State Museum of Carinthia

The Carinthian State Museum, also known as the “Rudolfinum,” holds the distinction of being the largest museum in both the city of Klagenfurt and the state of Carinthia.The institution is considered an important scientific institution due to its state library, scientific staff, and publishing house. The museum showcases a diverse range of exhibitions that feature collections from various fields including archaeology, art, history, folklore, botany, zoology, geology, and mineralogy.The museum also features a collection of musical instruments on display.The State Museum has been closed since 2017 due to ongoing renovation work.The Carinthian State Museum comprises the botanical garden and the mining museum.

The founding of the History Association for Carinthia in 1844 is also recognized as the year when the Provincial Museum was established.The association not only conducted scientific research and built a library but also organized cultural and historical exhibits at the Klagenfurt country house.The Natural Science Association was founded four years later, and it established a Natural History Museum on Kardinalplatz.The exhibits were also located in the country house starting in 1861.

Due to the ever-expanding collections of both institutions, space became a pressing issue. As a result, a commission was established in 1877 to address the need for a new building.The foundation stone for the new building was laid on April 24, 1879. The construction was carried out based on the designs created by Gustav Gugitz, an architect from Klagenfurt. The project was financed through an interest-free loan provided by the Carinthian Sparkasse.The museum building, designed in the neo-Renaissance style reminiscent of a palace, was officially opened on July 10, 1884.The museum is also known as the “Rudolfinum” because Crown Prince Rudolf laid the keystone in the staircase.

After 1922, the members of the Carinthian community were included in the folklore collections of the historical association.The museum was re-established in 1925 and has since been known as the “Carinthian Local History Museum”.The building suffered extensive damage from bombs during the Second World War.During the post-war period, the city underwent reconstruction using state funds, which included the restoration of cultural and scientific exhibitions.The state of Carinthia took control of both the building and the scientific staff. The collections were then transferred to the state of Carinthia through contractual agreements. These agreements were put in place to regulate the ongoing existence and activities of the associations.