{"id":5923,"date":"2018-09-20T06:40:42","date_gmt":"2018-09-20T05:40:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=5923"},"modified":"2025-05-22T15:54:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T14:54:31","slug":"augarten-porcelain-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/augarten-porcelain-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"Augarten porcelain museum"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><a href=\"#tickets\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/augartentickets.jpg\" alt=\"Augarten porcelain sign\" class=\"wp-image-83623\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Porcelain production in Vienna dates back to 1718, but its success story shattered like a dropped plate in 1864, when the state-owned manufacturer closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, Augarten brought Viennese porcelain back to life in 1923. Their on-site museum gives you a taste of the history, tradition, innovation, and design culture surrounding the city&#8217;s &#8220;white gold&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Travel through the history of (Augarten) porcelain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plenty of beautiful porcelain on display<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Quick to get around<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Included in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/vienna-pass-review\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3960\">Vienna Pass<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/concerts-opera-vienna-tickets-l206741\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_Augarten\" rel=\"sponsored\">concert experience<\/a>* for your trip<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/vienna-museums\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1682\">Museums in Vienna<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/silberkammer\/\">The Imperial Silver Collection<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Porcelain in Vienna<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/AugartenMuseum.jpg\" alt=\"The Augarten Museum\" class=\"wp-image-41614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/AugartenMuseum.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/AugartenMuseum-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(View toward the premises from the park edge)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first Viennese porcelain company was established in 1718 and led by a chap named Du Paquier. Vienna thus became the site of Europe&#8217;s second-oldest porcelain manufacturer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apparently, Du Paquier used a few questionable business practices to get hold of the production secrets from the oldest (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meissen.com\/en\/\">Meissen<\/a>, founded in 1710 by the Elector of Saxony at the time: the wonderfully-named Augustus the Strong).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1744, the company morphed into the state-controlled <em>Imperial Porcelain Manufactory<\/em> under the aegis of Empress Maria Theresa. Unfortunately, too much competition from elsewhere caused Emperor Franz Joseph to close the facility in 1864.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Porcelain manufacture returned to Vienna, however, almost 60 years later with the creation of the <em>Wiener Porzellanmanufaktur Augarten<\/em> in 1923.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Augarten now counts as one of Austria&#8217;s more prestigious brands. And you find their manufacturing premises around the fully-refurbished <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/augarten-saal-concert-venue\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5927\">Augarten Saal<\/a> in the Augarten park (I sense a theme to these names).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/augartenporcelain1810.jpg\" alt=\"Porcelain tablet with a view of the former Imperial Porcelain Manufactory\" class=\"wp-image-64343\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/augartenporcelain1810.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/augartenporcelain1810-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Porcelain tablet with a view of the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, made in Vienna around 1810; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 115029\/2; excerpt reproduced under the terms of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY 4.0 license<\/a>; photo by Birgit and Peter Kainz, Wien Museum)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Saal dates back to the early 18th century and once served as a venue for classical concerts. This historical building is actually a rebuilt part of an older palace destroyed during an Ottoman invasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, the tract houses the Augarten porcelain museum, a shop, and the <em>Sperling im Augarten<\/em> restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What&#8217;s inside the museum?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To be honest, I wasn&#8217;t entirely sure just how interesting a porcelain museum was going to be, especially if (like me) you don&#8217;t have a particular interest in that branch of human endeavour. But I got a pleasant surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On my visit, the information displays (in German and English) tracked the history of Augarten porcelain since its rebirth in 1923, describing how the artistic approaches and design philosophy changed over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You soon understand how Augarten straddles the interface between historical and contemporary influences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So you have recognition of the baroque, rococo or neoclassical tradition of Augarten&#8217;s predecessors, but equal due given to design innovation (as seen in the impact of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/wiener-werkstatte\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"28911\">Wiener Werkst\u00e4tte<\/a> visual artist community active in Vienna when the company first started up).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><em>Ad:<\/em><br><\/div><div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-cards-layout=\"horizontal\" data-slug-ids=\"exp206741,exp238032\" data-partner=\"visitingvienna\" data-tq-campaign=\"DA_ConcTour\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Glass vitrines around the walls contained porcelain items that illustrated the points made in the information displays, allowing you to track how colours and forms reflected the prevailing zeitgeist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A handy free guide (available in English) also catalogued the contents of each vitrine. Highlights for me were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The porcelain mice and a monkey on a tree from the 1930s<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Princess Tea Blossom figurine from Richard Strauss&#8217;s <em>Schlagobers<\/em> ballet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <em>Vulpine<\/em> perfume flasks with their white and gold animal skull design<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <em>Chamber Monster<\/em> service of 2015, with such delights as a coffee cup with a snake handle and a bowl on legs. Potteresque porcelain, you might say.