Kriminalmuseum Vienna: Exploring Austria's Sensational Criminal Cases and Forensic History

The Kriminalmuseum (Crime Museum) documents sensational Austrian criminal cases from past centuries, including various forms of capital punishment. Housed in one of Leopoldstadt's oldest buildings, it presents a comprehensive look at criminal history, from medieval reports to modern newspaper articles, detailing diverse crime types and investigative methods.

Visitors to the Kriminalmuseum (Crime Museum) are advised to have strong nerves, as the exhibition showcases Austria's most sensational criminal cases from recent centuries, alongside various forms of capital punishment. The museum is situated in the 'Seifensiederhaus,' one of the oldest buildings in Vienna's 2nd district, Leopoldstadt, rebuilt in 1685 after the Ottoman siege. The exhibition extensively covers murder reports from the Middle Ages to the present day, spanning from the visual panels of ballad singers and flyers with biographies of famous criminals to contemporary newspaper articles. It details crime categories such as poisonings and crimes of passion, as well as featuring Austria's most notorious serial killer, Jack Unterweger. The scope extends to political crime in Austria, including 19th-century bourgeois uprisings, imperial assassinations, the murder of the Minister of War Latour, and anarchist attacks, up to the kidnapping of industrialist Palmers and the OPEC hostage-taking in 1975. The development of police forces and their investigative techniques is also addressed. Crime scene photographs, court documents, and relics of executed criminals make the museum an unusual memorial to death, with the Alt-Wiener Café in the courtyard offering a pleasant contrast.

The museum offers audio guides in multiple languages. Normal admission including an audio guide costs €15.00, with a reduced price of €10.50. A 30% discount is available with the Vienna City Card. Opening hours are Thursday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, including holidays. Guided tours for groups are available by arrangement.