Salzburg Museum

The Salzburg Museum is the principal museum of artistic and cultural history for the city and region of Salzburg, Austria. Founded in 1834 as a small collection of military memorabilia commemorating the Napoleonic Wars, it has evolved into a major cultural institution now housed in the Neue Residenz, to which it moved in 2005. The museum was previously known as the Museum Carolino-Augusteum and also originated as the Provincialmuseum. It received the European Museum of the Year Award in 200, and its organisational structure today encompasses several specialised museums including the Panorama Museum, Fortress Museum, Folk Culture Museum, Cathedral Excavation Museum, Toy Museum, and since 2012 the Celtic Museum Hallein.

The museum was founded in 1834 when Vinzenz Maria Süß established the Städtisches Arsenal, a collection of weapons, books, documents, coins, and minerals made accessible to the general public in 1835 through the support of Kreishauptmann Albert Graf Montecuccoli and Salzburger Bürgermeister Alois Lergetporer. Initially located in the former municipal grain magazine on the Unterer Gries (today Franz-Josef-Kai 17), the institution operated entirely on citizen donations until 1844. Karl Aberle served as cofounder. After the Revolution of 1848, the collection became the official town museum of Salzburg. In 1849 the city of Salzburg took over the museum, and from 1850 it was named the Salzburger Museum Carolino-Augusteum after Caroline Auguste, widow of Emperor Franz I, who became its patron. The museum expanded to include historical, art, and natural history departments, though it suffered from chronic space shortages. Director Jost Schiffmann oversaw a popular romantic redesign from 1870 to 1881. During the 20th century, natural history objects were transferred to the Haus der Natur Salzburg in 1923, and the folk culture collection opened a branch at the Monatsschlössl in Hellbrunn Palace park in 1924. World War II brought devastating damage: the museum building was hit three times by bombs, with the third attack in 1944 largely destroying the structure. Most collections had been evacuated to 16 bunker locations including the Hallein salt mine, but many immovable treasures were lost. The Sattler Panorama and the Marientympanon from the Romanesque cathedral were recovered from the rubble, though a significant portion of the gold coin collection disappeared during American occupation of the Hallein mine. Post-war years saw the museum operating from temporary locations including the Altes Borromäum and the Hoher Stock of the fortress, with a provisional new building opened in 1967 by director Kurt Willvonseder. Decades of debate about a permanent location followed, with proposals including Hohensalzburg Fortress, Schloss Mirabell, and a Hans Hollein design for the Mönchsberg. Finally, in 1997, Landeshauptmann Franz Schausberger secured political agreement for the Neue Residenz. The museum reopened there in 2005. In 2009 it received the European Museum of the Year Award. The main building is currently closed for renovations and expansion, scheduled to reopen in 2026 when it will also house the upcoming Belvedere Salzburg in cooperation with the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere. A new building at the historic Orangery of Mirabell Palace will open in 2025 to house the Sattler Panorama. Between March 2024 and 2026, the museum presents guest exhibitions in various Salzburg institutions.

The Salzburg Museum's collections span the artistic and cultural history of Salzburg city and region. Its holdings include significant musical, artistic, and archaeological materials. The collections feature furniture from Anif Palace, the earliest known example of a bass clarinet, and the original manuscript of the Missa Salisburgensis à 53 voci. The museum also preserves the Mohr arrangement of Silent Night from approximately 1820. Archaeological holdings include the Hohensalzburg head, a first-century Celtic marble head. The French Wikipedia additionally notes sculptures by the Master of Irrsdorf. The museum's organisational reach extends through its subsidiary institutions: the Domgrabungsmuseum (opened 1974), the Spielzeugmuseum or Toy Museum ( opened 1978), the Festungsmuseum or Fortress Museum (redeveloped and opened 2000), and since 2012 the Keltenmuseum Hallein or Celtic Museum Hallein.

Among the museum's signature works are several objects of exceptional historical and cultural significance. The Mohr arrangement of Silent Night, dating from around 1820, represents an important document of one of the world's most widely performed Christmas carols, composed in the Salzburg region. The original manuscript of the Missa Salisburgensis à 53 voci stands as a major musical artifact. The earliest known example of a bass clarinet in the collection marks a significant milestone in the history of musical instrument development. From Anif Palace comes a notable collection of furniture. The Hohensalzburg head, a first-century Celtic marble head, represents an important archaeological find from the region's ancient past. The Sattler Panorama, a major panoramic painting that survived the 1944 bombing and was recovered from the rubble, will be housed in a new dedicated building at the Mirabell Palace Orangery from 2025.

The Salzburg Museum is headquartered in the Neue Residenz, a move completed in 2005 after decades of debate about the most appropriate permanent location for the institution. The Neue Residenz had previously been known as the Carolino Augusteum. This relocation from the museum's long-time provisional home represented the culmination of planning initiated under Landeshauptmann Hans Katschthaler and brought to fruition by Franz Schausberger. The main building is currently undergoing renovations and expansion, with reopening scheduled for 2026. At that time it will also accommodate the Belvedere Salzburg, developed in cooperation with the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere. Additionally, a new building at the historic Orangery of Mirabell Palace is being prepared to open in 2025, which will become the new home of the Sattler Panorama. During the closure of the main house from March 2024 to 2026, the museum maintains its public presence through guest exhibitions in various Salzburg institutions.

The Salzburg Museum's main location and administration are at the Neue Residenz in Salzburg, Austria. The museum operates as a public institution owned by the city and region, with its website at www.salzburgmuseum.at. Visitors should note that the main building at Neue Residenz is currently closed for renovations and expansion until 2026. During this period, the museum continues to offer programming through temporary exhibitions at various Salzburg institutions. The museum also maintains several branch locations that remain accessible: these include the Panorama Museum, Fortress Museum, Folk Culture Museum, Cathedral Excavation Museum, Toy Museum, and since 2012 the Celtic Museum Hallein. From 2025, visitors will be able to view the Sattler Panorama at its new dedicated building in the historic Orangery of Mirabell Palace.