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　 　 Emperor Franz Joseph was born in Schonbrunn Palace in 1830 and spent his last years of his life entirely in Schonbrunn. In 1918, Schonbrunn Palace became the property of the new republic of Austria. Due to its historical importance, its beautiful location and gardens, Schonnbrunn Palace is one of the very top sights in Vienna. Also, the entire complex was added to the UNESCO's world cultural heritage list.

A tour of the Schonbrunn Palace and a chance to see the magnificent apartments of Maria Theresia, her sitting rooms, bedroom and the saloon in which 6 year old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart used to play for the Empress, as well as the parlours and apartments of Imperial couple Franz Joseph and Sissi is a must in Vienna. The interior of the palace is an orgy of frescoed ceilings, crystal chandeliers, huge mirrors and gilded ornaments. When you are exhausted after visiting almost 40 rooms, bear in mind that you have seen less than 3% of the palaces' 1441 rooms!

Early history
In the year 1569, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II purchased the Katterburg, which was located on a large area between Meidling and Hietzing where today Schonbrunn's parks and different buildings are situated. He showed interest in the newly founded zoo, the Tiergarten Schonbrunn, and tried to establish not only a systematic maintenance of wild animals, but also a garden of rare and exotic plants. He is justifiably called the creator of Schonbrunn's garden arrangement.
The new name, Schonbrunn ("beautiful well"), has its roots in a water well from which water was consumed by the royal court in Vienna. During the next century many members of the royal family of Austria spent their summer vacations and hunting excursions in the Katterburg. In the days of the Turkish sieges the Katterburg was nearly destroyed and it appeared to be impossible to restore the castle.

Modern　palace
　Emperor Leopold I gave architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach the order to design a new palace.His first draft was a very utopian one, dealing with different antique and contemporary ideals. His second draft showed a smaller and more realistic building. Construction began 1696 and after three years the first festivities were held in the newly built middle part of the palace.
　Not many parts of the first palace survived the next century because every emperor added or altered a bit on the inner and outer parts of the building. (2)"By order of Empress Maria Theresia of Austria, the architect Nicolò Pacassi reshaped Schonbrunn Palace in a way of the style of the Rococo era." At the end of the so-called Theresianian epoch Schonbrunn Palace was a vigorous centre of Austria's empire and the imperial family.
　In the 19th century one name is closely connected with Schonbrunn's, Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria. He spent the majority of his life here and died on November 21, 1916 in his sleeping room. Through the course of his reign, Schonbrunn Palace was seen as a Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art) and remodelled in accordance with its history.