The history of the park

The park at Schönbrunn Palace, which had originally been named ‘Katterburg‘ and used as a hunting ground by the Habsburgs, eventually transformed into a picturesque Baroque complex under Franz I Stephan of Lorraine.

The beginnings of the park at Schönbrunn

The history of Schönbrunn and the buildings that preceded it on this site goes back to the Middle Ages. The whole estate had borne the name of ‘Katterburg’ from the beginning of the fourteenth century and belonged to the manor of the monastery at Klosterneuburg. It had a corn-mill together with an arable farm and vineyards, and over the following centuries numerous tenants of this flourishing estate are documented.

Vienna Furniture Museum

The gardens during the reign of Maria Theresa

While Maria Theresa was responsible for the rebuilding and appointment of the palace, her consort, Emperor Franz I Stephan of Lorraine, together with the circle of Lotharingian artists he had gathered around him, applied himself to the designing of the gardens.

Schloss Hof Estate

The gardens and park at Schönbrunn during the 19th century

In the nineteenth century the gardens on the western side were landscaped in the English style in keeping with the current fashions in horticultural design.

Schönbrunn Palace