Die Nachbarn

The Neighbors

Although they’ve never loaned us a cup of sugar or offered to pick up our mail, we consider Schönbrunn to be our neighbor.  The magnificent Schönbrunn palace and estate is only a 5-minute bus ride from our Missendorfstraße apartment; hence, since May 1 we’ve frequently strolled its gorgeous grounds.  We always use the estate’s “backdoor entrance” which is another reason we refer to them as “the Neighbors.” We’ve toured and appreciated the inside of the marvelous palace, but our neighbor’s 500 acres of manicured gardens and lush woodlands are our favorite reason to visit.

The Gloriette sits at the top of a hill overlooking Wien - a favorite picnic place for the royal family.

A view of the largest palace fountain - this is the less observed "from the back" view.

The grounds on which the current Schönbrunn palace stands have actually been important since the Middle Ages. From the beginning of the 14th century the area belonged to the Klosterneuburg monastery. Then over the following centuries dignitaries such as Vienna’s mayor in the early 1500’s lived on the property, added buildings, and created the beginnings of the gorgeous palace we enjoy today.

In 1569 the Hapsburgs took possession of Schonbrünnn through Maximilian II, who was primarily interested in the property’s game and fowl park.  The subsequent Hapsburgs also used the estate for hunting.  According to lore, in 1612 Emperor Matthias named the estate “fair spring” (schön Brunn) whilst merrily hunting on the verdant grounds.

The gardens were a multi-sensory delight in May and June.  

Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach designed the current palace in 1688 and work on the palace and grounds continued piecemeal for the next 40 years or so.  During this time Schönbrunn was primarily used as a gigantic hunting lodge.  Then, around 1740, Schönbrunn was given as a gift to Austria’s favorite Empress, Maria Theresa by her father (Emperor Charles VI).  After that time Schönbrunn sparkled like never before, and it became the hub of political action and court life.  Maria Theresa added a court chapel, a theatre, grand galleries, the orangery, the greenhouse, the Gloriette, huge garden fountains, and several buildings to accommodate the 1,000 people who worked on the palace grounds.

The Hapsburgs passed the Schönbrunn ownership to the Republic of Austria at the end of the monarchy in 1918.   Since then Schönbrunn has been preserved for tourists to enjoy, but also as a massive backyard for all of Wien to relish. The entire estate (palace, park, fountains, statues, not to mention the zoo – the oldest in the world) was awarded UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status in 1996.  For more detailed history and fabulous photos, take a gander at www.schoenbrunn.at.

You see green green green when visiting the gardens and woods.

You also see all types of people on the palace grounds.  

"Nuns in the wild" sightings are always a favorite with the Jensens.

On June 4 we attended the Schönbrunn Wiener Philharmonic concert along with 10,000 other people.  It was an amazing party.  This photo is taken from the "Gloriette hill."  The arch in the center of the photo is the stage. Wien can be seen the background.

Here is the view from the other direction.  The stage is a little left of center here and the Gloriette is lit on the top of the hill.  

It is nice to have neighbors who so generously throw parties!