Memorabilia

The Wien Museum's biographical collections include not only portraits but also many examples of personal memorabilia. "Relics" (e.g., fragments of bone or hair) from famous personalities who lived in Vienna (including Ludwig van Beethoven and Anton Bruckner) can be found in the collection, as can parts of coffins and funeral crucifixes, burial garments, and candles (such as those of Emperor Joseph II).

One particularly important group of objects is the Peter Altenberg collection, which contains a large number of personal items from Altenberg’s room in the "Graben Hotel", where the writer lived before his death in 1919. In addition to photos of models and acquaintances of the writer and portraits that depict Altenberg during various stages of his life, the collection also includes his dressing gown and his sandals.

The majority of memorabilia collected by the Wien Museum are connected to the artistic activities of well-known Viennese figures. These items include paintbrushes and palettes, musical instruments, conductor’s batons, costumes, and shoes. In addition, everyday objects such as combs, textiles, notebooks, jewelry, and furniture also form part of the collection. Particular curiosities include an eggcup and a buttonhook that belonged to Empress Elisabeth.

The collection, which has developed on the basis of bequests, donations, and acquisitions, is currently being expanded, to include objects from the second half of the 20^th century to the present day.