Tiergarten Schönbrunn
One of the oldest zoos in the world is the Tiergarten Schönbrunn. It was founded by the Habsburgs in the Schönbrunn Palace park in Vienna's 13th district of Hietzing in 1752. Since 2020, zoologist Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck has served as the zoo's director. Since 2006, Schönbrunn Zoo has averaged over two million visits annually. On a 17 ha space, it displays about 8,000 animals from 700 species. Schönbrunn Zoo has been named the greatest zoo in Europe five times in a row by Anthony Sheridan's zoo rankings.
The idea for Schönbrunn Zoo originated with Franz Stephan of Lorraine, Maria Theresa's husband. When the Habsburg-Lorraine moved into their new summer home at Schönbrunn, Franz Stephan, who had been elected as Franz I, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations, in 1745, hired architect Jean Nicolas Jadot de Ville-Issey to create a menagerie in the park.
The park was divided into twelve enclosures, each with an administration building with a front garden and similarly sized animal housing. Later, two yards and a pond were added. After roughly a year of development, the menagerie was unveiled to visitors in the summer of 1752. The site's central octagonal pavilion, which was designed as breakfast and social area in 1759, was the last section to be finished. Even today, it continues to serve as the zoo's historical hub. Since 1949, it has been a restaurant.
Year Established: July 31, 1752
Location: Vienna, Austria
