physically connected to

380-726: A ruling or formerly ruling house, as was stipulated by the Familienstatut des Allerhöchsten Herrscherhauses , the Family Statute of the Highest Monarch's House, issued by Ferdinand I in 1839. Otherwise the marriage would be one "to the left hand", called a morganatic marriage , excluding the offspring of the couple from any right the House of Habsburg possessed. (The problems of such a situation were encountered when Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria , heir presumptive to

456-546: A square outline, with four turrets , and was surrounded by a moat with a drawbridge at the entrance. These oldest sections of the castle today form the Swiss Court ( Schweizerhof ), where there are a gothic chapel ( Burgkapelle ), dating from the 15th century, and the treasury (or Schatzkammer ), affiliated to the Kunsthistorisches Museum which holds, among other things, the imperial insignia of

532-470: A statue of Athena riding on a quadriga above the main entrance. On the left portion of the roof, he situated Atlas , supporting the celestial globe, flanked by Astronomy and Astrology, and on the opposite side, Gaia with the terrestrial globe, flanked by allegories of Geometry and Geography. The library to the north is located at Joseph Square. More structures and annexes were successively added. Particularly from 1763 to 1769, Nicolo Pacassi connected

608-575: A traditional Maundy ceremony. Later on the Hall of Ceremonies became fully integrated into the New Castle ( Neue Burg ) by 1916. With its 1,000m of floor space, the Hall of Festivals ( Festsaal ) is the biggest hall in the whole of the Hofburg. Although built as a throne room, it was never used as such. The internal works were finished in 1923, but the artwork remained incomplete. The hall has Alois Hans Schramm's three ceiling paintings, dedicated to

684-474: Is also located here. The Hofburg featured as the main motif on the 20 euro Renaissance commemorative coin . The coin shows the Swiss Gate of the palace. This gate bears Ferdinand I's coat-of-arms and titles. It is flanked by two soldiers of the period as a reminder of the unsettled times which saw Vienna besieged by Turkish armies in 1529, as well as the struggles between Protestants and Catholics during

760-580: The Albertina museum, is also considered a part of the Hofburg because of its structural connections to the Augustinian monastery. In the early 19th century members of the imperial family had their residence here, such as Archduke Albrecht and, later, his nephew, Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen . After the renovation of the Palais in the 1820s by Joseph Kornhäusel , that section became connected to

836-631: The Amalienburg and the Swiss Court is the Leopoldine Wing ( Leopoldinischer Flügel ) which was first built in the 1660s under Emperor Leopold I and thus named after him. The architect was Filiberto Lucchese, but after the Siege of 1683 by the Turks, the wing was rebuilt by Giovanni Pietro Tencala with an additional floor installed. Through its architecture, this wing still bears a connection to

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912-806: The Augustinian church and monastery. As the palace expanded, the church and monastery became an integral part of the building. The Augustinian Church was used by the Habsburgs as their court church and also for weddings. This is where Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth , alias Sisi, were married. Behind the Loreto side chapel is located the Hearts' Crypt , a semicircular-shaped annexe separated by an iron door, where 54 hearts of House of Habsburg members are kept in silver urns. The Palais Archduke Albrecht (formerly Palais Tarouca-de Sylva), home of

988-714: The Bukovina , Grand Prince of Transylvania , Margrave in Moravia , Duke of Upper and Lower Silesia , of Modena , Parma , Piacenza and Guastalla , of Auschwitz and Zator , of Teschen , Friuli , Ragusa and Zara , Princely Count of Habsburg and Tyrol , of Kyburg , Gorizia and Gradisca , Prince of Trent and Brixen , Margrave of Upper and Lower Lusatia and in Istria , Count of Hohenems , Feldkirch , Bregenz , Sonnenberg , and so forth, Lord of Trieste , of Cattaro and of

1064-484: The Hofburg were opened to the public as a convention centre. In the first ten years, the Burghauptmannschaft operated the convention centre; since 1969 a private company (Hofburg Vienna – Wiener Kongresszentrum Hofburg Betriebsgesellschaft ) has been managing the international congress and events centre. Every year the convention centre hosts about 300–350 events, with around 300,000–320,000 guests. Among

