The Imperial Furniture Collection (german: Hofmobiliendepot) in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

is a furniture museum that houses one of the most important collections of furniture in the world.''The history of the museum''
at www.hofmobiliendepot.at. Accessed on 23 Aug 2013 Today, the museum mainly contains

furniture Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating ( tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks) ...

of the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

monarchs. In addition the museum offers an overview of the history of Viennese cabinet making and interior decoration, from purveyors to the Imperial Household to well-known artists of the early 20th century,

Adolf Loos Adolf Franz Karl Viktor Maria Loos (; 10 December 1870 – 23 August 1933) was an Austrian and Czechoslovak architect, influential European theorist, and a polemicist of modern architecture. He was an inspiration to modernism and a widely- ...

Josef Hoffmann Josef Hoffmann (15 December 1870 – 7 May 1956) was an Austrian- Moravian architect and designer. He was among the founders of Vienna Secession and co-establisher of the Wiener Werkstätte. His most famous architectural work is the Stoclet Pa ...

and Otto Wagner, who characterized the

domestic architecture Domestic may refer to: In the home * Anything relating to the human home or family ** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication ** A domestic appliance, or home appliance ** A domestic partnership ** Domestic science, sometimes cal ...

of Vienna. The main building is located in ''Andreasgasse 7'' in the 7th

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...

Neubau Neubau (; Central Bavarian: ''Neibau'') is the seventh district of Vienna (german: 7. Bezirk). It is located near the center of Vienna and was established as a district in 1850, but borders changed later. Neubau is a heavily populated urban area ...

History

In 1747, the first Court Furniture Inspector (''Hofmobilieninspektor'') was entrusted with the inventory control, care and transportation of the furniture belonging to the imperial court of Empress

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

. In 1809 this court service was designated as the Court Furniture Directorate (''Hofmobiliendirektion'') and was responsible for the purchase of new furniture for the imperial household. In 1901 the present building of the Imperial-Royal Court Furniture Depository (''k. k. Hofmobiliendepot'') on ''Mariahilfer Straße 88'', together with attached workshops and

coach house Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coa ...

s, was built as a central storage facility for furniture not actually being used. Because the

Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

furnished their residences and palaces in accordance with the style of the period and their own aesthetic taste, 160,000 items ended up in the exhibition. Anything that was no longer used, just made its way to the depot. After the end of the

Danube monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

in 1919 the entire imperial furniture collection was transferred to the Republic of Austria. Part of it was, and is, used for representative purposes, for example for the official residences of the federal presidents.

Collection

Today a large number of original items of furniture belonging to the Habsburgs may be seen in the museum, from

commode A commode is any of many pieces of furniture. The '' Oxford English Dictionary'' has multiple meanings of "commode". The first relevant definition reads: "A piece of furniture with drawers and shelves; in the bedroom, a sort of elaborate chest ...

s to imperial thrones. Even exhibits that appear strange today can be seen, such as the

spittoon A spittoon (or spitoon) is a receptacle made for spitting into, especially by users of chewing and dipping tobacco. It is also known as a cuspidor (which is the Portuguese word for "spitter" or "spittoon", from the verb "cuspir" meaning "to s ...

s that were ''de rigueur'' a hundred years ago. Austrian furniture designers and architects of the 20th century are also represented. Organizationally, the Imperial Furniture Collection is part of the

Schönbrunn Palace Schönbrunn Palace (german: Schloss Schönbrunn ; Central Bavarian: ''Schloss Scheenbrunn'') was the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers, located in Hietzing, Vienna. The name ''Schönbrunn'' (meaning “beautiful spring”) has its root ...

Cultural and Joint Operating Company (''Schloss Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H.'') All federal government ministers may borrow furniture for their chancellery for the time of their period in office. Embassies draw on furniture from this depot and film companies also use original furniture for their films.

References

Literature

* Eva B. Ottillinger (author), Lieselotte Hanzl: ''Kaiserliche Interieurs''. Böhlau Verlag, Vienna, (2001).

External links

Imperial Furniture Museum website
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Bmwfj.gv.at: Imperial Austria
— ''pdf file.'' {{Authority control Museums in Vienna Neubau Austrian design Furniture museums Interior design

History

Collection

See also

References

Literature

External links