The Landhaus Klagenfurt () situated between Heiligengeistplatz and Alter Platz at the edge of the oldest part of downtown Klagenfurt, Austria, is a historically significant secular building in the Carinthian capital. Constructed between 1574 and 1594 as part of the city's expansion and fortification efforts, it was commissioned by the Carinthian Landstand. Today, the Landhaus serves as the seat of the Carinthian state parliament and remains a symbol of Carinthian history and tradition.
Historical background During the late 15th and early 16th centuries, Carinthia was largely left to manage its affairs. The Habsburg princes, residing as emperors in Vienna or Prague, were often absent from the region. Consequently, the responsibility for addressing Ottoman incursions and internal uprisings fell to the Landstände, which represented the nobility and high clergy. In 1478, a peasant uprising in Carinthia arose in response to new taxes. Additional rebellions emerged from Carniola and southern Styria in 1515, leading to the occupation of Althofen and St. Vitus, which was the capital of Carinthia at the time.
Although the uprisings were initially suppressed through military intervention, they strengthened the resolve of the "honorable landscape" to establish a seat of power under their control rather than remaining subject to external rulers. They chose Klagenfurt, which had been severely damaged by a fire in 1514, and petitioned Emperor Maximilian I to transfer control of the city to them. Given that the imperial court and the city lacked the necessary funds for reconstruction, Maximilian granted ownership to the local nobility in 1518. Over the 16th century, the Landstände managed the reconstruction and fortification of the city, ultimately designating Klagenfurt as the new capital of Carinthia.
As early as 1527, the 4.5-kilometer-long Lend Canal was constructed to supply the city with water from Lake Wörthersee, to feed the city moat, which began excavation in 1534, and to serve as a transport route for building materials. The expansion of the city commenced in 1534. Within the newly erected city walls, construction took place south of the old city center, shaping the character of modern-day Klagenfurt. The Evangelical Preacher Church (later known as Klagenfurt Cathedral) was built in 1581, the Lindwurm Fountain was erected on Neuer Platz in 1593, and the Landhaus, constructed between 1574 and 1594, was established as the seat of the Landstände.
History
Preceding buildings in the late Middle Ages Klagenfurt, established at its current location in 1246, was granted city rights in 1252. However, during the late Middle Ages, the towns of St. Veit and Völkermarkt were more prominent as sovereign residences in Carinthia. Despite this, records indicate that a castle was built in Klagenfurt during the town's reconstruction period. Castellans of Klagenfurt are mentioned in 1258, and a document from Duke Ulrich III in 1268 refers to a castle. However, details about the size and location of this castle are sparse, though it is believed to have been situated at the western end of Alter Platz. Neither the Spanheimer dukes of the 13th century nor the Habsburg sovereigns, who acquired the Duchy of Carinthia in 1335, used the castle complex as a seat of power. While the Spanheimers resided in St. Veit, the Habsburgs did not establish a permanent residence in Klagenfurt.
In 1489, the citizens of Klagenfurt were gifted a new castle by the emperor. By this time, a second sovereign castle had already been built during the 15th century. The exact location of this second castle is not well documented, but it was situated near the older castle, with at least part of it occupying the area where the Landhaus now stands.
Construction of the Landhaus (1574–1594)
The Landhaus was intended to replace the old sovereign castle, which had been destroyed in a city fire in 1535 and had already become dilapidated prior to that. To prepare for the construction of the new building, the Landstände began the construction of an armory in 1518, the foundations of which can still be seen in the northeastern corner of the cellar. Ultimately, it was decided to build a new castle starting in 1574.
On March 3, 1574, Hans Freymann from Bleiburg, who served as the regional master builder and chief armorer, received instructions to construct the new castle and oversee the fortification of the entire city. The precise extent of his involvement in the planning and design of the complex remains unclear, and it is no longer possible to determine his specific contributions to the current structure. However, it is believed that he extended an older, square building located at the northwest corner of the Landhaus by adding a hook-shaped wing extending towards the south. This new section included a hall (now known as the Grosser Wappensaal) situated above the basement, the Landstube (currently utilized as a meeting room), and several additional rooms adjoining it to the east. These rooms roughly correspond to the present west and south wings of the building.
By the end of his tenure, the buildings had been completed to such an extent that artistic decoration could begin. After completing this first phase of construction by the end of 1580, the Landstände also acquired the so-called Paradeiserhaus in the immediate vicinity (now Landhaushof No. 3), which has since formed a structural and functional ensemble with the Landhaus.
Freymann was replaced as master builder in 1581, though the reasons for his replacement are unclear. By the autumn of 1580, there is no further evidence of his activity, and he may have died during this period. His successor, Johann Anton Verda, who had previously worked as a stonemason at the Graz Landhaus, played a crucial role in shaping the exterior appearance of the Landhaus. Verda extended the building into a horseshoe shape, added the two-story arcade and accompanying flights of stairs, and constructed the southern tower. The Diet first convened in the Landhaus on December 4, 1581, although the building had already been substantially completed by that time. The final construction element, the Landhaus courtyard gate, which separated the courtyard between the Landhaus and the adjacent building complex "Zur goldenen Gans," was completed in 1594.
