Mozarteum seeks 1.5 million euros for Mozart birthplace revamp

The Mozarteum Foundation is seeking 1.5 million euros to renew the exhibition at Mozart’s birthplace in Salzburg, ORF reports. The planned redesign, titled “One house. One wonder. Mozart,” will create a new permanent exhibition about the composer’s life.

More than 400,000 visitors a year pass through the former family home on the third floor of the building. The new displays will put key exhibits at the centre of the rooms, with other objects arranged around them. Music, which is not currently heard in the exhibition, will also have a prominent role. Letters will bring the Mozart family’s voices into the presentation.

The museum also plans to display items from its archives, including guest books signed by Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and Princess Anne. Other planned exhibits include original dedication pages from King Ludwig II, the Emperor of Brazil and Peter Rosegger, as well as a memorial book listing donors who helped finance the purchase of the birthplace 110 years ago.

The Berthold Leibinger Foundation, based near Stuttgart in Germany, has pledged 100,000 euros as seed funding. Mozarteum Foundation president Johannes Honsig-Erlenburg said ticket revenue provides an important financial base, but maintaining the buildings and collections makes donations essential.

A fundraising campaign also helped pay for the original purchase during the First World War. Opera singer Lilli Lehmann organised benefit concerts and encouraged musician friends around the world to contribute.

The foundation will hold an open day for Salzburg residents at the birthplace on Austria’s National Day. Renovation work is due to begin immediately afterwards while the museum remains open to visitors.