Tirol Celebrates the Maximilian Year 2019

Principally known for his policy of dynastic marriage, Maximilian I is one the most popular Habsburg emperors. Through inheritance, wars, and marriages Maximilian succeeded in making considerable extensions to the Habsburg dominions. He paved the way for the Habsburg dynasty to become a European power of the first rank. Maximilian’s principal residence was at Innsbruck, which was expanded during his reign. He based the imperial court in Innsbruck in the 1490s, suddenly placing this provincial Alpine town at the heart of European politics and culture. He promoted science and the arts and he left his mark throughout Innsbruck. He had a huge hand in turning Innsbruck into the amazing town so loved by tourists today. He successfully stylized himself as the embodiment of the medieval ideal. He aimed at reviving medieval traditions in a new guise. He was open to modern methods of administration and technical innovations in warfare. He ranged far and wide. He was constantly on the move. He was a soldier, an avid hunter, a would-be Pope, a knight and an Emperor. In fact, he was so many things that some claim this ruler seems to have had more than one life. But above all things, Maximilian I was a lover and patron of the arts. Thus, the Maximilian Year 2019 commemorates the 500th Anniversary Year of Emperor Maximilian’s death with an array of events and activities.

Concerts & Exhibitions

Emperor Maximilian’s rich architectural legacy is still evident in Innsbruck, in places like the Golden Roof, the Imperial Palace and the Court Church. In 2019, a series of over 100 events is dedicated to shed a light on the rule of the intriguing Habsburg sovereign. Ambras Castle and the Golden Roof Museum celebrate the 2019 Anniversary Year with special exhibitions and a Music Theater Festival shows Emperor Maximilian’s influence as a patron of the arts and music at different locations throughout Tirol.