In late 1828, a sick Franz Schubert moved into his brother Ferdinand’s apartment on the second floor of a brand new house on Kettenbrückengasse, now known as the Schubert Sterbewohnung.
- Small, three-roomed museum featuring various items from Schubert’s life and (mostly) death
- You can stand in the room where he passed away
- Entry is €5 (or free with the Vienna Pass)
- See also: Schubert in Vienna
What’s inside?
Ferdinand’s home would be Schubert’s final residence: he died a few weeks later on November 21st.
The house is still there, beautifully renovated, and the apartment has become a small museum.
Inside are three fairly spartan rooms, with creaking wooden floors and whitewashed walls. Even though there is little in the way of furniture, it all feels very real – there is something strangely absorbing about standing in the smallest room knowing that Schubert wrote his final letters and compositions here before passing on.
The first antechamber has general information in English, but after that it’s all German. So it’s hard for the non-German speaker to grasp the significance of the various items on display (many of which are reproductions). These include:
- A real lock of Schubert’s hair
- A piano belonging to Ferdinand you suspect Schubert might also have played on (imagine!)
- Reproductions of original sheet music, including for Taubenpost, the last song he wrote – you find yourself looking closely to see if his hand was already shaking
- An original invite to the requiem mass
Especially poignant is a copy of a letter Ferdinand wrote to his father quoting Schubert on his deathbed, interpreting his exclamations as a wish to be buried next to Beethoven – a wish that was duly granted.
Sadly, there’s also a record of Schubert’s estate – essentially just a few items of clothing (and a mattress) that didn’t even cover outstanding medical and funeral expenses. A true penniless artist.
All-in-all it only takes a few minutes to look through the three rooms, but you probably need to be a Schubert aficionado (or a German-speaker) to really appreciate what you’re seeing.
Tickets & visitor information
At the time of writing, the museum opens on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm (but is closed on May 1, January 1, and December 25). Closes at lunchtime if December 24 or 31 fall on a Wednesday or Thursday. An adult ticket costs €5 or free with a Vienna Pass (read a review).
A couple of tips:
- The museum is part of floor two of the house and the other apartments are still occupied. So the museum entrance is like a “normal” house entrance: you have to ring the bell to open the door leading off the street. And then ring another bell to open the door inside the (lovely) courtyard that leads up to the museum – there are two flights of stairs to climb
- The ticket office also has a very small selection of souvenirs, like postcards
How to get to the Sterbewohnung
Subway: Kettenbrückengasse subway station, which is on the U4 line, is only a short 5 minute walk away.
Tram/bus: You can also take the 59a bus to the stops Schönbr. Str./Kettenbrückeng. or Preßgasse.
Address: Kettenbrückengasse 6, 1040 Vienna | Website