Vienna's Museums Face Temporary Closures Amid Austerity Drive

It prides itself on its reputation as the world’s home of classical music. But Vienna will temporarily close several museums dedicated to famous composers this year as the Austrian capital cuts its culture budget to meet public spending targets. The apartment where the Austrian composer Franz Schubert died, the residence of “Blue Danube” writer Johann Strauss, as well as the house where Joseph Haydn lived are to be closed temporarily as cost-saving measures, the director of Vienna’s museums announced on Wednesday. The closures are part of broader austerity measures that will increase the price of public transport in the Austrian capital by almost 30% for some tickets. “We all have to economise,” said Matti Bunzl, the head of public body the Wien Museum that oversees several historical sites in the Austrian capital. “That’s the reality we live in.” Largely thanks to the patronage of the Habsburg dynasty, Vienna rose to prominence as a European cultural capital in the baroque era and the late 19th century, hosting composers such as Mozart and Beethoven and artists including Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. The Vienna New Year’s concert, an annual performance of classical music by the Vienna Philharmonic on New Year’s Day, is broadcast to millions across the globe. Though the museums affected by the cuts are mostly low-key establishments with minimal staffing costs, their closure is expected to last two years, according to the finance director, Christina Schwarz. The budget allocated by the city falls from €29.7m (£25.9m) in 2025 to €28.4m this year, with a further decrease in 2027. The apartment where Schubert died has been closed since the start of the year, while Haydn’s house and Strauss’s flat will be closed from 2 March. Schubert’s birthplace will also be closed from the same date, but to allow a redesign before it reopens in 2028 to mark the 200th anniversary of his death. Austria’s far-right Freedom party (FPÖ) has criticised the fact that the cuts will not affect the Wiener Festwochen, an arts festival with an overtly political flavour. Several other museums will cut their opening hours, including the Prater Museum, Hermes Villa, the Otto Wagner Church, the Otto Wagner Court Pavilion in Hietzing and the Otto Wagner Pavilion on Karlsplatz. Agence France Presse contributed to this report