There is now a museum dedicated to Johann Strauss and his dynasty at the revitalized original Strauss venue, the House of Strauss in the former Casino Zögernitz. The King of Waltz himself once played in the Strauss Hall. Delicious Viennese cuisine is served at the House of Strauss Kulinarium.
One of Johann Strauss’ original apartments has been preserved intact in Praterstraße. It was here that he composed the Blue Danube waltz.
The Strauss story would not be complete without a mention of St. Stephen’s Cathedral: it was the location of his first wedding on August 27, 1862 to Jetty Treffz.
It goes without saying that Johan Strauss II is presented in Vienna’s interactive sound museum, the Haus der Musik. Visitors can conduct the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra playing the Blue Danube using the “virtual conductor”.
Vienna’s most-photographed monument is the golden Johann Strauss Monument in the Stadtpark.
Every year, the New Year’s Concert performed by the Vienna Philharmonic is broadcast to and followed along by millions of people all over the world from the Golden Hall of the Vienna Music Society. Johann Strauss II’s “On The Beautiful Blue Danube” is a traditional feature of the concert. Johann Strauss II conducted the waltz “Freut Euch des Lebens” here in 1870, which he had composed for the opening ball of the recently constructed building of the Vienna Music Society.
Johann Strauss married his second wife, Angelika Dittrich, in the Karlskirche (Church of St. Charles).
The Johann Strauss Museum - New Dimensions, directly opposite the Secession with its golden leafwork dome, presents itself as an immersive, informative, interactive experience. The innovative Art & Tech permanent exhibition guides visitors through the biography of the Waltz King.
The MusikTheater an der Wien was the venue for the first performance of 13 of Johann Strauss II’s 15 operettas, including “Die Fledermaus” and “Der Zigeunerbaron”.
The premiere of Johann Strauss II’s opera “Ritter Pásmán” took place in the Vienna State Opera in 1892. In 1894, the audience congratulated its Waltz King with thunderous applause to mark the 50th year of his career. On May 22, 1899, the 74-year-old Strauss conducted the overture to his “Die Fledermaus”.
Hall XVII of the Collection of Historic Musical Instruments is devoted to Viennese music and Johann Strauss II. Objects such as the “Polyphon” and the “Living Picture"” document his music and the musical traditions of the time. Some of the instruments on display, such as the Geissenhof violin, were played in his orchestras, while the Schweighofer grand piano was even played by Strauss personally.
In Strauss’ day, the Volksgarten was a popular amusement park with its own coffee house. Johann Strauss II played the orchestral version of the Blue Danube waltz with his orchestra here for the first time in 1867. Today revellers can party here in the Volksgarten Clubdisco.
The magnificent Festsaal (ballroom) in the City Hall was opened in 1890 for the first ball hosted by the city of Vienna, for which Strauss composed his Rathausball dances. Emperor Franz Joseph was in attendance.
Johann Strauss II was laid to rest in the Central Cemetery. Europe’s second largest cemetery has much more to offer besides: an Art Nouveau church, a funeral museum, walking trails, fauna & flora, an e-bus and a coffee house.
TIP: Follow in the footsteps of Johann Strauss with ivie
For all those who want to be guided via smartphone: The Johann Strauss audio walk in the ivie city guide app tells you where you can experience the music star, where he lived and where he performed. With music by the Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra. Free download! (Languages: German, English).
