The Congress of Vienna – 200th anniversary celebrations
It was at the Congress of Vienna (1814-15) that Europe’s borders were redrawn following the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1812) and the Treaty of Paris (30 May 1814). Never before had negotiations at a political summit attracted so many heads of state. The official host of the talks was Austrian Emperor Franz II/I (1768-1835), whose daughter Marie-Louise was married to Napoleon. A number of his high-ranking guests such as Tsar Alexander I of Russia (1777-1825), King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia (1770-1840), the Danish King Friedrich VI (1768-1839) and King Maximilian I Joseph von Bayern (1756-1825) actually stayed at the Hofburg to ensure that they were as close as possible to the political – and social – heart of the congress. Overall, the event brought around 100,000 people from the length and breadth of Europe to the Austrian capital. A famous saying from the day coined by Charles Joseph Prince de Ligne sums up the zeitgeist: “Le congres danse beaucoup, mais il ne marche pas ("The congress dances, but does not progress”).
Although the initial round of negotiations involving heads of states and diplomats had started in September 1814, the Congress of Vienna did not officially start until 1 November 1814. The majority of discussions played out in smaller committees and commissions in today’s Bundeskanzleramt (Federal Chancellery), then known as the Staatskanzlei. Proceedings were driven forward by the Committee of the Eight made up of delegates from England, France, Austria, Prussia, Russia, Portugal, Sweden and Spain. The Metternichsaal at the Hofburg is named after the congress president, Clemens Wenzel Fürst von Metternich. As the monarchs themselves played no part in the actual committee meetings, a large number of decisions were taken at the informal events surrounding the congress. A major crisis came to light in January 1815 when the protagonists failed to reach a consensus on the future of Saxony. The deadlock was only broken by Napoleon’s return from exile and return to power in March 1815. The Final Act covering the multitude of separate treaties was eventually signed on 11 June 1815. A short time later Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo and sent into exile on the island of St. Helena.
The Hofburg not only played a key role in the Congress of Vienna in its capacity as a luxury residence for leading dignitaries and a summit venue, it was also at the heart of the social side of things. The early days of the congress during the 1815 carnival season, known locally as Fasching, saw a series of balls for up to 8,000 guests play out at the Redoutensaele and the Riding School. Among the musical highlights at the Grosser and Kleiner Redoutensaal were performances of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 7th Symphony conducted by the composer himself (29 November 1814) and the premiere of Georg Friedrich Handel’s oratorium Samson (16 October 1814). Tsar Alexander I of Russia is said to have presented Emperor Franz II/I with the 26 crystal chandeliers that hang in the Zeremoniensaal as a gesture of thanks to his Austrian hosts. The Zeremoniensaal was also used to host larger-scale formal gatherings for the highest echelons of court society, including the Kammerball on New Year’s Day in 1815.
Although the initial round of negotiations involving heads of states and diplomats had started in September 1814, the Congress of Vienna did not officially start until 1 November 1814. The majority of discussions played out in smaller committees and commissions in today’s Bundeskanzleramt (Federal Chancellery), then known as the Staatskanzlei. Proceedings were driven forward by the Committee of the Eight made up of delegates from England, France, Austria, Prussia, Russia, Portugal, Sweden and Spain. The Metternichsaal at the Hofburg is named after the congress president, Clemens Wenzel Fürst von Metternich. As the monarchs themselves played no part in the actual committee meetings, a large number of decisions were taken at the informal events surrounding the congress. A major crisis came to light in January 1815 when the protagonists failed to reach a consensus on the future of Saxony. The deadlock was only broken by Napoleon’s return from exile and return to power in March 1815. The Final Act covering the multitude of separate treaties was eventually signed on 11 June 1815. A short time later Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo and sent into exile on the island of St. Helena.
The Hofburg not only played a key role in the Congress of Vienna in its capacity as a luxury residence for leading dignitaries and a summit venue, it was also at the heart of the social side of things. The early days of the congress during the 1815 carnival season, known locally as Fasching, saw a series of balls for up to 8,000 guests play out at the Redoutensaele and the Riding School. Among the musical highlights at the Grosser and Kleiner Redoutensaal were performances of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 7th Symphony conducted by the composer himself (29 November 1814) and the premiere of Georg Friedrich Handel’s oratorium Samson (16 October 1814). Tsar Alexander I of Russia is said to have presented Emperor Franz II/I with the 26 crystal chandeliers that hang in the Zeremoniensaal as a gesture of thanks to his Austrian hosts. The Zeremoniensaal was also used to host larger-scale formal gatherings for the highest echelons of court society, including the Kammerball on New Year’s Day in 1815.
