Nearly all historic concert venues in Vienna can lay claim to one or other composer having once played there. In the case of the Deutschordenshaus (English: the House of the Teutonic Order), one actually lived there – a promising musician named Mozart. (I wonder what became of him?)
- Home to the Teutonic Order in Austria
- Mozart stayed here in 1781 (and Brahms later)
- Hosts regular concerts by the Mozart Ensemble
- See also: Concert venues | Mozart locations
Historical background
The house and courtyards of the Deutschordenshaus belong to the Deutscher Orden (Teutonic Order) and date as far back as the early 13th century, just a few years after the order’s establishment in 1190 in Acre in modern-day Israel.
Needless to say, the buildings have all undergone one or two changes in the meantime – much of what you can see from the outside is 17th and 18th century in design. As the headquarters of the Austrian branch of the order, it’s still a working institution, with a church, treasury and a guest house.
Brahms once lived here briefly, but the main musical connection comes through Hieronymus von Colloredo, the Archbishop of Salzburg, who stayed here in 1781. His retinue of employees included a certain W. Mozart.
Colloredo didn’t approve of Mozart performing outside of the Archbishop’s residence, which didn’t sit well with a young composer growing in fame and looking to make his mark on the world and in the big city.
The resulting arguments eventually ended with Collaredo’s steward kicking (literally and figuratively) Mozart out of the door. The Archbishop’s loss was our gain.
With connections to Salzburg now severed, Mozart remained in Vienna and the rest is, as they say, history. A plaque just inside the entrance on the right-hand wall commemorates his stay; you can just about see it without going inside.
Over 200 years later and Mozart’s back, so to speak.
The Mozart Ensemble perform in the Deutschordenshaus throughout the year, dressed in period costume, with a program featuring the music of those composers closely associated with Vienna, including (obviously) Mozart, but also Beethoven, Schubert, and Haydn.
A notable feature of these concerts is the location: the Sala Terrena room, with its walls and domed ceiling covered in 18th-century frescoes.
To reach the Sala Terrena, you have to pass through a lovely old courtyard with one of Stephansdom cathedral‘s towers rising above the walls – it looks particularly imposing at night, when the tower is all lit up.
Tickets & visitor information
Buy tickets online from the ensemble’s website, for example. Concerts are typically held in the evening, Thursday through Sunday, with additional dates across the Christmas and New Year period.
NB: I’ve seen the concerts advertised as being in the “Mozarthaus” or “Mozart’s House”, so be careful when looking for it. The term Mozarthaus is commonly used for the museum on Domgasse; you want the house on Singerstraße.
How to get to the Deutschordenshaus
The venue is close to the main cathedral, right in the centre, and actually only a street away from that Mozarthaus Museum.
Subway: Take the U1 or U3 lines to Stephansplatz station and the Kärntner Straße pedestrian exit pops you out at the end of Singerstraße.
Bus: Take the 1A, 2A or 3A to Stephansplatz and it’s a 5 minute or so walk.
Address: Singerstraße 7, 1010 Vienna