The splendid palace in the suburbs of Vienna is a place of supreme historical importance, and its story and beauty can be discussed at length. This article focuses on the history of Schönbrunn Palace and how it transformed from a simple agricultural area into the magnificent complex that still stands in all its glory today. If you do not intend to delve deep into the history of the place, you can read another article we have prepared about all the attractions, museums, and activities in the palace complex.
The Story of the Palace – From Hunting Ground to Royal Splendor
When you stand in the magnificent Schönbrunn Square and look around, it’s hard to imagine that this area was once a rather deserted suburb of Vienna, used for hunting and agriculture. Interestingly, the Schönbrunn complex was originally called Katterburg and had been used for agriculture since the Middle Ages. In the 14th century, the complex included a farm with a windmill, as well as several vineyards and fields.
In the 16th century, the Habsburg family set their eyes on the complex, and Maximilian II purchased it, turning it into a breeding ground for deer and stags. After Maximilian’s death, the complex passed to Rudolf II, who saw no particular importance in it and barely maintained it.
Schönbrunn during the 17th century
At the beginning of the 17th century, the ruler Matthias of Habsburg took possession of the complex and made it his hunting ground. Legend has it that one day, while Matthias was walking through his hunting grounds in search of a fine target, he came to an area with a beautiful spring (in German, the words “beautiful spring” are pronounced as Schöner Brunnen). The complex received its familiar name – Schönbrunn – after this beautiful, hidden spring.
After Matthias’ death, the hunting grounds passed to Ferdinand II and his wife, Eleonora von Gonzaga, both avid hunters.
When Ferdinand II died, Eleonora took full control and commissioned a magnificent manor house, which reached completion in 1642—the same year the complex changed its name from Katterburg to Schönbrunn. In 1683, the Ottoman siege of Vienna damaged the manor house, prompting renovations.
Leopold I then gifted Schönbrunn to his son, Crown Prince Joseph, commissioning a grand new residence designed by the renowned Baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. His plans were highly ambitious.
The construction of the palace began in 1696. The ruined manor house at Schönbrunn served as the foundation upon which the palace rose. Four years later, in 1700, the palace’s central structure reached completion, but economic problems and wars halted construction completely, leaving the palace wings unfinished.
The half-built palace became the residence of Wilhelmina Amalia after the death of her husband, Joseph I.
Schönbrunn during the 18th century
In 1728, Schönbrunn passed into the ownership of Emperor Charles VI, who was Joseph’s brother and inherited the crown after his brother’s death. For Charles, Schönbrunn was merely a hunting lodge, and he used the place mainly as a pheasant hunting ground. Eventually, he gave the palace to his daughter, Maria Theresa, who loved the palace and its gardens very much. Maria Theresa’s great affection for the palace and gardens is, in fact, the main reason it became such an important and magnificent place.
Maria Theresa – The “Savior” of Schönbrunn Palace
During the reign of Maria Theresa, Schönbrunn became a royal and political center. By her order, the old palace was converted into a royal palace – the summer residence of the House of Habsburg!
The first development phase of the palace took place between 1743 and 1749 under the supervision of the gifted architect Nikolaus Pacassi. The original structure remained largely preserved, with magnificent wings added to serve as the royal family’s living quarters. The palace courtyard was expanded to allow for carriage parking, and greenhouses were built to grow various fruits.
Maria Theresa also commissioned a theater, where her children and others performed as singers and actors.
During the summer months, no fewer than 1000 people lived and worked in the palace!
The second development phase of the palace lasted for about 10 years, from 1753 to 1763. The royal family was growing at a rapid pace, so the construction focused mainly on expanding the living space in the palace and building additional apartments for the Habsburgs. In addition, they invested heavily in renovating the palace’s guest and event rooms, decorating them with ceiling paintings and impressive wall carvings. They also renovated the rooms facing the gardens, adorning them in the Rococo style with mirrors and elaborate wall decorations. Maria Theresa’s passion for Far Eastern art demanded several new rooms to showcase her collections of porcelain, silk, and lacquerware.
The death of Franz Stephan, Maria Theresa’s husband, in 1765 was a tragic event for her that led to several changes in the palace. Maria Theresa converted her husband’s study into a memorial room and designed it with incredible magnificence—a style that endures to this day.
The Palace Gardens
The last project initiated by Maria Theresa was the design of the palace gardens. In addition, ancient-style statues filled the park. The palace and garden upgrades finished shortly before Maria Theresa’s death in 1780. Under his supervision, several structures were built in the palace gardens, such as the Gloriette, the Neptune Fountain, the Roman Ruins, and the Obelisk Fountain. In addition, ancient-style statues populated the park. The palace and garden upgrades concluded shortly before Maria Theresa’s death in 1780.
After her death, the palace stopped serving as the royal family’s summer residence and remained unused for about 12 years until Emperor Franz II came to power.
Schönbrunn during the Napoleonic Wars
During the Napoleonic Wars, in 1805 and 1809, the palace was under the control of the French commander Napoleon, who resided in the palace himself and turned the magnificent memorial room that Maria Theresa had designed in memory of her husband into his command center.
Napoleon’s victory dissolved the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, after which he established the Austrian Empire. Emperor Franz II continued to be the ruler of the new empire, and he led extensive renovations in the palace to upgrade it according to the standards of the time. The architect Johann Aman was responsible for the renovation work, and his work certainly led to changes in the palace’s appearance (not really for the better). Aman had the impressive decorations on the exterior walls of the palace removed, leaving only a few of them. The palace walls assumed a simple and plain appearance, which they retain to this day.
Schönbrunn in the era of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth
After the end of Emperor Franz II’s reign, Emperor Franz Joseph came to power. Franz Joseph was born and raised in Schönbrunn Palace, and he loved it very much. In fact, for a significant part of his life, Emperor Franz Joseph lived in Schönbrunn until his death in 1916.
In preparation for Franz Joseph’s wedding to Duchess Elisabeth (Sisi), renovations transformed the apartments in the western wing of the palace, which the couple intended to use as their residence. Later, the children of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth also lived in this part of the palace.
Between 1869 and 1873, the palace underwent its last significant renovation. The monarchy commissioned this renovation to prepare for the world exhibition Vienna hosted in 1873. The renovation mainly included the restoration and preservation of the Rococo decorations in the palace rooms. In addition, the large reception rooms of the palace—the Great and Small Galleries—underwent renovation, during which beautiful tapestries covered the walls.
Why is the Palace Yellow?
The color of Schönbrunn’s exterior walls is a light shade of yellow. This shade has been nicknamed “Schönbrunn Yellow.” Many tend to think that Schönbrunn Palace has always been yellow, but this is not the case. The mid-19th century likely brought the yellow paint to the palace.
The original colors of the palace were light orange, beige, red, gray, or gold. Researchers speculate that the palace’s yellow paint honors the memory of Maria Theresa’s era, when builders painted the structure beige or light orange.
