The last wolf of the Wienerwald. Can you imagine?
Before us stands the Miller-von-Aichholz Schlössl a grand Baroque building with a rich history. Originally a hunting lodge it boasts a connection to the Habsburg emperors themselves. Empress Maria Theresia gifted the estate around 1750 to Freiherr Johann Georg von Grechtler. He commissioned Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach to design his hunting lodge.
The Schlössl passed through various hands. It became the summer residence of Princess Esterházy a Princess Liechtenstein. For over a century her family enjoyed this spot. The nearby Wolfersberg and Bierhäuslberg mountains were part of a private imperial hunting ground since 1540. It was here in 1846 that Archduke Franz Karl bagged the last wolf of the Wienerwald a truly remarkable event.
The Schlössl served as a meeting place for the Emperor’s hunting parties. Especially for Emperor Franz Joseph I. The nearby Lainzer Tiergarten a fenced area served as a hunting reserve for official imperial hunts. As the 19th century drew to a close many new villas sprung up around the Schlössl attracted by the imperial presence. This disturbed the wildlife. The imperial family retreated. The high nobility followed suit.
In 1894 Dr Heinrich von Miller zu Aichholz acquired the Schlössl. His family held it until 1938 when the global economic crisis forced its sale to the state. Under the Nazis it became a rest home for police officials. After the war the French High Commissioner’s staff and general secretariat were based here.
In 1955 the Austrian Young Workers’ Movement took over. Since 1962 it has been the Europahaus Wien. It briefly served as an educational facility. This impressive two-story building boasts a high hipped roof with dormers. The garden facade has subtle central risalits. A slightly projecting central section with a three-axis division stands out. A grand staircase with strong corner pillars sits in front.
The ground floor has former dining rooms and kitchens some with cross-rib vaults. The upstairs rooms feature mostly mirrored ceilings. Elegant stucco frame fields add a touch of elegance. Garden-side you find opulent rooms. These include the Great Hall the Napoleon Hall the Prince Eugen Hall and the Maria Theresa Room. Original tiled stoves with Rocaille decor are still there. A collection of paintings mostly copies of Old Masters stands out. A portrait of Prince Eugen by Hyacinthe Rigaud is a highlight.
In the western park stands a single-story outbuilding. A greenhouse the last remaining Baroque sun trap house in Vienna sits on the boundary wall. It’s from the early 18th century. It’s largely original. Only the glazing of the long facade has been replaced by a wooden wall. The Miller-von-Aichholz Schlössl a grand estate with a rich history. A place of imperial hunts and later a center for European understanding. A true treasure of Vienna.