Mozart`s Residence

The earliest documentary evidence we have of Mozart's Residence, also known as the Tanzmeisterhaus (dancing master's house), dates back to 1617. It consisted of two buildings until 1685. On August 3, 1711 Lorenz Speckner was given permission by decree to hold dancing lessons for the aristocracy in the building. In the 1713 "description of souls" (today's census) the house was already referred to as the Tanzmeisterhaus. The house was turned over to the highly aristocratic dancing master and "ante camera" valet, Franz Karl Gottlieb Speckner (approx. 1705 - 1767), son of Lorenz, on September 9, 1739. In those days a dancing master played an important role: he not only gave young aristocrats dancing lessons but also prepared them for life at court and was perfectly conversant with the complicated court ceremonial.

On November 15, 1747 Franz Gottlieb Speckner was one of the witnesses to the marriage of Mozart's parents. The Mozart family had considered moving to a larger residence as early as December 1765; their quarters on the third floor of the Hagenauer House located in today's Getreidegasse 9 consisted of a kitchen, a chamber and one living room, bedroom and study.

Leopold Mozart wrote to his landlord, Johann Lorenz Hagenauer (1712 - 1792) from the Hague: "For example, where will my daughter sleep? Where will Wolfgang take up his quarters? Where will I find room for him to study and go about his work, which he will be sure to have in abundance? And where will I stay? My children and I should each have his own place so not to trouble the others. Can you possibly have a few more rooms built on?"

After their third journey to Vienna (mid-July to September 25, 1773) the Mozarts moved into their new domicile on the former Hannibalplatz (today's Makart Square 8). The spacious residence was large enough to receive friends and musicians. The actor, theater director and librettist of "The Magic Flute", Emanuel Schikaneder (1751-1812), was a frequent visitor. In this house Wolfgang wrote symphonies, divertimenti, serenades, piano and violin concerti and a bassoon concerto, arias, masses and other sacred music from 1773 - 1780. He composed the "Re pastore" K. 208, began his "La Finta giardiniera" K. 196 and "Idomeneo" K. 366. From 1773 to 1787, the year in which Leopold died, the Mozart family wrote 232 letters of which we have knowledge and a total of 215 letters were received at this address. Many letters were lost or no longer exist. Wolfgang often made fun of his landlady Mitzerl. On December 30, 1774 he wrote his sister from Munich: "... Give my best to the Virgin Mizerl, she shall not doubt my love for her, I constantly see her before me in her beguiling negligée; I have seen many an attractive maiden here but none can match her beauty ." This quotation has caused many Mozart biographers to see Mizerl as a girlfriend of Mozart's but the good housewife was 46 years older than the 18-year-old Wolfgang at that time...

Mozart's mother died in Paris in 1778, Mozart's sister Nannerl married and moved to St. Gilgen in 1784, leaving Leopold to live alone in the spacious quarters. On July 25, 1785 his grandson, Leopold Alois Pantaleon, was born at the house († June 15, 1840 at Innsbruck) and left in the care of his grandfather. The house had various owners after Leopold Mozart's death on May 28, 1787. A bomb struck the house on October 16, 1944, destroying two-thirds of the building. The owner at that time sold the destroyed section to the Assicurazioni Generali, who erected an office building on the site which the International Mozarteum Foundation was able to purchase in 1989. The International Mozarteum Foundation had already purchased the preserved section of the Tanzmeistersaal in 1955 and turned it into a museum. The office building was torn down on May 2, 1994 and reconstruction according to old plans commenced on May 4th.