The Hofburg () is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in 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 is 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 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 the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I, as part of what was planned to become the 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 the architects of the Neue Burg built between 1881 and 1913.
History
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 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).
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 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 to 350 events, with around 300,000 to 320,000 guests. Among the events are conventions and meetings as well as banquets, trade fairs, concerts, and balls.
Swiss Wing
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 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 the Holy Roman Empire (Reichskleinodien) and of the Empire of Austria. The Court Music Chapel (Hofmusikkapelle) is located inside the Court Chapel () 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 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 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.