Museums in Klagenfurt
With so many galleries, museums, and private businesses, Klagenfurt boasts a thriving artistic environment. Centrally housed at the Burghof, the Carinthian Museum of Modern Art (MMKK) distinguishes itself with its permanent displays including well-known artists from the Alps-Adriatic region and changing events stressing international artists.
Showcasing a fast succession of highlights and media, the Stadtgalerie and the Alpen-Adria-Galerie help to contribute to the dynamic art scene of Klagenfurt Paintings, sculptures, photos, fashion, design, and new media are among the several art styles these galleries display. Young artists find a stage in the Stadtgalerie’s living studio, which grants free entrance apart from the main gallery.
A key part of Klagenfurt’s art scene, private galleries and art venues link local cultural expressions with global markets. Featuring well-known worldwide artists, Galerie 3, located in the city center, is crucial in presenting newly discovered local artists to the world scene. Situated in the Künstlerhaus in the Goethepark, the Kunstverein Kärnten art organization provides a venue for several events, promotes modern art and challenges the commercialization of art in different areas.
Located in the middle of the city, Galerie 3 plays a major role in advancing up-and-coming local artists abroad. It also provides a stage for presenting the creations of eminent foreign artists living in Klagenfurt.
Notable on its own right is the Kunstverein Kärnten art association, housed in the Künstlerhaus in Goethepark. It presents several shows that help to explore the relevance of modern art. The association presents itself as a reaction against the commercialization of art, giving a forum for the assembly and sharing of ideas.
Housed in a historic structure, Kollitsch enhances the depth of the artistic scene in Klagenfurt. Viewers can investigate a wide spectrum of modern art including many media, techniques, and subjects. The well chosen pieces of internationally known artists are shown in a way that captures the essence of the times, therefore adding to the cultural vitality of the city.
State Museum of Carinthia
Known by most as the “Rudolfinum,” the Carinthian State Museum is the biggest museum in Klagenfurt and the state of Carinthia. Celebrated as a major scientific establishment, it has a publishing firm, a state library, and a scientific staff with speciality in The extensive displays of the museum span archaeology, art, history, folklore, botany, biology, geology, mineralogy, and a particularly noteworthy collection of musical instruments. Features of note are the mining museum and the botanical park.
Established in 1844, the History Association for Carinthia developed the Provincial Museum by means of scientific study, library building, cultural exhibition organization in the country home in Klagenfurt. The Natural Science Association then built a Natural History Museum in 1848, which merged displays with the country home in 1861.
Growing collections of both groups required a new structure, which led to the founding of a commission in 1877. Designed by architect Gustav Gugitz, the building started in 1879 and was supported via an interest-free loan from the Carinthian Sparkasse. Designed in neo-Renaissance style and looking like a palace, the museum was formally opened on July 10, 1884, and became known as “Rudolfinum” since Crown Prince Rudolf helped lay the keystone.
Folklore collections of the Carinthian people were added to the museum post-1922, and this helped the museum to be reopened in 1925 as the “Carinthian Local History Museum.” The Second World War seriously damaged the edifice. Supported by governmental money, post-war reconstruction projects helped to bring back scientific and cultural exhibits. By means of contractual agreements, the state of Carinthia gained responsibility over the building, scientific personnel, and collections, therefore formalizing the ongoing operations of the associations.
Bergbaumuseum Klagenfurt
Comprising a 500-meter-long tunnel near Kreuzbergl, the 500-meter Mining Museum in Klagenfurt provides a thorough study of Carinthian mining history over a large 3000 m² exhibition space. Originally opened in 1973 from a World War II air raid shelter, the museum boasts a mint, precious metal, and mineral collection. Financial restrictions caused it to close in 2015, nonetheless; its reopening is yet unknown.
The museum’s history begins in 1942 when the tunnel—originally used as an air raid shelter—saw several use including a radio station and a mushroom farmer’s enterprise. Driven by Franz Müller’s love of mineralogy, the late 1960s saw the conception of turning the tunnel into a museum. Supported by local mining industries, Carinthian regional politics, the city of Klagenfurt, and the Natural Science Association for Carinthia, the subterensive museum formally opened in 1973.
