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Places of Interest in Vienna
Military History Museum (Heeresgesichtliches Museum)
Arsenal, A-1030, Wien, Tel: 797 65-0, Website: www.bmlv.gv.at, U-Bahn: Südbahnhof
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The Military History Museum is appropriately housed in the Arsenal, a huge complex built in 1849 to serve as a munitions factory and barracks for the Emperor’s Imperial troops.
The museum was actually created on the orders of Emperor Franz Joseph I as a showcase for his army. Although they were well-known for their pomp and grandeur, the army was not a particularly effective fighting force (as the problems in Hungary during 1848-49 had proved) with the Emperor often having to rely upon foreign armies (such as those of Russia) to get the Empire out of tricky situations.
The museum covers military history from the Thirty Years War to end of World War II. Highlights include a fine display of Uniforms worn by the Imperial Army, the car in which Archduke Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated during their trip to Sarajevo (which acted as the catalyst for World War I), weapons and other memorabilia from World War I. As a plus, there’s also an interesting display on the upheavals in Vienna between the two World Wars, a period when the city was racked by violence and virtual Civil War.
