Location: Schloss Laxenburg
When the IIASA Charter was signed on 4 October 1972, Schloss Laxenburg just south of Vienna became the Institute's headquarters.
Laxenburg is about 15 km from Vienna. The town's roots go back to the 13th century when it was used for hunting and fishing trips by the imperial Habsburg family. The site occupied by IIASA dates back to the 15th century when it was a community farm. The building which houses IIASA stands on the site of one of Laxenburg's three castles: the Blauer Hof (Blue Court), named by one of its owners Sebastian von Bloenstein (blue stone) at the beginning of the 17th century.
In the early 18th century, it was owned by Friedrich Karl Graf von Schönborn, the Vice Chancellor of emperors Joseph I and Karl VI. Schönborn commissioned the renowned Baroque architect, Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, to extend the Blue Court. Parts of Schönborn's facade, including the park side of the northeast wing, still exist.
In the mid-1700s, the building came into the possession of the imperial family and was enlarged to its present size under Empress Maria Theresa. Together with the Palace of Schönbrunn, closer to Vienna, it became a summer retreat of the Habsburgs.
During and after the Second World War, the Schloss fell into a state of disrepair. From 1972 to 1981, it was completely renovated for IIASA.
A Brief History of IIASA and Schloss Laxenburg (PDF)