Schloss Wilheminenberg
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Gallitzinberg
The Gallitzinberg is a forested hill in the West of Austria's capital, Vienna. While it is relatively unconspicous in the broader context of the Northeastern end of the Wienerwald mountain range, it is nevertheless remarkable because of its multifaceted history, and because it functions as an...
, in the Wienerwald
Wienerwald
The Vienna Woods are forested highlands that form the northeastern foothills of the Northern Limestone Alps in the states of Lower Austria and Vienna. The long and wide hill range is heavily wooded and a popular recreation area with the Viennese....
Western parts of the Austrian capital, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
Early history
In 1780 Prince Dmitri Mikhailovich GalitzinGalitzine
For Orthodox clergyman and theologian, see Alexander Golitzin.The Galitzines are one of the largest and noblest princely houses of Russia. Since the extinction of the Korecki family in the 17th century, the Golitsyns have claimed dynastic seniority in the House of Gediminas...
, the Russian ambassador in Vienna, acquired forested real estate from Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Count Franz Moritz von Lacy
Franz Moritz von Lacy
Graf Franz Moritz von Lacy , , was the son of Count Peter von Lacy and a famous Austrian field marshal. He served Maria Theresia, was a close friend to Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, and became one of his advisers...
, situated uphill of what was then the village of Ottakring
Ottakring
Ottakring is the 16th District in the city of Vienna, Austria . It is located west of the central districts, north of Penzing and south of Hernals. Ottakring has some heavily populated urban areas with many residential buildings...
. He ordered a small Jagdschloss
Jagdschloss
A Jagdschloss is a palace or a castle in a zoo or a hunting zone such as a forest, field or lake and served primarily as the accommodation for a ruler, and the court, on the occasion of the hunt in the area....
erected which soon became famous for its social events. By 1824, when the building was already in disrepair, ownership of the estate had passed on to Duke Julius de Montléart (of French nobility) and his wife Maria Christine. In 1838 the castle was expanded by adding two side wings.
When Julius' son, Duke Moritz de Montléart, acquired the property after considerable legal battles he gave it to his wife Wilhelmine (née von Arnold) and named the castle "Wilhelminenberg." Upon their deaths in 1887 and 1895, respectively both were interred in a small mausoleum which was built in the "neo-gothic" style close to the castle. Because of her generosity towards the poor, Wilhelmine Montléart became known as the "Angel of Ottakring." In 1895 Wilhelmine's grandson, Archduke Rainer Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Rainer Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Rainer Ferdinand of Austria was an Austrian prime minister. He was a son of Archduke Rainer Joseph....
inherited the estate.
The current palace
In 1903 Archduke Leopold SalvatorArchduke Leopold Salvator, Prince of Tuscany
Archduke Leopold Salvator, Prince of Tuscany , was the son of Archduke Karl Salvator of Austria and Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies .-Biography:...
had the dilapidated building demolished and in the years to 1908 a palace in the Second Empire style was built according to plans of the architects Eduard Frauenfeld and Ignaz Sowinski. The construction costs, including the park and the ancillary buildings, amounted to 1.4 million Kronen
Austro-Hungarian krone
The Krone or korona was the official currency of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1892 until the dissolution of the empire in 1918...
.
In 1918, when World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
drew to its close, the castle became a military hospital and was subsequently used as a rehabilitation center for veterans. In 1927 the City of Vienna purchased the entire estate from the Zurich banker Wilhelm Ammann and established an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
there. From 1934 to 1938 the castle served as the home base for the world-famous Vienna Boys' Choir
Vienna Boys' Choir
The Vienna Boys' Choir is a choir of trebles and altos based in Vienna. It is one of the best known boys' choirs in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countries....
.
Following Austria's Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
to Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in March 1938, castle Wilhelminenberg was confiscated and transferred to the Österreichische Legion, a paramilitary unit of exiled Austrian National Socialists. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was once again made an army hospital. When the war had ended the City of Vienna used parts of the building to accommodate former concentration camp inmates, and again as an orphanage. A special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
facility for girls with behavioral problems was operated from the 1950s until 1977. After that, representation rooms were opened on special occasions such as the annual Vienna Festival
Vienna Festival
The Wiener Festwochen is a cultural festival in Vienna that takes place every year for five or six weeks in May and June.The Wiener Festwochen was established in 1951, when Vienna was still occupied by the four Allies...
but in general little use was made of the castle until 1988, when it was reopened as a hotel.
Since May 2003 castle Wilhelminenberg ranks as a four-star hotel. It boasts 87 elegant rooms, a restaurant and a library, a terrace offering a beautiful panoramic view of Vienna, and a 120,000 m² park. Conferences with up to 2,000 participants can be accommodated.
Castle Wilhelminenberg has become a popular location for large wedding parties and other celebrations, and on such occasions splendid fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
are frequently visible across the Western parts of Vienna. In winter, a section of the park can be used for skating.