Our programme for secondary level I Lower school and Middle school

Travelling back in time together: Do you want to discover pyramids in Ancient Egypt or meet ancient heroes? Want to discover the secrets of Renaissance and Baroque painters or marvel at precious objects made of gold, coconut, or ivory? Our art educators will introduce you to one of the museum's collections! In the Hofburg and Wagenburg, they reveal interesting facts about knightly fashion made of steel, specific musical instruments, imperial crowns, or vehicles in which the Habsburg family travelled by coach. 

Exchange ideas, join in, find your own voice – we meet at the museum to talk about art! We focus on a few works of art and think about how we can put what we see into words. Special museum books full of tasks developed in co-operation with researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen help us to do this. Choose from several units or visit us more often and do the whole workshop series!

Paintings do not usually depict real events, but are products of the painter's imagination. But what makes a picture exciting? Which moment of a story is portrayed? How are figures and objects arranged on the surface? Together we will look for answers to these and similar questions by taking a close look at the composition of some famous paintings.

There are more elephants and rhinos in the Kunstkammer than in any zoo in the world! However, they are not always easy to spot. Go in search of the pachyderms and discover some amazing things: When was the first elephant brought to Vienna? How did people imagine rhinos? And why were the grey giants so popular with rulers of the past? 

Have you ever heard of Hercules, Odysseus, or Ariadne? Ancient myths often tell of heroes who experience exciting adventures: They bravely face fearsome monsters or use strength and cunning to put a stop to their opponents. Learn more about the glorious deeds and misadventures of ancient heroes, in which the gods usually had a hand.

Have you ever seen statues, sarcophagi, or papyrus scrolls from Ancient Egypt? You have probably noticed the many enigmatic characters. These are hieroglyphs and of course they all have a meaning! We will try to find out what this strange writing is all about and decipher some of it together.

Everyone has heard of mummies! But are you brave enough to meet one? Here at the museum you have the opportunity to do just that: We will discuss how and why the dead were mummified in Ancient Egypt, how expensive this was, and which objects were a must in Ancient Egyptian tombs. 

What is a suit of armour used for? And what, please, is a cuirass? What are jousts and mummeries, and what happens during them? You can find out in the Imperial Armoury, where you can see numerous magnificent suits of armour and ceremonial weapons. They were worn during jousting tournaments and military campaigns or on festive occasions such as coronations or weddings. Discover the most expensive and probably heaviest fashion of all time!