The Burgtheater is the Austrian National Theatre in Vienna and one of the most important German language theatres in the world. Empress Maria Theresia ordered the creation of a theatre next to her palace in 1741, and in 1776 it was opened by her son Joseph II. In 1888 the theatre was moved to a new building designed by Gottfried Semper and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer where it is still located. We start our visit with the gorgeous grand staircase.
In 1745 Empress Maria Theresia commissioned court architect Nikolaus Pacassi to construct the Schönbrunn Palace Theatre in order to give the drama performances until then hold in the park of Schönbrunn a home. The theater opened in 1747 in the western side wing of the palace and served the Habsburgs as a home theatre: The Empress' children danced, played, posed tableaux vivants and demonstrated their artistic talents in numerous peformances in front of the noble courtiers... The photo shows the current state of the foyer.
Schönbrunn Palace is the former summer residence of the imperial family. The palace in its present form was built and remodelled in the mid 18th century during the reign of empress Maria Theresa who received the estate as a wedding gift. After the end of the monarchy, the palace became property of the new Republic of Austria. Today it is part of the UNESCO's cultural heritage and one of Vienna's most visited sights.
Originally this was a conversation room with wall covering made of silk painted with
trees branches and birds. Under Empress Maria Theresia the room was transformed into a gold cabinet (or
mirror and porcelain cabinet). It is assumed that the gold cabinet
presented itself with its new appearance in 1765.
