On August 13, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., renowned economic historian Roman Sandgruber will present his book *Habsburg: The World’s Most Important Dynasty*, published in 2025.

Three-quarters of a millennium ago, the Habsburgs began their rise to global power. Five hundred years ago, in 1526, the fateful Battle of Mohács cleared the way for the Habsburgs to claim the Bohemian and Hungarian crowns, and thus to establish the Habsburg Danube Monarchy, which lasted until 1918. It is with good reason that the Habsburgs are considered the most important dynasty in world history. They shaped the Salzkammergut from the very beginning. It was the Habsburgs who created the Salzkammergut. In 1311, Queen Elizabeth—the highly capable businesswoman and widow of Albert I, to whom the Ischl region had been granted as a personal widow’s estate—granted the citizens of Hallstatt important salt trade privileges. Under Rudolf II, the brine pipeline from Hallstatt to Ebensee was built and the Ebensee saltworks opened. And in the 19th century, the Habsburgs laid the foundation for Ischl’s rise to prominence and the development of the Salzkammergut as a tourist destination. To this day, Ischl remains the true home of the Habsburgs, where their memory is most deeply cherished.

Following the presentation, the book will be available for purchase and signing.

Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 3:00 p.m.

Admission: Free
To register, visit: info@stadtmuseum.at