Heldenplatz
Tel. 01- 5252 4484
Open: 10am- 6pm Wed- Mon
Subway: Volkstheater, Herrengasse
Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente is a Viennese museum dedicated to the music instruments. It is one of the largest and most interesting museum in Vienna as well as Europe. The collection of ancient musical instruments has the world's most important collection of Renaissance and Baroque instruments. Collection of Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente contains claviorgan that was made in 1596, the oldest known surviving example of this instrument. Other collections include music instruments from the Renaissance period and of course Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente contains pianos of famous composers like Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert.
Like many of the other imperial collections, the oldest holdings of the collection of ancient musical instruments go back to Archduke Ferdinand II Ambraser's collection. This consisted of a library and a decor and art chamber together. In addition to coins, goldsmith's work, bronzes and watches, a fine collection of musical instruments was preserved in the Kunstkammer. Much of the musical instruments were lavishly crafted dedications to the art and music-loving Tyrolean sovereign. After the death of Archduke Ferdinand II, the inventory of the Chamber of Art and Curiosities was recorded in a detailed inventory in 1596. Over the next few centuries, the Ambras collection remained in Innsbruck until the situation became dangerous during the Napoleonic Wars and the objects were finally taken to Vienna in 1806. From 1814 the collection was installed in the Lower Belvedere.
Heads of the Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente
Heinrich Klapsia, director of the collection of
old musical instruments (1939-1943)
Viktor Luithlen, Head of the
Collection of Early Musical Instruments (1943-1952), Director of the
Collection of Early Musical Instruments (1952-1966)
Bruno Thomas,
administrative director of the collection of old musical instruments
(1967-1971)
Kurt Wegerer, Director of the Collection of Early
Musical Instruments (1971-1981)
Gerhard Stradner, Director of the
Collection of Early Musical Instruments (1981-)
Rudolf Hopfner,
director of the collection of old musical instruments since 2000