Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (1656–1723) ranks among the most important master builders of the European Baroque. With buildings such as the Collegiate Church in Salzburg, and the Court Library and St Charles’ Church in Vienna, he created icons of architectural history. Trained in Rome, Fischer combined a deep knowledge of ancient monuments and the latest architectural developments in Italy and France with a remarkable talent for spatial, sculptural, and pictorial design. His spatial and temporal horizons extended far beyond the boundaries of his immediate sphere of activity, which was mainly Vienna and Salzburg: as the visionary author of the first illustrated world history of architecture, which spread his fame throughout Europe in book form during his lifetime, he became a truly world-renowned architect of the Baroque.

To mark the 300th anniversary of Fischer’s death in 2023, Salzburg Museum, in cooperation with Wien Museum, mounted a major exhibition highlighting the architect’s remarkably diverse body of work, his artistic milieu, and the lasting impact of his legacy.