Museum at the Cathedral

The Museum at the Passau Cathedral is situated in the Residence building and displays masterpieces of art ranging from the Romanesque period up to the present. The so-called major court hall was the site of the festivities celebrating the wedding of Emperor Leopold I of Austria to Eleonora, daughter of the Palatine Count and Duke of Palatine-Neuburg in 1676. Today the room is used for special exhibitions, focusing on contemporary art.

In 1694 Johann Carlone created frescoes for the former Prince-Bishop’s library. After extensive restauration between 1984 and 1986, they can now be seen in their original splendor. They show an illusionist architecture with personifications of various arts and sciences. The spacious room combines its historical furnishings with the Baroque collection of books, and valuable objects from the Cathedral treasury. The overall effect provides visitors with a rich experience.

The exquisite Rococo stucco work above the magnificent staircase in the New Residence, was executed in 1768 by Johann Baptist Modler. The ceiling painting by Johann Georg Unruhe, a student of Paul Troger, shows us the Olympian heaven with its gods and goddesses, who tirelessly watch over the well being of the inhabitants of Passau.