Bezirksmuseum Mariahilf

About the museum

Plans for a Mariahilf local history museum already existed between the World Wars; it opened in 1951 on the initiative of the local historian Fritz Illing, initially at Gumpendorfer Straße 4. In 1982 the museum moved to Mollardgasse 8, a listed building erected in 1914 for the Viennese workers' health insurance fund and regarded as one of the last Art Nouveau buildings in Vienna. The exhibition room on the mezzanine was originally an office of the health insurance fund.

After renovation, the museum reopened in 2008 under the direction of Erich Dimitz. At the same time the Glasmuseum Mariahilf was created in the building; as the first museum for stained glass in Austria, it shows the technique, use and art-historical significance of stained glass, with loans from former workshops of the district such as the Glasmalerei Geyling and the Mollardschule. An outpost dedicated to the Naschmarkt existed until 2024; since 2025 Marcus Bruckmann has directed the museum.

The showpiece is a model, about three by three metres in size, of the Magdalenengrund, once the poorest part of the district, known as the “Ratzenstadl”, as it looked around 1900 shortly before the regulation of the Wien River. It was built by the painter Anton Bienert, who also captured the area in watercolours. Further themes are traditional trades, the Naschmarkt and the Theater an der Wien.

Highlights

• Model of the “Ratzenstadl” around 1900 by Anton Bienert, about nine square metres in size
• Glasmuseum Mariahilf on the technique and history of stained glass
• Objects from the Viennese stained-glass workshop Geyling
• Themes of the Naschmarkt, Theater an der Wien and old trades
• Exhibition room in an Art Nouveau building of 1914

Permanent exhibitions

• Modell des „Ratzenstadls“ – Large model of the Magdalenengrund around 1900, made by the painter Anton Bienert shortly before the regulation of the Wien River.
• Glasmuseum Mariahilf – Permanent presentation on the production, technique and use of stained glass with panes, designs and tools from former Mariahilf workshops.
• Bezirksgeschichte Mariahilf – Display collection on traditional trades, the Naschmarkt and the Theater an der Wien.

Founded

1951

Director

Marcus Bruckmann

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission to all Vienna district museums.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Not yet accessible for wheelchair users; the museum is on the mezzanine.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Entrance Mollardgasse 8, museum on the mezzanine.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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