Funeral Museum Vienna: A Journey Through Burial Culture

During the peak of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, there was a significant societal focus on remembrance and ensuring a grand send-off, with over eighty private funeral companies competing in Vienna.

In 1951, Bestattung Wien, the Undertaking Service of Vienna, was officially appointed as the sole funeral company responsible for services within the city.

The Funeral Museum Vienna was founded in 1967, later being designed by Wittigo Keller in 1987, to document funeral customs and funerary art.

The design of the Funeral Museum Vienna was undertaken by Wittigo Keller in 1987, contributing to its current presentation.

The museum is situated in Vienna's 4th district at Goldeggasse 19, in proximity to the Belvedere palace.

The museum displays elaborate black uniforms and regalia that were worn by pallbearers, originating from the French pompes funèbres.

A notable exhibit is the re-usable coffin instigated in 1784 by Emperor Joseph II as an attempt to save wood and hasten decomposition, featuring a trapdoor for bodies.

Protests from Viennese citizens led to the cancellation of Emperor Joseph II's law regarding re-usable coffins within six months of its implementation.

By court decree on May 29, 1825, it was mandated that all deceased individuals must be placed in a sealed coffin before being lowered into the ground.

The museum features a device with a cord attached to the deceased's hand, designed to ring a bell above ground to guard against premature burial.

The Vienna Undertakers' Museum, part of the Funeral Museum, contains over 600 artifacts that document the historical Viennese interest in death and burial practices.

The funeral Vienna GmbH has announced plans to establish a new administration building opposite the Zentralfriedhof, on the main street near cemetery gate 2, in the Simmering district.