A couple of plaques and a street name hardly suffice when it comes to remembering the greatest composer in history. Which is why Vienna has more than a few statues dedicated to the genius of Mozart.
The biggest is on a monument dating back to 1896 that now sits in the Burggarten park that borders the Hofburg Palace.
Quick summary
- Marble statue of Mozart and reliefs depicting scenes from his work and childhood
- Great photo motif, particularly when the surrounding park is in full bloom
- See also: Mozart location guide
Background
The Mozart monument was removed from its original location in front of the Albertina for repairs, reappearing in the Burggarten park in 1953. The park itself owes its existence to the depravations of war, having been built as part of the clear up following the withdrawal of Napoleon’s troops in 1809 (silver linings, etc.).
Mozart’s statue looks out from the top of the monument, one hand turning over the sheet music on the stand next to him. He makes an ideal perch for pigeons, perhaps allowing them to exact revenge for having a birdcatcher as the star character in The Magic Flute.
The front relief depicts two scenes from Mozart’s opera, Don Giovanni. The rear shows him as a young child performing with his father and sister, based on a watercolour by Louis de Carmontelle. You can see the key part of the painting below, taken from a 1764 copy (courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art):
At the right time of year, perfect beds of flowers spell out a treble clef on the ground in front of the statue.
Karl König (architect) and Viktor Tilgner (sculptor) were the men behind the design. König is perhaps most famous for designing the Haus der Industrie on Schwarzenbergplatz, officially opened in 1911 and still home to the Federation of Austrian Industries.
The Emperor of the time, Franz Joseph, looked favourably on Tilgner’s creative output, and Imperial approval opened a lot of doors in those days. His busts of playwrights grace the Burgtheater, his statues such iconic buildings as the museums of art history and natural history, the Hermesvilla (Empress Elisabeth’s summer house), and others.
How to get to the Mozart monument
The monument sits just inside the entrance to the Burggarten that leads off the great Ring boulevard, so you can see it as you drive (or ride) past.
Subway: take the U2 line to the Museumsquartier station.
Tram: the Burgring stop is just outside the park entrance and reachable by tram lines 1, 2, 71 and D.
Bus: the 57A bus also stops at Burgring.
Address: Burggarten, 1010 Vienna