1140-717: The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). The whole palace complex is under the administration of the governor ( Burghauptmann ), who in turn is part of the Burghauptmannschaft , an office which has been in existence since the Middle Ages under the auspices of the Burgrave . At present the Burghauptmannschaft is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of the Economy. In September 1958, parts of

1216-766: The Reformation . subclade distance 0 Emperor of Austria The emperor of Austria ( German : Kaiser von Österreich , Latin : Imperator Austriae ) 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-Lorraine , and continually held by him and his heirs until Charles I relinquished power in 1918. The emperors retained

1292-621: The Reich dissolved and to lay down the Imperial Crown created in the second half of the 10th century (today displayed at the Treasury of Hofburg Palace in Vienna). From 1806 onwards, Francis was Emperor of Austria only. He had three successors— Ferdinand I , Francis Joseph I and Charles I —before the empire broke apart in 1918. A coronation ceremony was never established;

1368-632: The Windic March , Grand Voivode of the Voivodship of Serbia , and so forth, Sovereign of the Order of the Golden Fleece . The function of the emperor was styled like a secular papacy. Therefore, it was the overall goal to demonstrate the all-highest ( allerhöchste ) majesty and dignity of the monarch to his subjects and to other monarchs and countries. His and his entourage's life

1444-402: The centre of Vienna , it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn Palace was the summer residence. Since 1946, it has been the official residence and workplace of the president of Austria . Since 1279, the Hofburg area has been the documented seat of government. The Hofburg has been expanded over

1520-709: The war with Prussia and Italy . Francis Joseph I was urged to solve the internal problems of his realm and was well-advised to provide a substantial concession to the Hungarian nobility , which had stayed in passive resistance to him after the crushed Hungarian revolution of 1848- 1849 . By the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 ( Ausgleich ), the Kingdom of Hungary and the Empire of Austria, as two separate entities, joined on an equal basis to form

1596-570: The Austrian part of the empire from 1867 onwards. The latter were known in the internal administration as the "Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council" ( Die im Reichsrat vertretenen Königreiche und Länder ). Unofficially ever since, these territories officially were called "Austria" from 1915 to 1918 only, despite the fact that all the citizens held the common Austrian citizenship since 1867. Austria-Hungary disintegrated at

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1672-602: The Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Thus the former Habsburg-ruled lands were restructured into a dual union which shared a monarch and a common army , navy and foreign policy . Transylvania became again an integral part of Hungary while Croatia-Slavonia were acknowledged as part of the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen , which were called Transleithania by government officials to distinguish them from Cisleithania ,

1748-650: The Emperor and King" and " His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty ". The full list (after the loss of the Lombardy in 1859 and Venetia in 1866): Emperor of Austria , Apostolic King of Hungary , King of Bohemia , of Dalmatia , of Croatia , of Slavonia , of Galicia , of Lodomeria, and of Illyria , King of Jerusalem , and so forth, Archduke of Austria , Grand Duke of Tuscany and of Cracow , Duke of Lorraine , of Salzburg , of Styria , of Carinthia , of Carniola and of

1824-827: The French ( French : Empereur des Français ), by the Constitution of the Year XII on 18 May 1804, Francis II feared for the future of the Holy Roman Empire and wished to maintain his and his family's imperial status in case the Holy Roman Empire should be dissolved. Therefore, on 11 August 1804 he created the new title of "Emperor of Austria" for himself and his successors as heads of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. For two years, Francis carried two imperial titles: being Holy Roman Emperor Francis II and "by

1900-669: The Grace of God" ( Von Gottes Gnaden ) Emperor Francis I of Austria. In 1805, an Austrian-led army suffered a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Austerlitz and the victorious Napoleon proceeded to dismantle the old Reich (which at this time was only a powerless confederation) by motivating or pressuring several German princes to enter the separate Confederation of the Rhine with their lands in July. This led Francis II/I on 6 August 1806 to declare