Financial and organizational difficulties spurred discussions for the museum’s 1975 sale to the city of Klagenfurt. After finally selling some of his collection in 1977, the city ran the Mining Museum as a public venue. Founder Franz Müller died in 1989.
But citing annual expenses of €500,000 against income of only €18,000, financial considerations drove the city to close the museum in 2015. The city senate made the decision in March 2020 to permanently loan the museum exhibits to the Carinthian State Museum Beginning in 2023, the new Mining Museum in Bad Bleiberg will show a variety of artifacts together with more items kept in a mining history archive.
Comprising about 3000 m², the display area of the Klagenfurt Mining Museum had a large entry hall known as the “Felsenhalle,” which hosted changing special exhibits. Three topic areas comprised the museum: fossils, mineralogy connected to Carinthian mining, and mining history of Carinthia. Emphasizing the social rather than technical aspects of mining history, the study of miners’ life and their cultural influence on Carinthia over time highlighted
Particularly stressing minerals from the Bleiberg/Kreuth mine, Hüttenberg, Waitschach, Saualpe, Koralpe, and the Waldenstein area, the museum presented a varied spectrum of displays in mineralogy. There were almost three hundred mineral species in the collection, including the Bleiberg shell marble and the well-known wulfenite crystals. Visitors could also go through material on different garnets, magnesite mining, and iron mica.
Exhibiting fossils spanning 500 million years of Earth’s history, the paleontology department included a reproduction of the mummified glacier body found in the Ötztal Alps, commonly known as “Ötzi.” The thorough coverage of Carinthian mining history, mineralogy, and paleontology highlighted the museum’s importance in conserving and displaying the rich geological and cultural legacy of the area.
Stadtgalerie Klagenfurt
Established in 1996 within the former infirmary, the avant-garde Stadtgalerie Klagenfurt has positioned itself as highlighting classical and modern art. Notable for its focus on international modernism, the gallery has become well-known for presenting shows including works by eminent artists including Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka, Morandi, Feininger, Man Ray, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Paul Klee, Daniel Spoerri, Jean Tinguely, Meret Oppenheim, and Max Ernst.
Situated at Theatregasse 4, 9020 Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, the gallery features well chosen works from traditional worldwide modernism. This covers works by legendary artists such Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Egon Schiele, and Andy Warhol. Especially, the institution transcends the well-known personalities and also showcases European rising artists as Jim Avignon, Marie-Claire Baldenweg, and Katrin Bremermann.
The Stadtgalerie Klagenfurt sets itself out with its dedication to thematic presentations. One prominent example offers a complex view of the cultural scene of the year 1900 by exploring the art metropolis Vienna. Another important event in the history of the gallery is “The Birth of Modernity” in the domain of Japanese Woodcuts, an outstanding display held in 2000.
The gallery, being a vibrant cultural center, is essential for not only maintaining the history of classical modernism but also for giving modern artists a stage to present their work. Together with its thematic shows, the avant-garde attitude of the establishment adds to the cultural vitality of Klagenfurt, therefore attracting art lovers and people looking to interact with all sides of the art scene.
Museum of Modern Art
Previously the Carinthian State Gallery, the historic Klagenfurt Castle houses the Museum of Modern Art Carinthia (MMKK), situated in Klagenfurt, Austria. Comprising over 1000 square meters, the museum is devoted to presenting modern and contemporary art.
MMKK’s main goals are those of collecting, preserving, researching, documenting, and supporting modern and contemporary fine art. Notable for its varied collection, the museum presents artist positions from several countries, regions, and the global art scene. Both individual and themed events help to achieve this by stressing a wide range of artistic expressions.
One unique element of MMKK is the use of the castle chapel, which features frescoes by eminent Carinthian Baroque artist Josef Ferdinand Fromiller. With possibilities for projects and installations, the chapel provides a vibrant venue for artists.
