In 1745, Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, commissioned the court building surveyor, Emanuel Teles Graf Sylva-Tarouca, to transform a 17th-century administrative building into a palace. (...)
In 1745, Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, commissioned the court building surveyor, Emanuel Teles Graf Sylva-Tarouca, to transform a 17th-century administrative building into a palace. From the beginning of the 19th century to the fall of the Hapsburg monarchy in 1918, this complex served as a residence and home of the graphic arts collection established by Duke Albert and his heirs, the Archdukes Carl, Albrecht, and Friedrich. The long wing on the Burggarten front was built between 1801 and 1805 after plans by Belgian architect Louis de Montoyer. In early 1919 the building passed into the hands of the Austrian Republic and is known today as the Albertina and is renowned for its exhibitions. A portion of the building was heavily damaged by bombing in March 1945, but immediately after the war it was restored. In 1998, restoration and required modernization of the building were undertaken to create a state-of-the-art exhibition and study center.