1976-522: The Hofburg as well. Empress Maria Theresia had a 17th-century opera house converted into the dance and concert halls now known as the Redoutensäle , which consists of a small and a large hall. Together with a number of smaller antechambers they form the Redoute Wing. The original plans were drawn up by Jean Nicolas Jadot de Ville-Issey  [ de ] , while the external façades are

2052-681: The Holy Roman Empire ( Reichskleinodien ) and of the Empire of Austria. The Court Music Chapel ( Hofmusikkapelle ) is located inside the Court Chapel ( Hofburgkapelle  [ de ] ) and is where the Vienna Boys' Choir traditionally sing mass on Sundays. The appearance of the Swiss Court dates from the Renaissance , during the reign of the Emperor Ferdinand I . The Swiss Gate entrance ( Schweizertor ) displays

2128-580: The Holy Roman Empire since the ceremonial position of Imperial Arch-Chancellor ( Reichserzkanzler )—whom the Imperial Vice Chancellor represented—had always been filled by the Archbishop of Mainz since the Middle Ages. After the end of the Holy Roman Empire, this wing housed the apartments of Napoleon, The Duke of Reichstadt and later those of Emperor Francis Joseph I. The chancellery, Swiss court, Amalienburg and Leopoldine Wing form

2204-542: The Imperial Library to the other parts of the Hofburg and its other side to the Augustinian Church and he thus created the present Joseph Square ( Josephsplatz ), marked by its almost symmetrical proportions. Of note are the bronze equestrian statue of Emperor Joseph II . Built right before the adjacent Court Library, on the south-east side of Joseph Square, lies the baroque Augustinian Wing with

2280-692: The Inner Castle Court ( innerer Burghof ). In the middle is a bronze statue of Francis I dressed as a Roman emperor, by Pompeo Marchesi . Originally a free-standing structure, the Court Library ( Hofbibliothek ) was housed on the other side of the complex. Charles VI had the main building and the Prunksaal main hall constructed. Today it is under the auspices of the Austrian National Library . Its construction

2356-803: The Late Renaissance. It is in this wing that the offices of the Federal President are located. The Privy Council Room ( Geheime Ratstube ) is part of the wing. This is where Emperor Franz Joseph I held his opening speeches at the sessions of the Austro-Hungarian Delegation. Here the Archduke Franz Ferdinand , a nephew of emperor Franz Joseph I and heir to the throne, spoke the Oath of Renunciation on 28 June 1900 and in so doing renounced all claims to

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2432-689: The Office of the Grand Master ( Obersthofmeisteramt ). Francis I used to wear civilian clothes of the Biedermeier era, while Francis Joseph I and Charles I mostly were seen in the uniform of an Austrian field marshal to underline the importance of the army to the throne. Francis Joseph I expected soldiers to appear in uniform at his court and civilians to appear in tails . He never shook hands with visitors; in letters he never addressed his subjects as "Sir" or "Mr." ( Herr ). The Emperor's court managed

2508-601: The Polish King John III Sobieski in the side panels. The hall was also the venue for 1967 Eurovision Song Contest . In 1809, a part of the old bastion adjacent to the palace was demolished in the course of the Napoleonic Wars. All the way up to the present Ring Road , new grounds were laid out, in which the neoclassical main castle gate ( Burgtor ) was integrated. Within the new walls which were erected in 1817, three gardens were made:

2584-509: The Ring Road, with the twin museums ( Kunsthistorisches Museum and Naturhistorisches Museum ) as flanks and terminating at the old Imperial Mews (the Hofstallungen , not to be confused with the much older Stallburg) of Fischer von Erlach. The project was led by Gottfried Semper and later by Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer . The museums were completed in 1891, but construction of the rest of the forum dragged on slowly and conflicted since because of rising costs and no real function could be found for