MMKK’s main concentration is on the archives reflecting Carinthia’s state. Prominent 20th and 21st century artists including Hans Bischoffshausen, Kiki Kogelnik, Maria Lassnig, Hermann Nitsch, Arnulf Rainer, Hans Staudacher, as well as younger generation representatives like Heimo Zobernig and Hans Schabus are included in these collections.
Nestled at Burggasse 8, 9020 Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, MMKK is essential in the cultural scene of Klagenfurt since it offers a stage for the exhibition and study of modern and contemporary art. Together with its interaction with both renowned and new artists, the museum’s dedication to many artistic expressions helps to define the cultural vitality of the area and supports its role as a center of artistic appreciation and discussion.
Koschat Museum in Klagenfurt
Dedicated to the eminent Carinthian composer and poet, Thomas Koschat, the Koschat Museum in Klagenfurt is Born in Viktring, a neighborhood of Klagenfurt, in 1845 and dying in Vienna, Koschat is the forerunner of the Carinthian folk song tradition. His significant contributions are still felt now; his songs are still often sung and popular.
Located at Viktringer Ring 17, the museum—opened in 1955 by the Koschat Association—stands in the composer’s birthplace. Managing the museum, the Koschat Association is a cultural entity dedicated to upholding and advancing Koschat’s legacy. Visitors find a variety of personal relics, pictures, papers, and musical instruments previously belonging to Koschat within its walls. The museum also features a library, an archive, and a special music area where guests may sink themselves into Koschat’s songs and learn about his life and career.
Open Tuesdays from 10:00 to 12:00, the museum invites the public with free admission however donations are highly valued. Apart from being a fixed repository, the museum functions as a cultural center holding regular events including shows with local and foreign artists. This dynamic component improves the museum’s significance as a major cultural institution by drawing people eager to learn Carinthian music and culture. Fundamentally, the Koschat Museum provides a thorough and immersive experience for individuals interested in the life and work of Thomas Koschat, therefore paying a suitable respect to one of Carinthia’s most important personalities.
Robert Musil Literature Museum
Dedicated to the life and literary accomplishments of eminent Austrian writer and modernist novelist Robert Musil, the Robert Musil Literary Museum is Born in Klagenfurt, the capital of Carinthia, and died in Geneva in 1942, Musil’s most well-known work is the incomplete masterwork, “The Man Without Qualities.” This sophisticated and adventurous book explores the moral and intellectual dilemma of the Austro-Hungarian Empire before World War One.
Built in 1867 and owned by Klagenfurt city, the house of Musil’s birth at Bahnhofstraße 50 stood vacant until repairs enabled by the Musil Institute realized in 1997. Under the direction of the cultural department of Klagenfurt city, the Musil Institute, which is affiliated with the University of Klagenfurt, remains indispensable to the activities of the museum.
The museum functions as a complete archive with permanent displays honoring two other eminent Carinthian authors in addition to Musil: Christine Lavant and Ingeborg Bachmann. These displays highlight a variety of personal items, pictures, documents, and musical instruments the writers own. Using interactive technology and audiovisual projects, the museum offers an immersive encounter. The museum’s multifarious approach also includes an archive, library, and music room so that guests may interact with the songs and poems of the featured writers. Frequent events include local and international performers improve the cultural life of the museum.
Open Monday through Friday, from 10:00 to 17:00, the museum grants free entrance with a donate-option available. Schools and organizations among other audiences are catered for by guided tours, workshops, and instructional events. For those who enjoy literature, history, and culture, a visit to the Robert Musil Literature Museum becomes an intriguing experience honoring one of the most important writers of the 20th century.
Gustav Mahler Composing House
Small museum and tribute to the classical composer Gustav Mahler (1860–1911), the Gustav Mahler Composing Hut is housed in Maiernigg, next to Maria Wörth, Carinthia, Austria. While Mahler was director and conductor of Vienna’s royal opera, he sought solace in the hut for musical composition between 1900 and 1907.
