Funeral Museum Vienna, Folk museum and cultural center in Simmering, Austria.
The Funeral Museum Vienna is dedicated to funeral customs, mourning practices, and ceremonies and is located in Simmering near the Central Cemetery. The museum displays over 1000 objects including hearses, mourning wreaths, pallbearer uniforms, and various items from funeral services and burials.
The museum was founded in 1967 and documents how funeral services and burial practices evolved throughout Vienna's history. It was redesigned in 1987 by architect Wittigo Keller, who gave it a new presentation of its collection.
The collection shows how Viennese culture approached death and farewell through elaborate coffin decorations, mourning wreaths, and ceremonial items from different periods. You can see the differences between social classes and how people conducted farewells in earlier times.
The museum is located near Vienna's Central Cemetery and is easily accessible by public transport or car. Visits are possible on weekdays, so you should check opening times in advance before planning your trip.
The museum holds a foldable coffin from 1784 that Emperor Joseph II introduced as a cost-saving measure, but this practical experiment lasted only six months. The coffin shows how even unconventional ideas were tried once to conserve resources.
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