Style & History
The elegant Palais Daun-Kinsky located on Vienna’s Freyung is one of the city’s most impressive historical buildings. Built between 1713 and 1716 for Philipp Laurenz Graf von und zu Daun, the Palais is a pièce de résistance of baroque architecture. At the end of the 18th Century marriage placed the building in the hands of the royal Kinsky family who presided over this architectural gem for over 200 years.
All artists involved in the construction and decoration of the structure were renowned celebrities of their métier at the time. The constructer Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, for instance, was the star architect of his age. Alberto Camesina was responsible for the ornate decorative plasterwork. The breath-taking ceiling fresco above the stairway was designed by Carlo Innocenzo Carlone. Together with Marcantonio Chiarini he also created the magnificent ceiling panel in the Ovaler Festsaal.
Palais Daun-Kinsky stands out thanks to it its multi-faceted room design as well as its grand ceiling stuccoes, its breath-taking quadrature paintings and its numerous sculptures.
Enclosed you will find the detailed, tabular history of the Palais:
Tabular History
| Architectural style: | Baroque |
| 1713 | Edification by the architect Lukas von Hildebrandt for Wirich Philipp Lorenz Earl Daun Prince von Thiano, after his death the Palais is left to his son, Leopold Joseph Maria Earl Daun. |
| 1746 | Sale of the Palais for financial reasons, to Johann Josef Reich Earl Khevenhüller zu Aichelberg. |
| 1761 | Sales of the Palais to Ferdinand Bonaventura Earl of Harrach |
| 1778 | The Palais is inherited by his daughter Maria Rose Aloisia Catharina who was married to Earl Joseph Kinsky of Wchynitz and Tettau the year before. |
| 1807 | Inheritance to Rose's son Ferdinand Johann Kinsky |
| 1812 | Ferdinand's death, inheritance of the Palais to his eldest son Rudolf |
| 1836 | Rudolf dies, the new owner, his son Ferdinand Bonaventura – at this point only two years old – later has financial troubles. The Palais maintains a high social impact status through his marriage to Princess Maria Anna of Liechtenstein. |
| 1904 | Death of Prince Ferdinand Kinsky, inheritance of the Palais to his son Karl |
| 1919 | Karl dies childless; the Palais is inherited by his younger brother Prince Rudolf Ferdinand, who, due to his advanced age, bequeaths the house to his nephew Ulrich Ferdinand. |
| 1919 | The Kinsky family lose their baronial identity imposed by the Law of Nobility Abolishment of 1919 at the end of the Habsburg monarchy |
| 1919 | Parts of the Palais are force-let by Vienna city council due to housing shortage. Ulrich Ferdinand dies suddenly in 1938 and the Palais is confiscated by the German Armed Forces during the course of the Second World War. |
| 1986 | Franz Ulrich, son of Ulrich Ferdinand who grew up in Argentina during the turnmoil of war, sells the Palais on June 12th |
| 1997 | A private trust buys the Palais after a line of short time owners and extensively renovates it between 1998 and 2000 |
| 2001 | In May, founding of the Palais Events Veranstaltungen GmbH by the Private Trust as operating company, with the Wiener Börsensäle as its first member. |
| 2001 | In October, Palais Events Veranstaltungen GmbH absorbs part of Palais Ferstel and Café Central. |
| 2002 | In August, Palais Daun-Kinsky is integrated into the Palais Events Veranstaltungen GmbH. |
| 2011 | Inclusion and now member of Verkehrsbüro Group. The excellent in-house cuisine and service still exclusively attend all events. |
More famous buildings by Lukas von Hildebrandt:
Chateau Mirabell, Salzburg
Chateau Belvedere, Vienna
Palais Schwarzenberg, Vienna
Decisively influences the building of the Wurzburg Residence
Combi ticket river cruise & Viennese coffee break
Now available: combi package "Danube ship cruise & Viennese coffee break" at Café Central!
Participation of Trade Shows 2012
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