Burgenland: The Stations of his Life

Haydn House
Nowhere can the legacy of Joseph Haydn be felt stronger than at the magnificent baroque house in Joseph-Haydn-Gasse 19, Eisenstadt, where the composer lived from 1776 until 1788. Today the house is a museum which hosts a great exhibition on the life and works of Joseph Haydn. Rooms and kitchen are equipped in period furniture. The exhibition shows original portraits of the master composer, as well as some special gems such as a pianoforte from 1780 and the Bergkirche organ table from 1797. First editions and early prints of select works (The Creation) give a good overview of the composer’s musical development.

Garden House and Herb Garden
In addition to the house in Haydngasse, Haydn and his wife Anna Aloysia had bought a so-called ‘kitchen garden’ outside the city walls. Today this herb garden of the Haydn family is neatly groomed and open to the public. The garden boasts old herbs from the times of Haydn and offers a romantic setting for a relaxed afternoon.

Bergkirche Eisenstadt
The Bergkirche in Eisenstadt is one of the most important Haydn memorial sites. Joseph Haydn composed many of his masses for Bergkirche. The church also boasts one of the seven organs on which the master used to play himself. Joseph Haydn has his final resting place in a Mausoleum below the church’s north tower.