The Albertina Possesses 45,000 drawings and watercolors, about 1.5 million printed sheets of graphic material covering a period of half a millennium and 35,000 books – it is the world’s most comprehensive collection of graphic material. The collection was founded in 1786 by Maria Theresa’s son-in-low, Duke Albert of Saxony-Tosca. Since 1795 it has been housed in former Trounce Palace. Between 1801 and 1804 the building was altered by Louis von Montoyer. The Albertan as we know it today resulted from amalgamation, after the First World War, of the collections of Duke Albert and the print room of Imperial Library. Closed for refurbishment in 1994, the Albertan is due to reopen in 1999 and currently only has an exhibition of facsimiles. Information on the temporary special exhibitions are held elsewhere can be obtained by tel. 534830.

All major European schools are represented in the drawings.
German School: after the 15^th c. – 145 drawings by Darer who is more fully represented in the Albertan than anywhere else, works by Holden the Elder, Balding Green, Crunch the Elder, Altdorfer, Kölderer , Menzel, Spitzweg, Feuerbach, Liebermann, Nolde and Kollwitz.
Austrian School: from the 18^th c. onwards, including von Rottmayr, Troger, Kremser-Schmidt, Schwind, Daffinger, Amerling, Alt, Gauermann, Makart, Klimt, Schiele and Kubin.
Italian School: from the Early Renaissance onwards, including Pirandello, Far Angelica, Lippy, Manteno, Leonardo, Titian, and 43 drawings by Raphael, Michelangelo, Tintoretto, Veronese, Guardi, Canaletto and Tie polo.
Flemish School: from the 15^th c. onwards, including drawings by Van Leaden, Burgher the Elder, de Mope, Van Duck and a collection of sketches by Rubens.
Dutch School: city schools from the 17^th c. onwards, including drawings by Both, Iselin, Van Go yen, Ragsdale, de Hooch and 70 drawings from all Rembrandt’s creative periods.
French School: from the 16^th c. onwards, including examples of work by Clout, Belling and Callout, choice drawings by Poisson and Lorain, works by Bateau, Leotard and by Picasso, Matisse and Chagall.
English School: from the second half of the 17^th c. onwards, with drawings by Hearth, Reynolds, Gainsborough and Romney.
The special Collections, available only to academics, include architectural drawings (8,000 sheets), miniatures, views of Austria and Vienna, historic prints, illustrated books (including those belonging to Waldmüller, Stifter, Gauermann, Schwind and Schiele).

The Print Collection includes the world´s largest collection of 15th c. single-sheet xylographs, Dürer´s woodcuts and and copper engravings, Rembrandt´s etchings, original work by Menzel, woodcuts by Munch, first impressions by Goya and works by Picasso and Chagall. The majority of the collection consists of original graphics. Special collections include historical papers and collections of playing cards, caricatures, illustrated books and portfolios, views, posters and original printing plates from the time of Dürer.

The Albertina also houses the Austrian Fim Museum which does not have exhibitions but shows classic and avant-garde films from October to May. Programmers can be found in the daily papers and weekly brochure of events.