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The museum also hosts regular special exhibitions.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/augartenporcelainsign.jpg\" alt=\"Augarten Porcelain sign\" class=\"wp-image-46010\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/augartenporcelainsign.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/augartenporcelainsign-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(History, tradition, and skill combined)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tickets\">Tickets &amp; visitor tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time of writing, an adult ticket costs \u20ac8 with concessions available; one-time entry is free with the Vienna Pass (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/vienna-pass-review\/\">read my review<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As well as the museum, you have the shop and the neighbouring coffee house\/restaurant I mentioned earlier. The shop stocked (surprise!) a selection of Augarten porcelain, but also a few souvenir-type gifts, such as a set of paper serviettes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that the flagship Augarten store in the city centre can be found at Spiegelgasse 3: Augarten porcelain is one of my recommended <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/shopping\/souvenirs\/\">Vienna souvenirs<\/a>, but save up your pocket money before you go.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/augartenshop.jpg\" alt=\"Front of a porcelain store\" class=\"wp-image-83620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/augartenshop.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/augartenshop-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(A gateway to porcelain paradise in Vienna&#8217;s city centre: the Augarten flagship store)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you do visit the museum, see if you can get a guided tour of the &#8220;factory&#8221;, which takes you behind the scenes of the manufacturing area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The tour does not reveal big machines, conveyor belts, and bespectacled gentlemen in white coats. At Augarten, ceramic artists make every piece of porcelain by hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I toured during the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/events\/open-house\/\">Vienna Open House<\/a> event and witnessing the staff at work was a true delight. They explained how each piece takes three months to complete, with one artist responsible for that piece throughout the production process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The experience gave me a new respect for Augarten&#8217;s products and a bit more understanding for the price they charge. It certainly felt like a strong appreciation for art and culture lies at the heart of the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few extra tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As mentioned earlier, the likes of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/mozart\/\">Mozart<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/schubert-in-vienna\/\">Schubert<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/beethoven\/\">Beethoven<\/a> once held concerts in the building. Once you&#8217;re done with the museum, sip a coffee and imagine the strains of some stringed instrument drifting across the centuries to you<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The musical theme continues outside: the next-door neighbour is the home of the famous Vienna Boys&#8217; Choir<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Have a look at the park gardens outside the Augarten premises, with their cottage-garden style borders and clipped conifers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the distance, across the Augarten Park, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/wwii-vienna\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"69411\">WWII flak tower<\/a> sits incongruously like a squat extraterrestrial monument&#8230;a crumbling reminder of darker days. It makes a good &#8220;beauty and the beast&#8221; photo motif<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The museum is not too big so quick to get around: the ground floor had about 30 small glass vitrines, for example, typically featuring 2 or 3 objects in each<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to get to the porcelain museum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you find your way to the Augarten park, just follow the signs and maps within. To reach the museum more directly&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tram: Line 31 stops just outside the nearest park entrance to the manufactory complex. Get off at Obere Augartenstra\u00dfe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bus: The same stop is served by bus lines 5A and 5B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subway: If you&#8217;re happy with a short walk, the Taborstra\u00dfe subway station on the U2 line is around 10 minutes away from the museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: Obere Augartenstra\u00dfe 1, 1020 Vienna | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.augarten.com\/de\/\">Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1YUD35XYvGF8gQ6hY3A_Z-Ng-CkmELWqj\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Porcelain production in Vienna dates back to 1718, but its success story shattered like a dropped plate in 1864, when the state-owned manufacturer closed. Fortunately, Augarten brought Viennese porcelain back to life in 1923. Their on-site museum gives you a taste of the history, tradition, innovation, and design culture surrounding the city&#8217;s &#8220;white gold&#8221;. Porcelain [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5924,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5923","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-museums","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5923"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5923\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83625,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5923\/revisions\/83625"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}