Rudolf IV and the cathedral treasure
The strongest first stop is Duke Rudolf IV, the Habsburg ruler tied to the Gothic rise of Stephansdom. His 14th-century portrait, burial shroud, reliquaries, liturgical vessels, and jeweled objects make the treasury feel personal rather than abstract, because the cathedral is waiting outside the door.
Otto Mauer's modern turn
Then the mood shifts. The Otto Mauer collection brings Expressionism, Secessionist echoes, and Austrian and international postwar avant-garde into the same house as medieval sacred art. That jump is the museum's signature: it asks you to compare faith, form, doubt, and experiment across centuries.
Zwettlerhof and the city view
The building matters too. Since 1973, the museum has occupied the former provost's apartment in the Zwettlerhof, between Stephansplatz and Wollzeile. The 2017 reopening after Boris Podrecca's redesign made the entrance, glass elevator, and spiral route feel more open to the old town outside.
Current exhibition: Alles in Arbeit
Until August 30, 2026, Alles in Arbeit gives the museum a sharp contemporary edge. Medieval and modern works speak about labor, care, unpaid work, artistic production, protest, and even procrastination, which makes the upstairs stop feel surprisingly current after the medieval treasure.