Right here, in a house once called The Red Crab, one of the greatest composers in history entered the world on January 31, 1797. Franz Schubert, who would write over 600 songs in just 31 years, was born in conditions of remarkable simplicity.
On Nußdorfer Straße 54 in the ninth district, this building holds an extraordinary past. The Schubert family lived in a single room with only a kitchen and open fire. Franz was the 12th of 14 children, though just 5 survived childhood. Around 70 people shared this house, divided into 16 cramped apartments.
His father worked as a schoolmaster and ran classes on the ground floor. The young boy grew up surrounded by the sounds of students and neighbors, spending his first four and a half years in these modest rooms before the family needed more space.
What makes Schubert unique is that he was born here, unlike Mozart or Beethoven who came from elsewhere. He was the only major composer actually born in this city. The museum preserves the kitchen where he took his first breath and displays his famous round spectacles, which became as recognizable as his music. This tiny apartment produced someone who would transform music forever.
Sources. Story: https://www.wienmuseum.at/schubert_geburtshaus_en, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Schubert, https://www.wien.info/en/music-stage-shows/schubert Photos: Wilhelm August Rieder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
