Freimaurermuseum Schloss Rosenau

About the museum

Rosenau Castle in the Waldviertel owes its present form to Leopold Christoph Count Schallenberg, who in the early 18th century had his inherited property expanded into an imposing Baroque castle. Renowned artists of the time took part, including the master builder Joseph Munggenast and the painters Bartolomeo Altomonte, Daniel Gran and Johann Rinculin, whose frescoes contain numerous Masonic symbols.

On the second floor, a ritual room for a Masonic lodge was set up around the middle of the 18th century. This secret only came to light again when the province of Lower Austria acquired and restored the partly dilapidated castle in the 1970s: the frescoes emerged from beneath overpainting, the temple was returned to its original condition and furnished with period furniture. It is still used for ritual meetings today.

Since 1975 the castle has housed Austria's only Freemasonry Museum. It is run by the non-profit Museum Association Schloss Rosenau in cooperation with the Grand Lodge of Austria; the board and the academic team work on a voluntary basis. The exhibition leads through the eventful history of Freemasonry in Austria – from Francis Stephen of Lorraine and the heyday under Joseph II through bans and persecution to the re-founding in 1945 – and explains its ideas, symbols and rituals. In 2019 the museum was again awarded the Austrian Museum Seal of Quality.

Highlights

• 18th-century Masonic ritual room, still in use today
• Baroque frescoes with encoded Masonic symbols
• History of Freemasonry in Austria from 1742 to the present
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as a Freemason
• Symbols, ritual objects and historical documents

Permanent exhibitions

• Geschichte der Freimaurerei in Österreich – A tour through almost three centuries of Austrian lodge history – from the first Viennese lodges through bans, border lodges and persecution in the Nazi era to the present.
• Der Freimaurertempel – Rediscovered ritual room from the time the castle was built, restored and furnished with 18th-century furniture.
• Ideenwelt, Symbole und Rituale – Ritual objects, symbols and documents explain the Freemasons' ideas and customs, complemented by a section on Mozart.

Founded

1975

Operated by

Museumsverein Schloss Rosenau, Österreichisches Freimaurermuseum

Admission & discounts

Free admission with the Niederösterreich-CARD.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

By car on the B38 to Zwettl, take the "Weitra" exit on the bypass and follow the "Schloss Rosenau" signs.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Café-restaurant of the Schlosshotel Rosenau with castle terrace; museum shop in the castle.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Event rooms of the Schlosshotel for lodge meetings, meetings, company events and weddings; enquiries to the Schlosshotel Rosenau.

Plan your visit