THE PLACE TO FEEL HISTORY

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

Those who come to Salzburg do so because of him. He was a musical genius, bon vivant and star with everything that goes with it. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart shaped this city like no other. Join us on a search for clues.

We will take you on a walk through Salzburg and show you all the places and sites associated with Mozart. So that you don’t miss any of the sights on your next visit to Salzburg.

Mozart’s birthplace

The child prodigy was born on January 27, 1756 in the city of Salzburg. His birthplace is still preserved today and is one of the city’s most important sights and almost a landmark. The yellow-painted house in the middle of Getreidegasse is impossible to miss. Today, the beautiful house is a museum where you can learn all about the artist’s life and work.

Mozart spent the first years of his life in an attic apartment at Getreidegasse 9, together with his father, a prince-bishop’s chamber musician, court composer and later vice-chapelmaster, his mother and his sister Maria Anna, called Nannerl.

Many successes and just as many trips

Mozart began his musical training at the age of 4. His father taught him and his sister and Mozart’s great talent soon became apparent. In the following years, Mozart and his family traveled throughout Europe, to Vienna, the imperial court and Italy. Numerous compositions were already published during this time and Mozart gave countless concerts and premieres.

Mozart and his family lived in the house at Makartplatz 8 from 1773 to 1781. He had already been appointed concertmaster of the Salzburg court orchestra in 1772. The family occupied the rooms on the second floor, which today, as the “Mozart Residence“, contain a lovingly designed museum about Mozart’s work and his time in Salzburg.

The house was largely destroyed during the Second World War and faithfully reconstructed in the 1990s. Today you can find Mozart’s original fortepiano, portraits and documents.

Mozart leaves Salzburg

Mozart did not feel comfortable in his position as concertmaster and with all his duties and commissions. After reaching an agreement with the prince archbishop, he left Salzburg for good in 1781 to settle in Vienna.

The city has dedicated two monuments and a square to its child prodigy, which you should definitely visit during your visit to Salzburg. A statue of the artist is located on Mozartplatz, right next to Salzburg Cathedral and Residenzplatz. It was built back in 1842. The marble plinth on which the statue stands was donated by King Ludwig I of Bavaria. He was a great admirer of Mozart’s works.

Another bust can be seen on the Kapuzinerberg. It was erected in 1877 and stands not far from the monastery. Originally, the Magic Flute House was located behind the monument. This was moved from Vienna and Mozart is said to have written parts of his opera of the same name in it. Today, the Magic Flute House is located in the garden of the Mozarteum.

Mozart in Vienna

From 1781, Mozart lived in Vienna as a freelance artist. He also married his wife Constanze there and had six children with her. He enjoyed great success, but his final years were characterized by economic problems. However, this did not prevent Mozart from creating a large number of compositions and masterpieces until his early death on December 5, 1791.

One of Mozart’s numerous apartments in Vienna is still preserved today at Domgasse no. 5 in the 1st district. He lived here from 1784 to 1787. An integrated museum shows the life and work of Mozart during his time in Vienna.

If you would like to follow in Mozart’s footsteps in Vienna, you can visit a memorial in the Burggarten. The marble sculpture was erected in 1896 and has been in the castle garden since 1953. Further monuments and graves of honor can be found at the St. Marx cemetery, where Mozart was buried, and at Vienna’s Central Cemetery.

Mozart today

If you want to experience Mozart’s music, there are numerous concerts in Salzburg and Vienna. Numerous concerts are held at the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg, where you can also visit the above-mentioned Magic Flute House (only in summer).

Every year around Mozart’s birthday on January 27th, the Mozart Week takes place in Salzburg. National and international artists and orchestras dedicate themselves entirely to the works of Mozart. This year, due to the current situation, the Mozart Week will be held as an online format.

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