Inside, the Great Coat of Arms Hall had been completed in 1578 by the Villach landscape painter Anton Blumenthal, who shortly thereafter contributed 47 portraits of Carinthian princes. Between 1587 and 1588, the building was further completed under the leadership of Christoph Windisch, with significant contributions from the sculptor Ulrich Vogelsang.
The completed Landhaus is depicted in a contemporary account by Urban Paumgartner, a teacher at the Protestant landscape school "Collegium sapientiae et pietatis" in Klagenfurt. While in exile in Lauingen in 1605, Paumgartner composed the epic Aristeion Carinthiae Claudiforum, consisting of 1,000 Latin hexameters. This work describes the newly built city of Klagenfurt in 18 sections and includes a city map, among other illustrations. The Aristeion provides insights about the country house, stating:
Use and importance from the year 1581 The construction of the city fortifications in 1591 and the completion of the Landhaus in 1594 marked a significant turning point for Klagenfurt, transforming it into a major residence for the Landstände, both structurally and politically. The finalization of the Landhaus coincided with the establishment of a Carinthian provincial table in 1591, which redefined the composition of the Landstände and led to the formation of provincial authorities.
The Landhaus served multiple functions. Primarily, it was the meeting place for the Landstände and their committees. Additionally, it hosted the interrogations of provincial governors and the "Landschrannengericht" (provincial law and court proceedings). The building also functioned as a venue for ceremonies; one of the first notable events was a banquet for Archduke Ferdinand II on January 27, 1597, following his hereditary homage. Urban Paumgartner reported on dances held by the Landstände, and the Landhaus became a popular location for wedding receptions for members of the Landstände. The mint of St. Vitus, which had been leased in 1529, was also moved to the new capital. However, the Landstände lost their right to mint coins in 1622 and were required to vacate the mint adjacent to the Landhaus. Shortly after its completion, parts of the Landhaus were rented out for various uses, including as storage rooms for grain.
The Counter-Reformation brought about the re-Catholicization of Carinthian towns, especially Klagenfurt (in 1600 and 1604). The expulsion of Protestant nobility in 1628 led to the consolidation of provincial centralism, and the activities of the provincial parliament were subsequently restricted to affirming provincial demands.
Fire and redesign from 1723
On August 16, 1723, a catastrophic fire struck Klagenfurt, inflicting severe damage on the Landhaus. In the years following this disaster, the building was extensively renovated in the late Baroque style. The south and west façades were embellished with giant pilasters and stucco-decorated window frames. The south tower was fitted with two new bells in 1724, which survived both World Wars. In 1735, Ferdinand Fromiller was commissioned to redesign the Great Hall of Arms, which continued to serve as the central venue for the Carinthian Landstände until 1848. Fromiller's renovations included the installation of a marble floor with a three-color geometric pattern, the addition of a new main portal, and two fireplaces. He also painted the coats of arms of the burgraves, councilors, and other officials in the Small Hall of Arms, which was used as the council chamber for the councilors.
Use in the 18th and 19th centuries The Landhaus, particularly its Great Hall of Arms, was a focal point for festivities in the late 18th century, hosting notable events such as the visit of Amalia of Parma in June 1783 and Archduke Ferdinand of Milan in 1786.
The Napoleonic Wars marked a significant shift in the building's use. The armory of the Landstände was discontinued, though rooms later served as storage for Landwehr weapons. During the French occupation of Klagenfurt in 1809 and 1810, the Landhaus was repurposed as a military hospital, sustaining considerable structural damage in the process.
In 1818, a bust of Emperor Franz I was installed in the Large Hall of Coats of Arms but was replaced by the Fürstenstein in 1870. Another significant addition was the obelisk fountain, created by Christophoro Cragnolini in 1833 for the Landhaushof at a cost of 600 guilders. The fountain remains in place today. Additionally, in 1843, the garden of the Landhaus, formerly a vegetable garden, was redesigned into a park, with its surrounding walls removed as part of this renovation.
From 1843 to 1883, the Landhaus also housed the state museum, which later moved to the Rudolfinum, now known as the Carinthian State Museum. The Historical Association's Museum began operating within the Landhaus in 1844, followed by the Natural History Museum in 1861. A monument hall, located in front of the north wing, displayed various significant exhibits but was dismantled in 1882 during a renovation of the Landhaushof.
In 1896, the state mortgage bank established its offices on the ground floor of the Landhaus, where it remained for three years. By 1914, the building housed several governmental institutions, including the offices of the state parliament and state committee, the state building authority, the state accounting department, and the state treasury.
First Republic