Mozart Residence

The Mozarts lived at the so-called “Dance Master’s House” on today’s Makartplatz from 1773 until 1787. The museum has taken over the huge eight-room flat on the first level.

This home at No. 8 Makartplatz may be traced back to 1617. It really comprised of two structures until 1685. It was initially referred to as the “Dance Master’s House” in 1713: since 1711, a certain Lorenz Spöckner had been teaching dance lessons to the nobles in preparation for life at court.

The Mozarts, who were friends with the Spöckners, moved into their flat in 1773, shortly after their third trip to Vienna. The house on Getreidegasse, where Mozart was born, had simply become too tiny for the family and social events. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart resided in Makartplatz until 1781, when he relocated to Vienna. His mother died in 1778, and his sister Nannerl married and moved to St. Gilgen in 1784. The father lived alone in the flat at first, then with his grandson Leopold Alois Pantaleon, who had been given to his care, beginning in 1785.

The home changed hands multiple times after Leopold Mozart died on May 28, 1787. An air strike on October 16, 1944, destroyed two-thirds of the structure. In 1955, the International Mozart Foundation purchased the section that had survived. On the location of the ruins, an office building was built, which the Foundation also purchased in 1989. The Mozart Residence was rebuilt according to the original construction designs after it was dismantled.

The reopening of the Mozart Residence took place on January 26, 1996. In addition to Mozart’s pianoforte, the museum houses numerous authentic papers and photographs. The museum contains a wealth of information on the house’s history, Mozart’s Salzburg years, and the Mozart family’s existence. A multi-vision presentation, changing exhibitions, performances, and discussions provide a rich and diversified Mozart experience.