Josefsplatz

The Josefsplatz is located in the first district of Vienna, the inner city, and is part of the Hofburg region.The Redoutensaal wing, the court library, and the Augustinian wing enclose the plaza named for Emperor Joseph II on three sides.The Palais Pallavicini is formed by the northeast border.

Josefsplatz is centered around a full-sized equestrian statue and monument of Emperor Joseph II, constructed between 1795 and 1807 by sculptor Franz Anton von Zauner.The statue was commissioned by Emperor Francis II, who had been nurtured under the care of his uncle, Joseph II, since the age of 16. It was modeled after the Marcus Aurelius statue on Capitoline Hill in Rome.The portrayal of Joseph II as a Roman conqueror with a toga and a laurel wreath recalls the Habsburg conviction that they were descended from ancient Roman rulers.

Sections of the Hofburg Palace surround the area on three sides. The Prunksaal (State Hall), the principal component of the Austrian National Library, which is part of the Hofburg Palace complex, faces Augustinerstrasse and is a magnificent example of late baroque construction on a vast scale. The structure was planned by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and his son Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, with Nikolaus Pacassi subsequently adding side wings to the plans. In addition to serving as a library, the structure was intended as a performance hall with excellent acoustics. The zoological collection was totally destroyed by cannon fire during the 1848 struggle for Vienna, causing severe damage to the library museum.

The Augustinian wing of the Austrian National Library and the Augustinian Church, the oldest structure on the plaza, are to the left of the Prunksaal. The Redoutensäle (Redoubt Hall), which was erected to the Hofburg complex between 1744 and 1748, lies to the right of the Prunksaal and faces the Augustinian Church.In 1992, a fire severely destroyed the Redoutensäle.

The historic Imperial Stables, which formerly housed over nine hundred Lipizzaner horses, can be found in the northwest part of the plaza. The Stallburg, built in the sixteenth century for Archduke Maximillian, hosted Archduke Leopold Wilhelm’s art collection from 1614 and 1662. The structure was eventually turned into stables for the Hofburg, with a wide courtyard surrounded by arcades on three stories and massive chimneys.The Stallburg now houses the Spanish Riding School as well as the Lipizzaner Museum.

Two palaces stand across from the plaza. Ferdinand von Hohenberg designed the Pallavicini Palace at number 5, which was finished in 1784 and is a combination of baroque and neo-classical styles. Palffy Palace was constructed in the sixteenth century.

Josefsplatz was chosen as the design for an Austrian euro collectors’ coin: the 5 euro Austrian 2006 EU Presidency commemorative coin, which was released on January 18, 2006. The Hofburg Palace is depicted on the square on the reverse. In the middle stands an equestrian statue of Emperor Joseph II. To the right is the Hofburg wing, which houses the Spanish Riding School and the Redoutensäle. Josefsplatz was featured prominently in the 1949 film The Third Man.