History

In 1747, Maria Theresia appointed the first court property inspector and charged him with inventorying, caring for and transporting the court’s furniture.

In 1809, the service was renamed court furniture directorate and charged with acquiring new imperial furniture under Emperor Francis II/I.

In 1901, a central depot including workshops and a coach house, known as K.K. Hofmobiliendepot, was set up at Mariahilfer Straße 88 to hold temporarily unused furniture and fittings.

In 1919/20, the stock of imperial furniture passed into the ownership of the Republic of Austria.

In 1924, the renamed Bundesmobiliendepot set up its first showrooms, to serve as a store for models and type collections for various artisans, which was also opened to the general public.

In 1998, after five years of remodelling and rearranging the showrooms, the imperial furniture collection was reopened under the brand of Hofmobiliendepot – Möbel Museum Wien, presenting not just relics of the imperial home style but also serving as a living museum of the history of furniture in Vienna, with a collection which is constantly enlarged and expanded.

Today‘s Bundesmobilienverwaltung continues to have essentially the same responsibilities it had 270 years ago, but now has the tools of the digital age at its disposal.

Contact

Bundesmobilienverwaltung: bundes@mobilienverwaltung.at