Innsbruck’s most famous sight is certainly the Golden Roof in the old town. It is not only a landmark of the city, but also an interesting place to learn about the history of Tyrol. Together with the adjacent Golden Roof Museum, it offers visitors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the past and experience the splendor of the imperial era.
The history of the Golden Roof in Innsbruck
In 1420, the Tyrolean Prince Frederick IV had the building on which the famous roof can be seen today built as a residence.
Around 1500, a magnificent bay window was added to the building by order of the German King Maximilian (later Emperor Maximilian I). This extension was intended as a sign of his power and, above all, to show his wealth.
The master builder was Nikolaus Turing the Elder. He was an important architect and sculptor of the late Gothic period who was in the service of Emperor Maximilian I. He created a bay window that is 16 meters wide and whose roof alone is 3.7 meters high.
The beautiful frescoes were created by Jörg Kölderer (court painter to the emperor). If you look closely, you will even spot the emperor on the reliefs on the oriel. He can be seen not just once, but several times, for example with Bianca Maria Sforza and other interesting personalities of the court at the time.
The oriel itself served the emperor as a box from which he could watch tournaments and various events on the main square.
Over the years, the building fell into disrepair and the beautiful oriel fell into oblivion. For a time, the building was used as an administrative building and is even said to have housed a barracks. This only changed at the beginning of the 19th century. Tourism began to grow and the beauty of the bay window and the golden roof shingles were rediscovered.
A legend about the Golden Roof
The legend of the Golden Roof tells of Duke Frederick IV of Austria (who reigned from 1406-1439), who was also known as Frederick with the empty pocket. The citizens mocked him because of his supposed poverty. When Frederick learned of his nickname “Frederick with the empty pocket”, he is said to have said: “I will fill my empty pocket.” He actually managed to increase his wealth through clever financial policies and frugal behavior. He had the roof of his residence in Innsbruck covered with fire-gilded copper plates to shame those who had mocked him. This gilded roof became known as the “Golden Roof” and today stands as a symbol of Frederick’s successful financial management and clever economic policy.
However, this legend does not correspond to the historical facts. According to current knowledge, the bay window of the Golden Roof was only added to the building after 1500, probably during the reign of Emperor Maximilian I. A dendrochronological examination revealed that the roof truss of the Golden Roof was erected after 1497. The idea that Duke Frederick IV built the Golden Roof is therefore a widespread but historically incorrect opinion.
A visit to the Golden Roof
Here we are at the Golden Roof in Innsbruck, the sun is glistening on the shingles and we are looking back at our family history.
Patrick’s parents were in the city in 1964 during the Olympic Games. A look at an old photo album shows us a now yellowed picture from that time. Here we can only guess at the shine of the roof.
1978 – I was 11 years old and was in Innsbruck with my parents at Christmas time. I would have claimed never to have been there before my trip to the city, but thanks to an old photo I was proved wrong. It must have been quite gray in the city, the photo makes the Dachl look very inconspicuous.
In 2024, we are now standing in front of the Golden Roof in Innsbruck, surrounded by many visitors to the city taking photos. Are they as impressed as we are?
What do we know about the reliefs?
If you stand in front of the oriel, you can admire the replicas of the 18 reliefs today. Six originals can be found in the Golden Roof Museum. The artistic sandstone panels are stylistically based on the late Gothic period and are very detailed.
Let us first look at the banner that runs in the background of the relief. The characters that can be seen there are unusual and have not yet been fully deciphered. It is a combination of Latin, Greek and Hebrew letters. Egyptian hieroglyphics are also said to be on display. If you go to the museum, you can see the original relief plates and get an excellent explanation of the problems involved in deciphering them.
If you delve a little deeper into the subject, you will find reports on the Internet in which an amateur historian claims to have recognized the beginning of a Bible verse from the Gospel of John in 2020. Who knows if this is true? Of course, we tried asking our omniscient friend Google and read in a few letters. The result: it couldn’t be translated. It would have been too easy….
