A Research Project on Portraits of Grazers

Bring your knowledge to the museum! – Now also online…

Many people in Graz still remember the Krebsenkeller as the gastronomic “institution”: A meeting spot for a wide variety of people in one of the oldest buildings in Graz, which already housed a tavern in the 16th century. Since the Wunder family took over the inn in 1922, excellent cuisine and cosiness were joined by another characteristic that made the atmosphere unmistakable: a more and more extensive collection of drawings that decorated almost every room.

These were the portraits of the regular guests, created by the artists Robert Voit and Franz Felix Xaver Thür. Where the politician was hanging next to the street sweeper, they were probably also sitting next to each other at the table. The professions of the people depicted alone create stories from Graz. The GrazMuseum was able to acquire 218 portraits and tried to obtain information on the portrayed in cooperation with visitors. The knowledge gathered in the research project is based on subjective memories, which are therefore not binding and we would like to invite you to add something to it. Take a tour through our virtual gallery, which now presents the findings of the research project. Maybe you remember the one or other piece of information—we ask you again to share your knowledge with us by using the contact form directly next to the respective pictures.