Memorial plaques: 20 Museen und 1 Zoo in Graz und der Steiermark

Golden Memorial Plaques

In 1910, the first international hunting exhibition was opened in the Vienna Prater. Medals and memorial plaques were awarded at the awards. A collection of these is on display in the Hunting Museum in a cassette lined in red leather with gold embossing.

Cassette with medals and memorial plaques
Technique/material: Case made of red leather with gold embossing;
Medals made of bronze, gold-plated
Owner: Hunting collection, Jk 2154

Image Credits

First International Hunting Exhibition Vienna 1910

‘The purpose of the First International Hunting Exhibition Vienna 1910 was to demonstrate the importance of hunting from an economic point of view and to spread understanding and sympathy for its cultural value to the masses.’ This is the introductory sentence of the commemorative book for this epoch-making exhibition.

The first preparations for an international hunting exhibition in Vienna were made as early as 1905 under the chairmanship of Prince Heinrich von und zu Liechtenstein. This hunting exhibition eclipsed all previous major events, such as the 1873 World Exhibition in Vienna.

At this major international event, the most diverse interest groups such as politics, business, agriculture and culture joined forces and ‘the representatives of the press promised to support the endeavour as strongly as possible’.

This hunting exhibition opened in Vienna on 7 May 1910, lasted until October 1910, attracted 2.7 million paying visitors and generated a profit of 684,871 crowns (sic!) after repayment of all public subsidies.

At the request of Emperor Franz Joseph I (1830-1916), these net proceeds were donated to a foundation for the establishment of a youth centre for the children of poor professional hunters.

In the course of this exhibition, there were a wide variety of awards from arts and crafts to industry and commerce, trophies and small animal breeders. The ‘Group Jury VII’ with the theme ‘Grazing areas, which are often also grazing areas for game’ as well as ‘Measures for the conservation of mountain grounds’ and ‘Hunting education’ were also noteworthy and striking.

Memorial plaques

The medals are gold-plated bronze medals.

[Translate to English:] Runde Medaille mit dem Porträt Kaiser Franz Josephs von vorne; Rückseite: Kind mit Kaninchen, zwei Tauben und ein Hahn, Umschrift: Geflügel und Kaninchen Ausstellung, gestaltet vom akademischen Bildhauer Alfred Hofmann, Wien

[Translate to English:] Eine runde Medaille mit der Darstellung der Kaiser am Pferd, 50 mm, auf der Rückseite ein Pferdekopf mit Engelfigur, Beschriftung: Pferde, ausgeführt vom akademischen Bildhauer Wilhelm Heida, Wien 1910

[Translate to English:] Eine runde Medaille, auf der Vorderseite der Kaiser im Jagdgewand mit Jagdhund, 43 mm, auf der Rückseite Diana mit Jagdhunden, Umschrift: Hundeausstellung, ausgeführt vom akademischen Bildhauer Hans Schaefer, Wien

A note from the memorial book of the hunting exhibition, which is characteristic of the success of this presentation of hunting at the beginning of the 20th century: ‘It was not only the quantity of the peculiar objects on display, but also the originality and high value of the exhibits, which were all related to hunting and its most intimate connections, that exerted a great attraction on the visitors and especially on the experts.’

Text: Mag. Karlheinz Wirnsberger