Palais Herberstein

The Palais Herberstein, located on Sackstrasse in the Inner City district, is a former city palace in Graz.The Museum of History is located within the premises of the Universalmuseum Joanneum.

The palace, which can be found at Sackstraße 16, is situated between the Kellersperg’schen Stadthaus and the Palais Khuenburg.Later, two townhouses were combined, one of which was known as the “hub house” where the minting took place.In 1528, King Ferdinand handed over the building to Siegmund von Dietrichstein after the mint was dissolved.Georg Sigmund von Herberstein acquired it before 1581.The later owners of the property were Baron von Thurn, who acquired it in 1581, and Wilhelm von Gera, who became the owner in 1591.

Elisabeth von Schärffenberg, the heiress of Gera, sold it to Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg in 1602.After Johann Anton, his son, purchased the house adjacent to his own, both properties were transformed into city palaces for the Eggenberg family.In 1742, after the male line of the Eggenbergs had died out, the Herberstein family inherited it and came into possession of the property.Count Johann Leopold von Herberstein commissioned Josef Hueber, the most important Styrian baroque master builder, to convert the structure in the late baroque style.Heinrich Formentini created the rococo stucco and the stoves.

Since 1834, the palace has been home to Duchess Maria Karolina of Naples-Sicily, who established her art and painting collection within its premises.This sight in Graz was widely regarded as one of the greatest.She relocated to Brunnsee Castle in southern Styria as early as 1837.During the mid-19th century, the Beletage served as a venue for various events.Since 1878, the KK Regional Court, along with the jury courtroom and the land registry, has been relocated to the Palais Herberstein.In 1928, the Herberstein family transferred ownership of the palace to a prominent purchasing cooperative.The Municipality of Graz has owned Palais Herberstein since 1939.Until 2009, the Neue Galerie was located in the Universalmuseum Joanneum.The Museum im Palais was exhibited at this location from 2011 until April 2017.Since April 28, 2017, the Museum of History has been housed in the Palais Herberstein as a result of a significant reorientation. It now serves as the combined home for the cultural history collection and the multimedia collections of the Universalmuseum Joanneum.

The Palais Herberstein complex is comprised of three wings, each spanning three floors. Additionally, there are two inner courtyards that extend up to the Schloßbergfelsen.Stables for horses were carved into the rock of Graz’s Schloßberg, located at the back of the inner courtyard on the left.The building’s core dates back to the 16th century and was later enhanced with a baroque-style conversion.The two mighty portals, adorned with iron-bound gate leaves dating back to 1640, were recently constructed. In the 18th century, Josef Hueber designed a baroque frame to replace the originally simple one.The pilasters are supported by curbstones adorned with volute consoles.The buildings have a curved roof.The keystones are adorned with an elegant tendril pattern.The ground floor underwent significant changes with the addition of new business premises.The northern inner courtyard is connected to the southern courtyard through a corridor.The facade of the transverse tract is designed to serve as a display side.The attic zone features an alliance coat of arms of the Eggenberg and Herberstein families, which was created by the sculptor Johannes Piringer.There are three stone vases located above it.The façade of the inner courtyards becomes simpler as it faces the Schloßberg.

One notable aspect of Palais Herberstein is the staircase located in the central wing, which was constructed by Josef Hueber from 1754 to 1757.It can be accessed from both courtyards.The magnificent staircase in Styria is considered one of the most stunning baroque complexes.The rococo wrought iron grille is complemented by pairs of sandstone putti, which function as lantern bearers.The figures were created by Veit Königer, an artist from South Tyrol.The painter Philipp Carl Laubmann is credited with creating all of the ceiling frescoes depicting Ganymede’s ascension to Mount Olympus and the four seasons in 1756.The second floor features an oval room that is connected to the stairwell. This room also showcases a ceiling fresco created by Laubmann.

The Beletage, which is referred to as “Nobletage” here, is situated on the second floor.The state rooms are adorned with intricately carved frames on their doors.The hall of mirrors is especially noteworthy.The product is available in white and gold colors.The adjoining halls have earned the names Yellow and Red Salons due to their wallpapering.Only two stoves from Heinrich Formentini’s magnificent collection have survived: one in the Hall of Mirrors and one in the Red Salon.The chimney cabinet displays two portraits depicting pastoral scenes.The painting in the lecture hall is from the third quarter of the 18th century and portrays Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg.