Legitimacy through History and Architecture. The Vienna Hofburg as Dynastic Hub and Seat of Government between Tradition and Innovation

Abstract

The Hofburg in Vienna was the main seat of the Habsburg dynasty from the thirteenth century until the end of World War I, and has served as the seat of the Austrian Federal President since 1946. The building's architectural traditions provide strong symbolic capital, visualising continuity of power and sovereignty and legitimising this power through history. However, the Hofburg shows clearly that tradition does not remain unchanged, and can even be interrupted and invented anew. Following a brief overview of the Hofburg's construction history, planning processes and its uses from the Middle Ages to the present, this article discusses questions of building typology, iconography and style, the semantics of building materials, the ambivalence between innovation and historical reference (including preservation measures), and correlations between ceremonial and space. All of these allude to both material and cultural traditions offering the possibility of conveying meaning and of raising claims, for example in times of crisis. Even if political systems have changed tremendously, the Hofburg possesses great value as a monument of Austrian history, as a reference point for national identity.