Emperor, court jester and morris dancer
The images on the relief show different motifs. A central relief shows Emperor Maximilian I together with his two wives, Mary of Burgundy and Bianca Maria Sforza. This depiction symbolizes the dynastic connections and the political significance of the emperor’s marriages.
Court jesters are depicted on the right-hand side of the bay window. These figures could represent the role of humor and entertainment at the imperial court. A scientist has now proven who the enigmatic jester with the dog’s ears on the front of the bay window actually is. It is said to be Maximilian’s father, Emperor Frederick III. The man to Maximilian’s right is said to be his uncle Duke Sigmund the Rich in Coin, who had helped him out of a financial jam.
I find the morris dancers particularly impressive, with their contorted bodies seemingly completely absorbed in their dance. These dancers are a reference to Maximilian’s fondness for exuberant celebrations and could symbolize the cultural diversity and influence of the time.
The reliefs under the bay window show the coats of arms of the territories over which Maximilian ruled. The coats of arms of Austria, Hungary and the Holy Roman Empire can be seen. These coats of arms illustrate the territorial power and influence of the emperor.
The golden shingles
The eye-catcher of the bay window, however, are the golden shingles. A total of 2657 shingles adorn the roof of the oriel.
The golden shingles of the Golden Roof are made of copper, which is coated with a thin layer of gold. This technique, known as fire gilding, gives the shingles their characteristic shine and at the same time protects them from the weather.
In total, the roof weighs around 3 kilograms.
I find it very curious that 8 shingles were stolen during restoration work in 2012. Just a few days later, 5 shingles were found again in publicly accessible places in Schwanz and Innsbruck. Two shingles were found in a post box in Hall in Tyrol and one shingle was sent by post to the Federal Monuments Office. It is still not known who the perpetrator or perpetrators were.
The fountain
There is a small fountain on the wall directly below the bay window. It provides refreshing drinking water in the summer months.
Over the years, the fountain has changed a lot. In 1485, it was still a draw well and the only way to supply water in the old town. Around 1900, there was still a cast-iron fountain in neo-Gothic style. This had to give way to traffic in 1906.
It was not until 1934 that the merchant and local historian Hans Hörtnagl donated a new fountain to the town. Although it is visually much more inconspicuous, it now hangs on the wall below the bay window and quenches visitors’ thirst.
Golden Roof Museum
The museum was reopened in 2019 and now shows the life of Emperor Maximilian I, everything worth knowing about the famous oriel window and small special exhibitions. The entrance to the museum is located directly below the oriel. A few steps lead up to the entrance area and from there to the exhibition rooms.
But before you enter the rooms, you can take a look into the famous bay window. Of course, you are not allowed to enter it, but there are mirrors on the floor that allow you to see the ceiling and side walls.
It is even possible to take a look at the street and the people standing there. They are really beautiful pictures.
However, I think you can see them even better in the evening when the Golden Roof in Innsbruck is illuminated.
The museum has a small interactive exhibition that is interestingly designed. We were particularly interested in the history of the relief panels – super exciting and I would love to have some knowledge to decipher the inscription.
Good to know
The golden roof is located on a magnificent oriel. It is a gilded roof that was erected by Emperor Maximilian I as a symbol of his power.
The famous gilded roof is located in the old town of Innsbruck. More precisely, it is located in Herzog-Friedrich-Straße on the corner of Pfarrgasse.
This is not possible as it is located in a pedestrian zone.
Innsbruck main station is 800 meters away on foot.
The building and the golden roof can be viewed free of charge from the pedestrian zone, which is open to the public. Only those who also want to see the museum have to pay admission.
Visitor information
Address
Herzog-Friedrich-Straße 15
6020 – Innsbruck
Opening hours
Museum:
Monday – Sunday: 10 -17 h
October to April closed on Monday
Dachl:
always
Entrance fees
Museum:
Adults: 5,50€
With the InnsbruckCard you can enter the museum free of charge.
Dachl:
free of charge
The visit to Innsbruck took place as part of a press trip.
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