Museum der Moderne Salzburg – one museum under two roofs

Two buildings – one name: Museum der Moderne Salzburg

The Museum der Moderne Salzburg is home to a captivating collection of national and international art exhibits both in the Wiener-Philharmoniker-Gasse 9 on the edge of Salzburg's festival precinct and at Mönchsberg 32 with a fantastic view of Salzburg. In-house collections as well as temporary exhibitions delight visitors of all ages. 

In the beginning it was ... the Rupertinum

It was 1633 when the then Prince-Archbishop Paris Lodron had the building of today's Rupertinum constructed in early Baroque style in the centre of Salzburg's Old Town – the first mention of the building dates back as far as 1350. Paris Lodron turned it into the Collegium Rupertinum palace, a educational institute for future priests, before it became a dormitory in 1974 and was finally taken over by the Province of Salzburg in 1976. The goal was to create a place for a modern gallery and art print collection. 

The endeavour succeeded with the contribution of Friedrich Welz, a Salzburg art dealer, whose private collection also included numerous works by his personal friend Oskar Kokoschka. In 1983 the decision was made to establish a separate museum for this collection – and the symbolic foundation for today's Museum der Moderne Altstadt (Rupertinum) was laid. The Salzburg Museum of Modern Art and Art Print Collections was finally expanded to include the photograph collection of the federal government, which the Museum der Moderne Salzburg was given on permanent loan to manage.

One becomes two

While the Rupertinum was opened in 1983, construction of the museum on the Mönchsberg started 20 years later, and the Museum der Moderne Salzburg was developed as a 2-house-concept. The new building on the Mönchsberg was finally inaugurated in 2004 – and this on a site steeped in history. As early as 1890, the Restaurant Elektrischer Aufzug (Electric Lift Restaurant) was located there, which was also the upper station of the Mönchsberg lift.

1946 was the beginning of the location's "golden age", when the hotelier Hermann Winkler opened his Grand Café Winkler there – a popular meeting point and dance café at the time. At the same time, it also showcased an unusual exhibit: the Sattler Panorama, which is on display at the Salzburg Panorama Museum today. From 1977 to 1993, Casino Salzburg was leaseholder of the building, before it moved into Schloss Klessheim – and this is how the hot spot on the Mönchsberg came to be vacant. First efforts to establish a museum on the Mönchsberg in 1980 were unsuccessful. It was not until 23 October 2004 that the Museum der Moderne Mönchsberg finally opened its doors.

The façade

Salzburg's relationship with architecture has always been one of ambivalence. It is therefore not surprising that the inauguration of the Museum der Moderne Altstadt (Rupertinum) as well as the Museum der Moderne Mönchsberg over 20 years later did not proceed without dispute.

For the Museum der Moderne Altstadt (Rupertinum) in Wiener-Philharmoniker-Gasse, the building by Salzburg architect Gerhard Garstenauer was adapted – and none other than Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser was commissioned to decorate the façade. For this purpose, Hundertwasser developed the so-called "Zungenbärte" [tongue beards]. These are surfaces with mosaics mounted below the windows and reminiscent of tongues or beards. Today they are a common characteristic of Hundertwasser's style, but at the time they sparked outrage among the people of Salzburg, which is why they were actually removed again after the opening of the Rupertinum in 1983, before being reattached in 1987 as part of a Hundertwasser exhibition. Since then they have become a permanent feature on the façade of the Rupertinum.

From 145 competition submissions, the project of Munich architect team Friedrich Hoff Zwink was chosen for the realisation of the Museum der Moderne Mönchsberg – and not without initial criticism. Today, however, it is almost impossible to imagine Salzburg's townscape without the cubic building with the integrated M32 restaurant. The terrace of the Museum der Moderne Mönchsberg, directly on top of the steep rock face of the Mönchsberg, provides a breathtaking view of Salzburg's Old Town – a must see on a visit to the town. Inside, visitors can enjoy three open-plan exhibition levels on more than 2,300 m²; the puristic design makes creates an optimal exhibition space for the exhibits.

Modern & contemporary art

In both the Museum der Moderne Mönchsberg and Altstadt (Rupertinum), there are temporary exhibitions with Austrian and international art – from the 19th century to the present, from painting to sculpture, from the museum's own collections such as the focus collection of Austrian photography after 1945 to permanent loans such as the Generali Foundation Collection. 

Under two roofs at two truly remarkable locations in the town of Salzburg the Museum der Moderne Salzburg offers an extensive range of extraordinary artworks on paper, paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations as well as films. Repeat visitors will not be disappointed.

• Museum der Moderne Mönchsberg
• Museum der Moderne Altstadt (Rupertinum)