Opening hours Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., Saturday (from 1 March to 2 Nov.)
10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Entrance fee € 6, reduced € 5, free admission for children/adolescents until the age of 19
Audioguide € 6 (includes also the tour at the Central Cemetery)

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Funeral Museum at the Viennese Central Cemetery

The 300 square metres modern and interactive company museum of Bestattung und Friedhöfe Wien (Austria's leading funeral director) under the historical funeral parlour 2 at the Viennese Central Cemetery gives the visitors an idea about Viennese funeral ceremonies, the Viennese funeral business, the historical development of Viennese cemeteries and the peculiarities of the Viennese death cult reaching from the end of the 18th century to the present. The quite morbidly called “schöne Leich” (literally translated “beautiful corpse”) is not solely an expression for an extravagant burial but also reveals a certain attitude towards life: death is inescapable – so let’s live with it.

More than 250 objects and visual material from the archives of Bestattung und Friedhöfe Wien are waiting to be discovered. Among other things, a horse-drawn closed carriage for the transportation of the deceased from the time around 1900, numerous uniforms reaching from the lush costumes under the Spanish court ceremonial to today’s simple robes and the first grave book of the Vienna Central Cemetery dating back to 1874. Furthermore, bizarre relicts from a time when people feared to be buried alive, like a special sort of dagger or a life-saving clock for the seemingly dead, are showcased. A fold away coffin dated from 1784 gives an idea of how people were buried in Mozart’s time. Also on display are death notices from different centuries, death crowns, death masks and several coffins, among them an egg-shaped casket in wine red.

Thirteen monitors play videos of which some have never been opened to the public before. Among them are newly discovered and restored film clips of the Austrian film archive that show the funeral of Emperor Franz Joseph I and the glorious funeral procession for Albert Baron Rothschild, who has found his last resting place at Vienna’s Old Jewish Cemetery in 1911. Two raree-shows illustrate different types of funerals in the stiles of different epochs and according to the social classes. An audio-station provides the visitors with the most popular songs recently played at funeral ceremonies.

On the narrative level visitors can follow the chronology of a bereavement: deceased – mourned – transported – buried – remembered. A bridge evolves in the museum area which takes visitors across the floor level through the exhibition so that from here the exhibits, display cases and media stations can be observed. While the surrounding space is in darkness the exhibits and display cases are illuminated in white light, and only the bridge is bathed in yellowish warm light.

The spacious foyer accommodates the museum shop. An additional area of 60 square metres enables topic-related events or special exhibitions. The access to the Museum is barrier-free via a 30-metre-long path downwards. The entrance area is designed with a wall of grave stones and the dates of birth and death of famous personalities.

From 1967 to 2013 the Funeral Museum was located in the former head office of Bestattung Wien in the 4th district, Goldeggasse 19.

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