The Residence of Salzburg from the 16th century to 1803

The architectural ensemble in the historical centre of Salzburg is dominated by buildings and edifices which, the most part, were planned and constructed under Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau (1587-1612). Familiar with the grand scale of urban planning and construction undertaken by the Popes, since his years as a student in Rome, Wolf Dietrich felt inspired to open up the narrow confines of his city of residence by erecting monumental buildings and by redesigning squares and streets. Shortly after his election as Archbishop, demolition work was started on the medieval bishop`s court, and a palace twice its size was constructed, meeting contemporary standards as well as the requirements of the Prince-Archbishops who were to reside there during the next 200 years. Only a few architectural elements were changed during that entire period, except for the interior decoration, which was adjusted to prevailing fashion. It was the last Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg (the archbishopric was secularised in 1803), Count Hieronymus Colloredo (1772-1803/1812), who, prompted by the spirit of Enlightenment which he espoused, emptied the Baroque floral courtyards, initiated major structural alterations and converted into offices part of the building`s west wing, where court life had previously flourished. Apart from minor publications addressing primarily the important art finds made in the course of adaptations in recent years, and in particular the unique secco paintings dating from about 1600 (Sala terrena, Map Room, Prince`s private apartments), research literature about the Residence has been limited to short articles in Österreichische Kunsttopographie 1914, a slim brochure issued in 1928, and the "Dehio" text of 1986. In response to the pressing need for stock-taking, which has been recognised for years, the intention now is for an interdisciplinary team (of historians, art historians and curators) to trace not only the history of the construction, art and interior design but also the influences on, the models for and the impacts of the edifice. Beyond that, and with a view to drawing a complete picture of the court`s social fabric, light is to be thrown on aspects such as court protocol, the social status of servants at court, the changing use and function of individual rooms, the court theatre, the court`s music, the kitchen and wine cellar provisions, fresh water supply, etc. The period to be covered extends from the planning and construction work initiated by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau - including a retrospective glimpse of the earlier medieval structures to the secularisation of the archbishopric in 1803 and the incorporation of Salzburg into Austria in 1816, which put an end to the centuries-old purpose of the edifice as the residence of a prince owing fealty directly to the emperor.

The project of a scientific research of the Salzburg Residence was set up interdisciplinary and produced important overall results as well as a multitude of detailed insights. Only few are mentioned as examples: History of Art: for the first time the building sheds as well as stucco artists, involved in the building of the residences buildings around 1600, were researched regarding their geographic origin. Also most of the names could be secured. These results strongly modify the traditional assumptions about the italianit of the Salzburg Residence into a new perspective. Due to the analyzing of all the Salzburg Residence inventories as well as reviewing the records in the respective Austrian and foreign archives and museums it was possible to reconstruct to a great extent the painting collections of the archbishops. The development of an image database and the collection of all existing planning documents demonstrated among other things the present deviations in the room measurements, which are currently levelled by means of state-of-the-art technical equipment. Building history: the Italian builder and architect Vincenzo Scamozzi was determined as the main planner of the residence building. Specifically the daily work and accomplishments of the building process of the court building authorities (repairs, winter-proofing, funding etc.) was detailed. For the first time it was possible to make a complete overview of the building process and the further development of the royal stables by including all available sources. History: due to the quantitative processing of the salary records of two centuries, one of the few continuously existing serial sources, it was possible to analyze the numerical development and costs of the courtiers. The research of ceremonies and representations as well as the supply of the court with beverages and food (including salary allowances and court table) gave important insights into the royal everyday life. The linking of the individual results has led to new questions within residence research. Especially the role and significance of Salzburg has been investigated as an ecclesiastic court in European comparison (court household, efficiency, financing, gifts, patronage, artist, cultural positioning, information system, technologies). A main focus was the positioning of the Salzburg Residence and the Salzburg Court not only within the European power structure, but also within its immediate vicinity. For example, the following areas were particularly investigated: the court as employer, the integration of the residence with the city and its inhabitants or questions regarding the role of the court as economic catalyst for the region (in times of economic recession).