Originally built by Friedrich Theuer in 1900–1901, the Study auf dem Kogel gave Mahler a useful refuge for writing. Under time restrictions in Vienna, Mahler turned to Maiernigg to finish important works including portions of his 8th, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Symphonies.
Originally identified as a cultural heritage site in 1981, the Gustav Mahler Society of Klagenfurt renovated the compositional hut in 1985. On July 7, 1986, it opened formally as a museum. Originally run by the Gustav Mahler Society, the city of Klagenfurt currently looks after it following its expansion in 2016.
From its establishment, the museum has a permanent exhibition of visual items including pictures, original sheet music, postcards, letters, and Mahler’s death certificate in a dedicated display cabinet. The space is graced by a bronze bust of the composer, so fostering a memorial environment. Additionally accessible on the grounds is a small library for visitors.
The chance to listen to Mahler’s music via loudspeakers both inside and outside the hut adds enrichment to the encounter. Since the restoration in 2016, artistic expressions around the hut have been allowed, therefore enhancing the guests’ involvement.
After his daughter Maria passed away in 1907, Mahler’s relationship to Maiernigg broke down. Following this sad tragedy, he departed his holiday house and stayed the remainder vacation in Schluderbach, South Tyrol, still under Austria at the time.
Though the Gustav Mahler Society of Klagenfurt was dissolved, the city now supervises the upkeep of the composing hut therefore guaranteeing its accessibility and preservation for individuals interested in the life and works of Gustav Mahler. The hut is still a cultural and historical monument to the creative hideaway of one of the most eminent classical music composers.
Eboardmuseum
Prominent display of electronic keyboard instruments, the Eboardmuseum in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria, charts the development from the 1935 Hammond Model A to modern synthesizers like the Moog Minimoog Voyager. Originally created in 1987 by Gert Prix, a math teacher, musician, and engineer, the museum relocated to the Klagenfurt exhibition center in 2007 and became known as the biggest electronic keyboard museum worldwide and was awarded the Austrian Museum Seal of Approval in 2010.
Covering 2,000 m², the Eboardmuseum boasts about 2,000 exhibits with a varied collection including original works from world-class artists including Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, and Tangerine Dream, together with prototypes and unusual instruments. Additionally on exhibit are instruments from German-speaking stars like Udo Jürgens and Wolfgang Ambros.
The interactive element of the museum—which lets guests play the instruments under guided tours—sets it apart. Professional artists and music lovers all around are drawn to this special hands-on experience, which helps to establish international sample libraries.
The library of the museum includes popular music and culture in addition to literature on electronic music with an eye toward keyboards. Designed for both musicians and non-musicians, guided tours offer an interesting trip into the world of music, therefore making this a family-friendly place.
Especially, the Eboardmuseum conducts around fifty live events annually, which creates a small environment evocative of a living room. Notwithstanding its small capacity, the venue has drawn internationally known artists such Brian Auger, Ian Paice, and Carl Palmer. The event room of the museum has seen presentations by a wide spectrum of artists, so appealing to musicians looking for a different and unusual location.
Lendcanaltramway
Originally founded in 1976 in Europapark in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, the Verein Nostalgiebahnen in Kärnten (NBiK) runs the Museumtramway Klagenfurt See. The main goal was to establish a tram vehicle demonstration path, which resulted in the 40 carriages from different European tram operators assembling in 1975. By the summer of 1976 the 750-meter-long line with four stations and a four-track depot area was finished.
Starting in 1977, horse-powered operations used closed trailers from the former Innsbruck tram line 4 and the Haflinger “Max” on summer weekends. But problems surfaced, especially with a rebuilt summer carriage from the previous Klagenfurt tramway having problems in the small “Lendbogen” because of its long wheelbase, which resulted in sporadic use following several derailments.
Re-gauzed shunting tractor from former St. Pölten tram running on VW engine Stationed near the beginning of the line on the Lend Canal, a food truck (“Zur Tramway”) had the terminus displaying an exhibition on local public transport (PNV) in Klagenfurt.
