Mechanical Theatre Hellbrunn, Diorama at Hellbrunn Palace, Salzburg, Austria
The Mechanical Theatre Hellbrunn is a diorama containing more than 140 moving figures and static characters portraying an entire village from the 1700s. The scenes display various trades and occupations, from mill workers to musicians, all arranged in miniature form.
The diorama was set in motion in 1748 by Lorenz Rosenegger von Dürrnberg to replace an earlier non-functional forge from 1741. It emerged as an artistic creation during an era when such mechanical wonders were fashionable at European palaces.
The figures depict craftspeople and workers going about their trades and daily routines from the 1700s. They show how different professions operated and what life looked like in that era.
Access to the theatre comes through Hellbrunn Palace, and the scenes can be viewed from multiple levels. It is best visited during daylight hours to see all the fine details of the small figures and their movements clearly.
The diorama operates entirely on water power, which moves the figures and even plays an organ with compositions by Mozart. This hydraulic system is over 270 years old and still works by the same principles as it did from the beginning.
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