The Imperial Castle in the inner city was for more than six centuries the seat of the rulers of Austria. From here the Habsburgs ruled until the end of the First World War in 1918. European history was written in this seat of power, from here Empress Maria Theresa carried out her policies and bewailed the military defeats against Prussia’s Frederick the Great. It was here that Joseph II introduced his progressive reforms and Franz Joseph ruled for 68 years until the downfall of his empire. For two and a half centuries until 1806 it was the seat of the German Emperor and today it is the official seat of the Austrian Head of State. The Federal President of Austria exercises his office and carries out representative functions in rooms once belongings to Maria Theresa and Joseph II.

The complex consists of ten major buildings and in the may be seen the reflection of the 700 year long architectural history of the Hofburg. Nearly every Austrian ruler since 1275 ordered additions or alterations to be made to the Palace. Accordingly in the Hofburg examples may be seen of architecture in a great variety of styles – Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Classicism and the early 1870s. Together with its squares and gardens the entire Hofburg complex occupies an area of soma 240,000 sq. m (59 acres). This “city within a city” comprises 18 ranges of buildings, 54 major staircases, 19 courtyards and 2,600 rooms. Some 5000 people are employed here.

In November 1992 a major fire badly damaged a whole wing of the Hofburg, destroying the grand 18th c. Redoutensaal and leaving it just a shell. The frescoes in the Reading Room of the National Library also suffered water damage, and part of the Court Riding School was affected as well, although this was put right by 1994. Now restored to its former glory the Redoutensaal currently combines Empire with Abstraction: Josef Miki’s 22 murals are dedicated to Austrian Literary greats Raimund, Nestroy and Canetti. The monumental ceiling fresco is a homage to Karl Kraus.