Factors like the secluded location and hefty expenses limited operational results. As such, late 1980s horse-drawn activities were replaced with an electric accumulator train. The workshop of the organization converted the shunting tractor into an accumulator railcar (No. 25) with seats, therefore allowing more economical tram operations.
Separating from the Carinthian Museum Railways (KMB), tramway operations were moved to the NBiK company in 1990. Adjacent to the “Lendcanal” station, the abandoned ORF – medium wave transmitter “See” staged a noteworthy exhibition on public transportation in Klagenfurt and Wörthersee in 2006 titled “Klagenfurt once – A journey through time in pictures”.
Additional ideas included a garden train and museum development, which resulted in the special exhibition “With the Tramway to the Beginnings of Cinema” in 2007 producing the Klagenfurt Cinema Museum from a Initiated in autumn 2008 with the first section of track and historic tram from 1891, the “Seetramway” initiative sought to spread museum trams to the Europapark area. Though a vote in principle by the Klagenfurt city senate, proposals for development were disallowed in 2008 due to financial concerns. Emphasizing the ongoing efforts to conserve and exhibit historical tram cars in the region, the NBiK organization decided in 2018 to let Klagenfurt trams travel between the Ferlacher Technikmuseum Historama and the Ferlacher Bahnhof.
Planetarium Klagenfurt
The second-largest planetarium in Austria, the Planetarium Klagenfurt, had an upgrade in 2015 including an upgraded 8K star projector. Nestled on the Lend Canal, it provides immersive “heavenly insights” for guests by acting as a multimedia center for education, leisure, and culture. The facility uses optical precision gadgets and effect projectors to create an artificial starry sky together with a strong sound system to improve the whole experience.
Beyond conventional astronomy, the planetarium’s 8K definition—also known as Full Ultra HD—showcases high-resolution moving images on the dome that let viewers easily travel throughout space and discover Earth. The program covers natural science-oriented programs meant for adults as well as children. Especially, the show “To Space and Back” launches viewers from Klagenfurt onto the far reaches of the galaxy.
Nestled close to Europapark entertainment complex with Carinthia’s largest children’s playground, Minimundus miniature world on Lake Wörthersee, and Happ Reptile Zoo, the planetarium becomes part of a more general investigation of attractions in the area.
For those driven to learn more, Villacher Straße 239 is the planetarium’s address. One can establish communication by email at planetarium@topgroup.at or by phone at +43 (0)563 21700.
Maria Saal Open-Air Museum
Founded in 1974, the Maria Saal Open-Air Museum is Austria’s first museum of its sort located in the historically important town of Maria Saal. A major Middle Ages ecclesiastical and cultural center, this town contained both a Benedictine monastery and the palace of the Bishop of Carinthia. Covering around 7 hectares, the museum displays 38 original structures moved from various parts of Carinthia. From peasant homes and farms to mills and factories, these buildings brilliantly highlight the rich legacy of Carinthia’s rural society. The way the museum presents the past also covers gardens, fences, and animal enclosures, thereby reproducing the natural surroundings of bygone years.
Key Highlights:
St. Peter’s House (16th century): Originally Maria Saal’s parish priest’s house, St. Peter’s House (16th century) is the oldest construction in the museum. It features a chapel, library, and body of religious artwork.
Göriach House (18th century): Representing a rich farmhouse from Upper Carinthia, Göriach House (18th century) is the biggest and most striking construction. Its large living room, kitchen, cellar, barn, stable, and unusual roof design letting rainwater run into a cistern.
Floder Mill (19th century): Designed to exhibit creative use of water resources in mountainous regions, a water-powered mill from the 19th century combines grinding of grain with wood sawing.
Kalkofen (18th century): Kalkofen (18th century): Showing traditional technology, a lime kiln indispensable for manufacturing lime in Carinthia for agricultural and construction uses.
Brückenwaage (19th century): Brückenwaage (19th century) highlights the importance of trade and industry in Carinthia’s past by being a bridge scale used for road-based vehicle and cargo weighting.
