Austrian Theatre Museum

The Austrian Theatre Museum is a federal museum of national theatre history located in Vienna, Austria. It holds one of the largest and most significant collections in the theatrical field, comprising over 2,000,000 separate objects that document the history and diversity of the performing arts. Since 1991, the museum has been situated in the Palais Lobkowitz, a historic Viennese palace that provides an appropriate and elegant setting for the exhibition of its extensive holdings.

The museum has its origins in the theatre-related collections of the Austrian National Library, which date back to the late 17th century. In 1922, these theatrical collections were established as a separate organization under the directorship of Joseph Gregor. That same year, a spectacular exhibition of library holdings prompted the gift of the enormous private theatre collection of Hugo Thimig, the director of the Burgtheater, significantly expanding the archive. In 1938, Stefan Zweig bequeathed his collection of poets' and playwrights' autographs to the museum before fleeing the Nazis. The idea for a dedicated theatre museum was advanced in the 1930s, but it was not realized until 1975, when the Austrian Theatre Museum was founded in the Hanuschhof next to the Vienna State Opera. Its primary function was to organize exhibitions of the National Library material. The space soon proved inadequate, leading the Austrian government to acquire and renovate Palais Lobkowitz. The museum opened in its new location on 26 October 1991, combining the National Library theater collections with the museum's assets. In 2001, the museum ceased to be part of the Austrian National Library and became part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. On 1 September 2014, the assets of the Wiener Staatsopernmuseum, founded in 2005, were incorporated into the Theatermuseum's holdings.

The museum's holdings aim to capture the entire diversity of theatrical objects, extending beyond printed and archival items. The collection encompasses more than 1,000 stage models, 600 costumes and props from three centuries, over 100,000 drawings and prints, and more than 700,000 theater photographs. The institution also maintains a specialized academic library containing approximately 100,000 books, periodicals, stage manuscripts, and playbills. Unlike the rest of the collections, the library technically remains the property of the Austrian National Library, on permanent loan to the Theatre Museum and searchable through the National Library catalog. The archive preserves notable estates, including that of Hermann Bahr and Anna Bahr-Mildenburg, the largest collection of Viennese Modernism in Austria, as well as relevant holdings from Alfred Roller, Max Reinhardt, Heinrich Schnitzler, Hugo Thimig, and Stefan Zweig.

Among the most unusual treasures of the museum are the elaborate stick puppets of the Jugendstil artist Richard Teschner, including his Figurenspiegel, a concave mirror with light effects, which are displayed in a special room dedicated to his work. The museum also holds the bequest of writer Hermann Bahr, a major legacy of Viennese Modernism, and the eminent collection of poets' and playwrights' autographs bequeathed by Stefan Zweig. The integration of the Wiener Staatsopernmuseum assets in 2014 further enriched the institution's specialized holdings in opera history.

The museum is housed in the Palais Lobkowitz in Vienna. A notable architectural feature of the building is the Eroica Hall, a grand concert hall named after Beethoven's Third Symphony. The symphony was dedicated to the composer's patron and owner of the palace, Franz Joseph Maximilian Prince Lobkowitz. Beethoven was a frequent guest at the palace, and many of his compositions were performed within its rooms.

The Austrian Theatre Museum is located in Vienna, Austria, at the Palais Lobkowitz. Organizationally, the museum is part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien. It operates as a federal museum, continuing its role in presenting the history of national theatre through its permanent displays and temporary exhibitions, such as the 2015 exhibitions on Heinz Zednik and Hermann Nitsch, and the 2024 exhibition Staging Hofmannsthal.