2660-409: The Stallburg (and where the first Austrian parliament sat in 1848) and in the Imperial Chancellery Wing (Reichskanzleitrakt) across from the Leopoldine Wing. The latter was originally planned by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and accommodated, in addition to the Aulic Council ( Reichshofrat ), the offices of the Imperial Vice-Chancellor ( Reichsvizekanzler ), who was the de facto prime minister of

2736-399: The architects of the Neue Burg built between 1881 and 1913. The name translates as "Castle of the Court", which denotes its origins when initially constructed during the Middle Ages . Initially planned in the 13th century as the seat of the Dukes of Austria , the palace expanded over the centuries, as they became increasingly powerful. From 1438 to 1583, and again from 1612 to 1806, it was

2812-426: The balls held in the Redoutensaele in the framework of the Congress of Vienna in 1814/15. Johann Strauss served as musical director to the court for the balls held here. Over the centuries, various modification has been made the balls in line with changing tastes. On 27 November 1992 the whole wing with the Redoutensäle was seriously damaged by fire. The reconstruction and restoration work lasted five years. While

2888-406: The centuries to include various residences (with the Amalienburg and the Albertina ), the imperial chapel ( Hofkapelle or Burgkapelle ), the imperial library ( Hofbibliothek ), the treasury ( Schatzkammer ), the Burgtheater , the Spanish Riding School ( Hofreitschule ), the imperial mews ( Stallburg and Hofstallungen ). The palace faces the Heldenplatz (Heroes' Square) ordered under

2964-445: The collection forms the core of the later Kunsthistorisches Museum from 1889. The residence was converted during the Baroque era to house the imperial horses on the ground floor and is used by the Spanish Riding School ( Spanische Hofreitschule ). St. Michael's Wing was also planned by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, and it serves as the connection between the Winter Riding School and the Imperial Chancellery Wing. However, because

3040-456: The emperor of Austria had been changed several times: by a patent of 1 August 1804, by a court office decree from 22 August 1836, by an Imperial court ministry decree of 6 January 1867 and finally by a letter of 12 December 1867. Shorter versions were recommended for official documents and international treaties: "Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia etc. and Apostolic King of Hungary", "Emperor of Austria and Apostolic King of Hungary", " His Majesty

3116-446: The end of World War I in 1918, when the Austrian lands established their independence. Bohemia and Moravia in the newly created Czechoslovakia , Galicia joined Poland , while Bukovina became a part of Romania . Carniola and Dalmatia joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes . Other territories were annexed by Italy ( South Tyrol , Trieste and Istria ). Yet the last Emperor, Charles I, used his imperial title until

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3192-415: The end of his life. The Kingdom of Hungary, due to measures enacted during peace proceedings after the Great War and having terminated the 1867 compromise by 31 October 1918, similarly broke apart . The term Kaiserlich und Königlich ( k.u.k. , spoken /ka ʔʊnt ka/ , meaning "Imperial and Royal") was decreed in a letter of 17 October 1889 for the army, the navy and the institutions shared by both parts of

3268-448: The enormous construction project. In 1913, the south-west wing, the New Castle (Neue Burg), was completed. However, the Imperial Forum was never completed and remains a torso. The New Castle wing today houses a number of museums (the Ephesos Museum , the Collection of Arms and Armour, the Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments, and the Museum of Ethnology) as well as some reading rooms of the national library. The Hofburg Congress Centre

3344-429: The events are conventions and meetings as well as banquets, trade fairs, concerts, and balls. The oldest parts of the palace date from the 13th century and were primarily constructed by the last of the Babenbergers , or by Ottakar II of Bohemia . Before that the castle of the Austrian rulers had been located on the square called "Am Hof", which is near the Schottenstift (Scottish Monastery). The castle originally had

3420-406: The foci of Heroes Square. On 15 March 1938 Adolf Hitler proclaimed from the balcony of the New Castle onto Heroes' Square the " Anschluss " of Austria into the Nazi Third Reich. Following the enlargement of Vienna after the demolition of the city walls in the 1860s, the Hofburg had its last great expansion. An Imperial Forum ( Kaiserforum ) was planned, in which a two-winged structure reaching beyond

3496-428: The following institutions: The Austrian Empire ( Kaisertum Österreich ) from 1804 to 1867 consisted of the Habsburg lands as a whole, leaving each land its special definition as kingdom (e.g., Bohemia , Hungary), archduchy (Lower and Upper Austria), duchy (e.g., Carniola ) or princely county (e.g., Tyrol ), however the Kingdom of Hungary —as Regnum Independens—was administered by its own institutions separately from

3572-461: The greater glory of the Habsburgs, complete with Emperor Franz Joseph's motto "Viribus Unitis" (with united strength). The lower lunettes and octagonal panels are decorated with paintings by Eduard Veith and Viktor Stauffer  [ de ] of famous people from Austrian history, with Maximilian I, Charles V , Ferdinand I, Rudolph II and Ferdinand II of Tyrol to be seen in the ceiling paintings, and Leopold I, Charles VI, Prince Eugene and also

3648-442: The heir to the throne became emperor the moment his predecessor died or abdicated. The symbol of the Austrian emperor was the dynasty's private crown dating back to Rudolf II ( r.  1576–1612 ), (called Rudolfinische Hauskrone by the experts). The Austrian emperors had an extensive list of titles and claims that reflected the geographic expanse and diversity of the lands ruled by the Austrian Habsburgs. The grand title of

3724-413: The imperial kitchen. Across from the Swiss Gate is the Amalienburg , named after Empress Amalie Wilhelmine , the widow of Joseph I . However, this wing had already been in use for more than a century, constructed as the residence of the Emperor Rudolph II in the style of the late Renaissance . Of note is the small tower with its cupola and the astronomical clock on its façade. The connection between

3800-458: The last Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary. He declared himself a loyal citizen of the Republic of Austria in 1961. Charles I did not see himself as a pretender but as the monarch of Austria, while the Habsburg Law of the Republic of Austria of 1919 called him "the former bearer of the crown" ( der ehemalige Träger der Krone ). His son Otto von Habsburg, who had used the title Archduke of Austria in his earlier life outside of Austria, declared himself

3876-403: The many titles of Ferdinand I and the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece are painted on the ceiling. An adjoining section of the Swiss Wing houses the Radetzky Apartments. In recognition of his services in the Italian campaign during the revolutionary year of 1848, the Emperor Franz Joseph I permitted the worthy Field Marshal Radetzky to live in these apartments, even though he was not

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3952-444: The monarchy. Institutions of Cisleithania used the term Kaiserlich-Königlich ( K.K. , meaning "Imperial Royal", e.g. K.K. österreichische Staatsbahnen , Imperial Royal Austrian State Railways ). The heir apparent to the throne bore the title of Crown Prince ( Kronprinz ); heirs presumptive were called Thronfolger , in addition to their title of archduke. Francis I was followed by Ferdinand Charles , (later Ferdinand I). In

4028-437: The old Imperial Court Theatre ( Burgtheater ) stood in the way, these plans remained unrealized until Ferdinand Kirschner built the wing from 1889 to 1893, utilizing a slightly altered plan. After the completion of St. Michael's Square, two sculpted fountains were installed on the façade of the wing: Power at Sea by Rudolf Weyr and Power on Land by Edmund Hellmer . The wing is named in reference to St. Michael's Church on

4104-401: The opposite side. The walls of the Marble Hall in front of the Hall of Ceremonies date back to the 16th century and theoretically belong to the Leopoldine Wing, but the scagliola for the interior was changed around 1840 to match the appearance of the newer Hall of Ceremonies. During the imperial period it was used as a dining room and for balls for the children at court. The Hall of Ceremonies

4180-473: The private Imperial Castle Garden ( Burggarten ), Heroes Square ( Heldenplatz ) as a large open, green area, and the People's Garden ( Volksgarten ) with the Temple of Theseus ( Theseustempel ). Along with the Burgtor , it was designed by Peter von Nobile . The Hall of Ceremonies and the Neue Burg make up the backdrop of the square. Equestrian statues of the two most important Austrian field marshals, Prince Eugene of Savoy and Archduke Charles , stand at

