Our Story and Purpose

Schloss Leopoldskron was built in 1736 by Salzburg Prince-Archbishop Leopold Anton Eleutherius Reichsfreiherr von Firmian. The construction of Schloss Leopoldskron was funded by his expulsion of more than 20,000 Protestants from Salzburg. He bequeathed the Schloss to his nephew, Laktanz, who installed a portrait gallery on the top floor to house his large art collection.

For over 90 years, the Schloss remained in the Firmian family before being sold in the 19th century and passed through a series of private owners.

In the 1830s it was acquired by a local gun range owner, who plundered the art collection and squandered the majority of the remaining valuable artworks at an auction. In 1851, King Ludwig I of Bavaria acquired the Schloss and lived there on and off until 1869. Later owners included Austrian politician and poet Alexander Julius Schindler, a.k.a. alias Julius von der Traun, and local banker Carl Spängler.

Max Reinhardt bought Schloss Leopoldskron in 1918, by which time had fallen into a state of disrepair. The theater impresario and founder of the Salzburg Festival reimagined the building’s interiors as a place to celebrate cultural innovation and a place of seamless connection between historic preservation and artistic creativity. He committed his considerable creative talents to the restoration of the Schloss, and with the assistance of Salzburg artisans, he renovated the staircase, the Great Hall, and the Marble Hall.

The Library and the Venetian Room are Reinhardt creations, as are decorations in other salons. Max Reinhardt brought life to Schloss Leopoldskron in literal terms, with his theater productions, audiences, and many friends.

During the Reinhardt years, Schloss Leopoldskron was an important gathering place for theatrical producers, writers, composers, actors, and designers from both Europe and abroad. Together with Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Richard Strauss, Max Reinhardt founded the Salzburg Festival at Schloss Leopoldskron in 1920.

World War II brought an end to the Reinhardt era: Schloss Leopoldskron was confiscated by the Nazis as “Jewish property” following the Anschluss in 1938. Max Reinhardt fled Austria for the US, where he died in 1943.

The Nazis used the Schloss as a guest house for leading artists and cultural figures in the Nazi party as well as local party administrators. Plans were drawn up to transform the grounds in the fascist style of Albert Speer.

Throughout its history, Schloss Leopoldskron has been inextricably linked to cycles of power, persecution, and renewal. Despite dark periods in the history of Schloss Leopoldskron, the cycles of renewal – through vision, enterprise, and cultural and social leadership, and the founding of Salzburg Global Seminar – have ensured that Schloss Leopoldskron has remained a space of creativity, inclusion, and inspiration for people from all over the world.

The Salzburg Seminar in American Studies first rented Schloss Leopoldskron from Max Reinhardt’s widow in 1947 before buying the palace outright in 1959.

Today, Schloss Leopoldskron is both home to Salzburg Global Seminar and a hotel, the revenue of which directly supports our mission: “to challenge current and future leaders to shape a better world.”

Schloss Leopoldskron has always been a living, breathing, working space. But how can a globally minded non-profit make an 18th-century Austrian palace fit for a 21st-century world? Meeting this challenge requires carefully balancing three priorities: historic preservation, revenue generation, and mission.

Physical and Digital

Leopoldskron is a place for bridging divides—political, social, economic, and cultural. The beauty of the Schloss creates the conditions of trust and openness needed for this exchange and collaboration to thrive. In the early years, Fellows slept 30 to a room on army cot beds. Today, Fellows and hotel guests enjoy modern, WiFi-enabled, ensuite bedrooms and suites. In addition to the historic state rooms of the Schloss, Salzburg Global now also has two large high-tech conference rooms, connecting those in the palace to speakers and guests around the world.

Local and Global

Thanks to local partnerships, including with the Salzburg Festival and Landestheater, renovations of the Schloss Park, and the foundation of new Verein “Friends of Schloss and Park Leopoldskron," cultural events such as concerts and theater performances, as well more frequent tours, open days and picnics, have made Schloss Leopoldskron more open to the local community. Local groups who share Salzburg Global’s values are invited to use the Schloss’ facilities for heavily discounted rates. Salzburg Global Fellows and our programs help inform projects—from a community garden to new art installations—making Leopoldskron a place for all.

Accessible and Inclusive

Making sure that both Fellows and guests feel welcome at Schloss Leopoldskron is imperative to us. This means ensuring that the property is accessible—with more wheelchair access, hearing loops in conference rooms, more dietary options, and gender-neutral bathrooms—and addressing contentious artwork no longer appropriate in today’s world. Panels provide context of what must remain, and a new art collection to better reflect the diversity of Fellows and guests has been installed.

Innovative and Transformative

Salzburg Global’s programs have always addressed the most pressing concerns of the day—from post-war reconciliation (1940s), civil rights (1950s), post-colonial development (1960s), environmental protection (1970s), nuclear proliferation and AIDS (1980s), post-Soviet reconstruction (1990s), globalization (2000s) to financial sustainability (2010s)—to build a better tomorrow. Today’s convergent crises need solutions that are intersectional, international, interdisciplinary, intergenerational, and inclusive—all of which are reflected in Salzburg Global’s new program strategy. The latest pedagogies and technologies are embraced to foster ongoing collaboration between both current and future leaders.

Ambitious and Sustainable

Stewardship of Schloss Leopoldskron requires ensuring its longevity and sustainability for decades and even centuries to come—both financially and environmentally. This year sees the completion of an $18-million fundraising campaign. Thanks to private individuals, foundations, corporations, and governments, Salzburg Global can realize its most ambitious plans yet. Over the coming years and decades, the new “masterplan” will see the renovation of every floor of the Schloss—from the cellar to the attic—as well as the Meierhof and Schloss Park, firmly placing Schloss Leopoldskron on the map and renewing its cultural importance in the heart of Europe.

Maintaining this historic property requires continuous care and periodic restoration. We work closely with experts from the National Monument Fund, Klimabündnis Österreich, and across the Salzburg Global Fellowship to both honor Schloss Leopoldskron’s history and secure its future. We receive funding for this work from foundations, private donors—and you! By staying in one of our 55 bedrooms, 12 suites, or two townhouses, hosting your wedding, party, or conference at our discreet and beautiful hideaway, or using our beautiful staterooms or 17 acres of gardens as a backdrop to your photo shoot or film, you are helping to shape a better world. We hope you enjoy your stay with us!