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Early Conservation of Archaeological Monuments under the Habsburg Monarchy

From the mid-18th century onwards, scholarly societies known as academies sprang up all over Europe. These societies not only institutionalized research but held the generation and dissemination of knowledge to be the shared task of educated society, with a special emphasis on history. In 1765, following a previous, unsuccessful proposal by Wilhelm Leibniz, Gottfried Friedrich Klopstock renewed the call for the foundation of an academy to promote literary and scientific activity in Vienna. The reason for its rebuff was the general lack of enthusiasm for scholarship among the Imperial household, a disinterest which manifested itself in a number of ways. The mythos of an illustrious past and a shared ancestry, which seemed to be scientifically corroborated by the results of new archaeological excavations, strengthened the nationalist ideas of the 19th century, and turned archaeological monuments into visible symbols of historical facts and common origins. In many European states, this shared history, and the archaeological evidence that proved it, thus became an integrating component of national identity. Even in the Habsburg monarchy there is evidence of an increasing appreciation of the Roman heritage, but since the different nations of the multinational confederation of states saw the newly excavated prehistoric and early historical monuments as part of their own histories, the effect of archaeology on the Habsburg Empire was divisive, rather than unifying. These trends, pulling in different directions, made the management of historic monuments at state level impossible. Moreover, unlike other ruling houses, the Habsburgs did not actively promote archaeology; Leopold II, during his period as ruler of Tuscany, and Archduchess Maria Anna being among the few exceptions. In the various regions of the Austrian Empire the first archaeological societies developed long before the mid-19th century, with enthusiastic scholars contributing to the portfolio of archaeological monuments with groundbreaking discoveries and efforts at conservation. In Vienna – the capital and royal seat – by contrast, the general attitude of the monarchy was obstructive, so that the first archaeological association in Vienna was only founded in 1853. The same period, following the revolution of 1848, saw the foundation of the Institute of Austrian Historical Research and the Central Commission for Monument Conservation.