4256-455: The reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I , as part of what was planned to become the Kaiserforum  [ de ] but which was never completed. Numerous architects have executed work at the Hofburg as it expanded, notably the Italian architect-engineer Filiberto Luchese, Lodovico Burnacini and Martino and Domenico Carlone, the Baroque architects Lukas von Hildebrandt and Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach , Johann Fischer von Erlach , and

4332-412: The rest of the complex, the imperial mews ( Stallburg ) of the Hofburg were originally built as a residence for the then crown prince, Maximilian . It is said that Ferdinand I did not wish to house his son under his roof, as Maximilian had veered towards Protestantism. This structure later accommodated the art collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm , the art-inclined brother of Emperor Ferdinand III , and

4408-523: The rest of the empire. Kaisertum might literally be translated as "emperordom" on analogy with "kingdom" or "emperor-ship"; the term denotes specifically "the territory ruled by an emperor". Austria proper (as opposed to the complex of Habsburg lands as a whole) had been an archduchy since the 15th century, and most of the other territories of the Empire had their own institutions and territorial history, although there were some attempts at centralization, especially between 1848 and 1859. In 1866, Austria lost

4484-409: The seat of the Habsburg kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire , and thereafter until 1918 the seat of the Emperors of Austria . Since then, the palace has continued in its role as the seat of the head of state and is today used by the Austrian Federal President. It is also the permanent home of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and also houses the Vienna Office of

4560-443: The smaller Kleiner Redoutensaal was faithfully restored, for the interior of the larger Grosser Redoutensaal a design competition was held, which was won by the Austrian artist Josef Mikl . He created a number of oil paintings based on literary quotations taken from Ferdinand Raimund , Johann Nepomuk Nestroy and Elias Canetti . His 404 m ceiling painting incorporates 34 handwritten verses of Karl Kraus ' poem "Youth", albeit in

4636-421: The supervision of the k.k. Court theater ( Hofburgtheater and Hofoper in Vienna), and especially the politically relevant planning of the ceremonial (e.g. speech and table arrangements, order of priority of the carriages) for formal appearances by the monarch and the preparation of invitations to the audience of the ruler. This position only ended upon the death of the monarch or the Oberhofmeister himself. When

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4712-405: The throne for his descendants. A dynastically necessary act as his intended marriage was to be morganatic, due to the unequal rank between him and his future wife . The lower section of this wing as well as that of the Amalienburg served as the enormous wine cellar for the Hofburg. An additional father-son collaborative project resulted in the Winter Riding School ( Winterreitschule ) across from

4788-456: The throne, married a simple countess in 1900). To manage the political implications of the Imperial house after 1867 the Emperor and King appointed the k.u.k. Minister des kaiserlichen und königlichen Hauses und des Äußeren (the I.& R. Minister of the Imperial and Royal House and of the Exterior), one of the three ministers common to Austria and Hungary. Under Francis I, Klemens von Metternich had covered these and many other agenda, bearing

4864-411: The throne. He was assassinated in Sarajevo , Bosnia in 1914; due to his morganatic marriage , his son had no rights to the throne. At this time his younger brother Otto Franz had already died, which made Otto's son Charles the new heir presumptive to the throne, to which he acceded in 1916 as Charles I, upon the death of Francis Joseph I. In this moment Charles I's son, four-year-old Otto became

4940-450: The time before 1804, when no Austrian Empire existed. In these cases the word Austria means the composite monarchy ruled by the dynasty, not the country. A special case was Maria Theresa ; she bore the imperial title as the consort of Francis I (r. 1745–1765), but she herself was the monarch of the Austrian hereditary lands including Bohemia and Hungary . In the face of aggressions by Napoleon I , who had been proclaimed Emperor of

5016-402: The title Haus-, Hof- und Staatskanzler (Chancellor of the House, the Court and the State). The Emperor's household, his personal officers and the premises where they worked were called Hof ("court"). The four highest officials managing the Imperial Court, who were drawn from among the highest noblemen of the Empire, were Whoever sought an audience with the Emperor himself had to apply at

