Klimt-Villa

In Hietzing, a district of Vienna, a historic building on Feldmühlgasse is closely tied to the work of the painter Gustav Klimt. Although it is called a villa today, it was originally a simple, single-story country house that Klimt used as his last studio from 1911 until his death in 1918. Several important paintings were created here during that time, including Litzlberg on the Attersee. The two-story villa you see today was not built until the early 1920s, with the studio's original walls incorporated into the new structure. The expansion was carried out in the so-called Rosenkavalier style, a neo-Baroque architectural style that was popular among the upper middle class of the day.

The history of the property is marked by controversy over its preservation. After World War II, the building served for a time as a school, before a citizens' initiative saved it from demolition in the 1990s. Today the villa is a protected landmark and houses a memorial site that offers visitors a glimpse into Klimt's working world. On the ground floor, the rooms have been restored to reflect their condition in the painter's day. The furnishings are based on historic photographs and descriptions. At the front is a reception room with furniture designed by Josef Hoffmann, while the reconstructed studio on the north side forms the centerpiece. Among other things, you can see reproductions of the paintings Lady with a Fan and The Bride on easels here.

Besides the rooms inside, the surrounding garden invites you to linger. Two fragrant rosebushes planted by Klimt himself still stand there. In front of the south facade is also a hand-forged sculpture depicting the artist. The memorial site thus offers not only a look at Klimt's creative period in Vienna, but also insight into the cultural history of Viennese Jewry and the city's development in the early 20th century. You can experience the reconstructed atmosphere and learn about the painter's living conditions in his final years.