The Vienna Arsenal – from Hall of Fame of the Austrian army to

The Vienna Arsenal –
from Hall of Fame of
the Austrian army to
centre of the sciences
The decoration of the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum
(Museum of Military History) in the Arsenal, a complex
originally built as a fortification, still hints at the
‘glorious victories’ of the Imperial-Royal Army.
The revolution of 1848 had clearly demonstrated that the old
defence strategies for the city were obsolete. The storming of
the Zeughaus (Armoury) on 7 October provided the final
impetus for realizing plans that had been developed under
Franz II (I) to centralize arms production.
Subsequently a complex of red-brick buildings in RomanticHistoricist style displaying Italianate, Byzantine and medieval
elements was erected between 1849 and 1856 on a site near
the present-day Southern Railway Terminus in Vienna’s third
district. The Arsenal was thus the first of three complexes
forming a triangle of fortifications intended to replace the old
city walls; it was followed by the Rossau Barracks and the no
longer extant Franz Joseph Barracks on Stubenring. The laying
of the final stone was accomplished at a ceremony attended by
Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth on 8 May 1856.
However, the purpose of this edifice went beyond purely
practical concerns: it was also constructed to provide an
impressive complex for the imperial capital. The central building
in the complex was a museum showcasing the fame of the
Imperial Army, the entrance hall to which was lined with 56 lifesize marble figures of prominent generals. Theophil Hansen
was commissioned to design the building, and Franz Joseph
himself influenced the design of the interiors. The decoration
emphasizes the renown of the army: the ceiling painting in the
Hall of Fame on the first floor shows scenes from military
victories of the past, while the galleries displayed countless
trophies from victorious campaigns. The Imperial and Royal
Army Museum was opened by Emperor Franz Joseph on 21
May 1891.
In the Second World War many of the buildings in the Arsenal
complex were badly damaged, including the museum, which
was however rapidly rebuilt, reopening as the
Heeresgeschichtliches Museum in 1955. Other buildings in the
complex were also rebuilt and a number of new buildings
erected. Currently there are plans to establish a centre for the
sciences in this historical military complex.
Author
Sonja Schmöckel
Literature
Klingenstein, Eva: Ein k. (u.) k. Symbol nationaler Identität. Das
Freskenprogramm im Waffenmuseum des Wiener Arsenals, Wien
1996 (ungedruckte Diplomarbeit der Universität Wien);
Krumpöck, Ilse: Die Bildwerke im Heeresgeschichtlichen Museum,
Wien 2004;
Rauchensteiner, Manfried (u. a.): Das Heeresgeschichtliche
Museums in Wien, o. O. 2000;
Rauchensteiner, Manfried: Phönix aus der Asche. Zerstörung und
Wiederaufbau des Heeresgeschichtlichen Museums 1944 bis
1955, Begleitband zur Sonderausstellung des
Heeresgeschichtlichen Museums, 21.6.–30.10.2005, Wien 2005;
Strobl, Alice: Das k. k. Waffenmuseum im Arsenal, Wien 1961
(Schriften des Heeresgeschichtlichen Museums in Wien 1);