5092-428: The title of Archduke of Austria . The wives of the emperors held the title empress , while other members of the family held the titles of archduke or archduchess . Members of the House of Austria, the Habsburg dynasty , had been the elected Holy Roman Emperors since 1438 (except for a five-year break from 1740 to 1745) and mostly resided in Vienna . Thus the term "Austrian emperor" may occur in texts dealing with

5168-409: The title of Oberhofmeister. This title also appeared at other princely courts and also at smaller dynasties in Germany. The office of Obersthofmeister gradually gained everywhere the importance of a state office, comparable to a cabinet minister. Hofburg The Hofburg ( German: [hoːf.buʁk] ) is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty in Austria . Located in

5244-517: The unified Austrian Empire was reorganized into the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary in 1867, a second Oberhofmeister was installed at the royal court in Budapest. An example of a very influential Oberhofmeister is Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo (1908–1917), who had a strong influence over his cousin, the aging Franz Joseph I. The monarch's wife, had her own court with an Oberhofmeisterin (or senior lady-in-waiting). The crown prince and other long-standing archdukes were also entitled to employees with

5320-412: The wake of the 1848 revolutions, the empire's existence was in danger. The Habsburg family tried a new start with a new emperor: Ferdinand I was urged to hand over government on 2 December 1848. He then moved to Prague Castle and, without laying down his imperial title, lived there privately until his death in 1875. As Ferdinand I had no sons, his brother Francis Charles would have become emperor, but

5396-522: The work of Nicolò Pacassi and Franz Anton Hillebrandt  [ de ] . The Redoutensäle soon became the setting for the cultivated style of baroque entertainment. The name is derived from the French word " redoute ", meaning an elegant masked ball , and such balls were also held there. The audience was treated to music by Joseph Haydn and Niccolò Paganini and Franz Liszt . The premiere of Beethoven 's 8th Symphony took place there in 1814. The well known saying "The Congress dances" derives from

5472-447: Was begun by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and finished by his son Joseph Emanuel in 1735. The large Prunksaal hall contains the book collection of Prince Eugene of Savoy , an enormous ceiling fresco by Daniel Gran , and statues of emperors by Paul Strudel making this part of the Hofburg its most significant in artistic terms. The exterior decoration with attic style figures was executed by Lorenzo Mattielli in 1726. He placed

5548-468: Was built for Emperor Francis II/I by the Belgian architect Louis Montoyer at the beginning of the 19th century. Because of its additional nature, it formed a clearly visible protrusion at right angles to the Leopoldine Wing for almost a hundred years, and was therefore also called the "Nose". With its ornate coffered ceiling and 26 crystal chandeliers, which once held 1,300 candles, the Hall of Ceremonies

5624-470: Was governed by very strict rules all the time. The members of the House of Habsburg were ranked as princes and princesses of the blood imperial, with the honorary title of Erzherzog or Erzherzogin (archduke or archduchess). Their permanent address and their travels abroad had to be agreed to by the Emperor. Whoever wanted to marry an archduke or archduchess of the Habsburg dynasty had to originate from

5700-527: Was grand. The 24 Corinthian columns are done in scagliola technique, in which painted gypsum resembles marble. In this hall Napoleon I asked for the hand of Archduchess Marie Louise , the daughter of Emperor Francis II/I. This was also where court balls were held and later also speeches from the throne . and where the exclusive Ball at the Court was held. On Maundy Thursday , the emperor and empress invited twelve poor old men and women to have their feet washed in

5776-406: Was persuaded by his wife Princess Sophie of Bavaria to pass over the right of succession to their son, Francis Joseph. He accepted the duty of the Emperor of Austria without having been Crown Prince or Thronfolger before. Francis Joseph's only son Rudolf committed suicide in 1889, Francis Joseph's brother Karl Ludwig died in 1896. Karl Ludwig's son Franz Ferdinand became heir presumptive to

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