Akademie der Bildende Künste

In 1688 court painter Peter Strudel established a private academy in Vienna. In 1692 it was first recognized by the Emperor, Leopold I. Thus, for over 300 years, the Akademie der Bildende Künste has been a European training institute for artists. In 1872 the academy was turned into a college where the decorative arts were taught. In 1998, the Akademie der Bildende Künste was recognized as a university. In addition, the Akademie has two important Austrian art collections, namely the Gemäldegalerie and the Kupferstichkabinet.