Kasino am Schwarzenbergplatz

The Kasino, which has been affiliated with the Burgtheater since the 1980s, has a capacity of up to 250 seats. The palace, designed by architect Heinrich von Ferstel and erected in 1869, was the residence of Archduke Ludwig Viktor, Emperor Franz Joseph’s youngest brother. In 1910 the building was placed at the disposal of the Militärwissenschaftlicher und Casinoverein.

In 1863, when Ludwig Viktor was just 21 years old, Archduke Ludwig Viktor, Emperor Franz Joseph’s youngest brother, commissioned the construction of a distinguished palace on the corner of Schubertring and Schwarzenbergplatz. With the exception of the Hofburg, this was the first building on the newly emerging Ringstrasse that served as a residence for a member of the imperial family. As a result, the Ringstrasse became a highly desirable residential address. The architect was Heinrich von Ferstel, who had already made a name for himself with the Votivkirche. Completed in 1869, the palace was the first element of the uniformly designed Schwarzenbergplatz.

Ludwig Viktor hosted a large number of parties here in the years that followed. Eventually, however, after several scandals, he spent more and more time at Schloss Klessheim in Salzburg and no longer used his palace in Vienna very much. In 1900 the building was extensively renovated and then placed at the disposal of the Militärwissenschaftlicher und Casinoverein in 1910. To this day, the Neustädter Offiziersverein is based in the building. In addition, it serves as a rehearsal and performance venue for the Burgtheater.