While I was in Vienna, I was coincidentally reading a book about the Arctic Expedition of Julius von Payer. He was an explorer from Austria-Hungary, and led an expedition in the 1870s, which led to the discovery of Franz Joseph Land. He was also a painter, and produced various paintings with this expedition as subject material. And it turns out that these paintings are exhibited in the Military History Museum in Vienna. So I figured I pay this museum a visit.
The Museum of Military History (Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, or HGM) is one of Austria's major state museums and ranks among the most significant military history institutions in the world. Housed inside the monumental Arsenal complex in Vienna's 3rd district (Landstraße), the museum spans several centuries of Central European conflict, power dynamics, and technology.
The museum sits at the heart of the Arsenal, a vast brick complex constructed between 1849 and 1856 in the wake of the 1848 revolutions. Designed by architects Theophil von Hansen and Ludwig Foerster, the building itself is a masterpiece of Moorish-Byzantine and Neo-Gothic revival styles. The picture above show you how it looks like from the outside.
Built originally as a fortress and weapons depot to secure municipal control, the building was intended from the start to serve as a national pantheon and exhibition hall for the Imperial Army. Visitors first see the Feldherrenhalle, or the Hall of Generals. This is the main entrance hall which features 56 life-size marble statues of notable Austrian commanders and historical figures. You can see this on the above photos.
And above is the Ruhmeshalle, or Hall of Fame. This is a grand, domed hall adorned with elaborate frescoes by Karl von Blaas depicting key battles from Habsburg history.
The collections are organized chronologically, leading visitors through Austria's military history from the late 16th century to the mid-20th century. First, there are exhibits on the Ottoman Wars and 17th Century. These consist of displays of weapons, armor, captured banners, and campaign artifacts from the siege of Vienna (1683) and the campaigns of Prince Eugene of Savoy. And then there is the section on 18th Century and the Napoleonic Era. It chronicles the Maria Theresa era, the Seven Years' War, and Austria’s key role in the Napoleonic Conflicts. This is followed by the 19th Century and Revolutions, consisting of details the transformation of the Habsburg Monarchy, including the 1848 uprisings and the Austro-Prussian War of 1866.
I personally found the more modern parts of the exhibit more exciting, such as the section on Sarajevo and World War I. This area contains one of the museum's most famous exhibits, which is the Gräf and Stift open-top touring car in which Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, alongside the Archduke’s blood-stained uniform tunic and the chaise longue on which he died. Alongside this is the Interwar Period and World War II, which covers the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the turbulent First Republic, the 1934 Civil War, the Anschluss in 1938, and Austria’s involvement in World War II.
Outside of the museum, there are several tanks on display. And in fact, there was even a separate building that houses several more tanks, but as it was getting late in the afternoon, and I didn't really care much for tanks, I decided not to include that in my visit.
And yes, I saw the paintings of Julius von Payer. It was huge, and didn't fit in my camera. But it was wonderful nonetheless.
