The Vienna Schönbrunn Group shows that adventure and cultural tourism are of fundamental importance for the World Heritage Site. It reinvests its income in the preservation of the imperial palaces

The Vienna Schönbrunn Group shows that adventure and cultural tourism are of fundamental importance for the World Heritage Site. It reinvests its income in the preservation of the imperial palaces

It is the number one attraction in Vienna and one of the most visited cultural assets in Austria: Schönbrunn Palace. The palace and park are among the most impressive and best-preserved Baroque ensembles in the whole of Europe, and the magnificent sight makes you forget even Versailles. From an architecturally sophisticated hunting lodge to a summer residence and later the main residence of the imperial family, Schönbrunn is one of the most important imperial palaces alongside the Hofburg.

Schönbrunn Palace – UNESCO World Heritage Site

After the triumphant victories over the Ottoman Empire, star architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach created the high baroque estate. Empress Maria Theresa later had the magnificent building completely rebuilt and furnished with the finest rococo interiors. This gave Schönbrunn its present, world-famous appearance. The walls breathe European history: Mozart made music in the Hall of Mirrors as a six-year-old child prodigy, Napoleon once conferred in the Vieux-Laque Room and in 1918 Emperor Charles I signed his renunciation of government (the end of the monarchy) in the Blue Chinese Salon.

Today, the palace – which has been located in Vienna’s 13th district of Hietzing since 1892 – has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site for over twenty years due to its historical significance, unique layout and magnificent furnishings. “This great distinction brings with it an even greater responsibility,” says Klaus Panholzer. As Managing Director of the Schönbrunn Group, he is responsible for the stately home.

“Around 2.7 million people visit the more than 40 rooms of the representative and private apartments from Habsburg times every year, and on peak days there are sometimes even up to 10,000 visitors per day. In order to research the load limits, we began very early on to look into innovative concepts for visitor flow management in collaboration with the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Austria’s largest non-university research institute for mobility issues. The flow of visitors must be managed in such a way that, on the one hand, mindfulness is ensured and, on the other, the visitor experience is very high. Intelligent visitor flow management will enable us to plan tours in an even more targeted way in future.”

“Schönbrunn Digital Experience”

The new digital strategy “Schönbrunn Digital Experience” supports these measures. A “one-stop store” on the internet will also provide access to the palace without waiting times in future. Additional content will also be incorporated into the digital platform: The palace’s showrooms in a Google Arts project can be experienced as a virtual tour, all the content of the audio guide tours is available for download in different language versions as audio or text files, and all the statues and monuments in Schönbrunn Palace Park have been captured as 3D models for documentation for future restoration work.

The guiding principle of all Schönbrunn Group activities is to preserve the historical substance as much as possible. The management pays attention to sensitive integration when developing cultural, tourist and leisure facilities. The Arrival Center Schönbrunn, which is currently under construction, will also facilitate access to the palace grounds in all ways, via public transport, bus and car, by bike and on foot. Equipped with a parking lot including a photovoltaic system and electric charging stations as well as an arrival building, it is intended to make the arrival of guests easier and more comfortable.

To this end, around 300 trees will soon line the approach to the castle entrance. “The great popularity of Schönbrunn Palace is also the economic basis for the necessary maintenance measures,” emphasizes Klaus Panholzer. “Schönbrunn Palace is owned by the Republic of Austria and has managed completely without state subsidies since it was spun off from the federal administration in 1992.” The entire operating company, which also runs the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum and the Silver Collection in the Vienna Hofburg, the Imperial Furniture Collection – Vienna Furniture Museum and the Marchfeld castles of Hof and Niederweiden, achieved a record balance sheet in 2017 (the year marked the 300th anniversary of Maria Theresa’s birth).

Restoration and conservation work

“The income is mainly invested in the preservation and restoration of the buildings in order to secure this valuable heritage in the long term and sustainably,” explains Klaus Panholzer. In 2017, the Schönbrunn Group invested around 9.5 million euros in restoration and conservation work. The focus was on the reconstruction of the large cascade in Hof Palace and the restoration of the two Chinese Cabinets in Schönbrunn Palace, the rooms that Empress Maria Theresa used as a playroom and for secret meetings. “They had been inaccessible since 1993 for conservation reasons,” recalls Dr. Elfriede Iby, who heads and built up the Schönbrunn Group’s Research and Documentation department. “The first preparations for the restoration began in 2012 with an extensive research project in advance on the origin, material and history of the objects. Ostasia expert Dr. Jorinde Ebert supported us here. Over 250 porcelain vessels of Chinese, Japanese and European origin were thoroughly examined. The subsequent scientific preparatory work under the direction of Professor Gabriele Krist (Institute for Conservation and Restoration at the University of Applied Arts) then formed the basis for the decision to restore the important rooms in a way that was both flawless in terms of conservation and economically viable.”

“There must be time for research”

Art historian Elfriede Iby has been working for the Schönbrunn Group since 1994 and has been involved in many extensive restoration projects during this time. “A major logistical challenge – even with years of preparation – was to restore the Great Gallery, the centerpiece at the heart of the palace, without having to close the museum to visitors,” explains the expert. “Because that’s where all the tours come together. We found an excellent solution here and enclosed parts of the Great Gallery. The scaffolding was plated and covered with photomontages so that visitors always had a complete impression of the Great Gallery.” Large and very complex restorations also included the Chinese wallpaper in the Blue Salon of Schönbrunn Palace – carried out by the Vienna Institute for Paper Restoration – and the magnificent bed of Maria Theresa. “We have dedicated a publication in our scientific series to each of these renowned restoration projects,” says Elfriede Iby proudly: “There has to be time for research.”

Discover the Schönbrunn Group in the video: