Vienna closes museums and cuts opening hours amid austerity

Vienna, the Austrian capital, will temporarily close several famous composer museums this year as part of citywide budget cuts, officials announced Wednesday. Locations affected by the closure include the apartment where Franz Schubert died, the residence of Johann Strauss and the former home of Joseph Haydn. Schubert’s birthplace will also be closed for redesign ahead of the 200th anniversary of Schubert’s death in 2028.

Matti Bunzl, director of the Vienna Museums, which oversees several of the affected historic sites, described the measures as necessary austerity measures. “We all have to economize. This is the reality we live in,” he said in a statement.

The cuts come against the backdrop of wider cost-saving measures in Vienna, which will also see public transport fares rise by almost 30% on some fares.

Although the affected museums generally keep a low profile and have minimal staffing costs, the closure is expected to last up to two years, said Finance Director Christina Schwarz. The city’s culture budget has dropped from €29.7 million in 2025 to €28.4 million this year, with further cuts planned for 2027. Schubert’s apartment has been closed, and the Haydn House and Strauss residence are scheduled to close on March 2.

Vienna’s rich musical and artistic heritage, nurtured over centuries under Habsburg patronage, includes figures such as Mozart, Beethoven, Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. The city continues to showcase its classical reputation internationally, with the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concerts broadcast to millions of people around the world each year.

In addition to the composer-focused museum, several other institutions will also have reduced opening hours. These include the Prater Museum, Villa Hermes, the Otto Wagner Church and the two Otto Wagner pavilions at Schitzing and Karlsplatz.

The closures prompted criticism from Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), which objected that high-profile events such as the Vienna Festival, known for its politically charged programming, would not be affected by the cuts.

City officials stressed that the temporary closures and reduced hours are part of a broader effort to balance public spending while continuing to protect Vienna’s cultural heritage, with many attractions expected to fully reopen once funding stabilizes.