The palace of Schönbrunn (Beautiful Spring) originated from the Katterburg estate after it was sold in 1569 to Emperor Maximilian II (1527-1576). It was used as a hunting residence and later as a summer residence of the Habsburg royal family.
The building was destroyed in 1683 during the last Turkish siege. The palace was reconstructed in 1700 during the reign of Emperor Joseph I (1678-1711) with a new design by the architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (1656-1723).
The palace was expanded in the middle of the 18th century during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa (1717-1780) by the architect Nicolaus Pacassi (1716-1790), and the garden was finished around 1780.
The Palace and its garden passed into the ownership of the State in 1918 when the Habsburg reign came to an end.