A symphony of stone whispers secrets. Haus Schaumburg stands before you a testament to Vienna’s rich history. This wasn’t always a palace. Imagine the bare Schaumburg grounds in 1450 owned by the Starhemberg family. Centuries passed. Then after the second Turkish siege in 1683 Count Gundacker Thomas von Starhemberg expanded the property. He hired Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt. In 1700 Hildebrandt began building the palace. The imposing curved central street-front was initially an open passageway for carriages.
Haus Schaumburg then underwent a transformation. In 1811 Count Joseph Nepomuk Keglevich von Buzin bought it. He commissioned architect Franz Jager junior. Jager converted the palace into an Empire style building. A magnificent library hall was created. The single-story wings received extra floors. Mansard roofs were replaced with tiled ones. The French garden was probably transformed into an English garden.
The Counts Schonburg-Hartenstein acquired Haus Schaumburg in 1841. They made alterations. They saved the unique library. By the 1970s the property was divided. Two thirds were sold. Eventually the Gertner family became the sole owners. They own it through Gertner Immobilien GmbH.
Today Haus Schaumburg is a three-story palace. It has a half-cylindrical central section. This section has a concave facade facing the street. Two three-axis side wings extend from the central section. The former carriage passageway is now the main entrance. The attic is framed by a balustrade with figures.
The most impressive rooms remain. The octagonal ballroom is on the first floor. The adjacent library has exquisite inlays. The vestibule has an oval double staircase. Many rooms are in the Empire style. The library dates back to the early 19th century. The other rooms are from the mid-19th century. The park and ballroom are connected by a free-standing double staircase. Two stone sphinxes guard the entrance. They are remnants of the original baroque garden. They are shown in Daniel von Huber’s Viennas Scenography and Salomon Kleiners etchings.
Haus Schaumburg stands as a reminder of Vienna’s changing fortunes. Its story is etched in stone and whispered by the wind. Step inside and let its elegance carry you through time.