The Christmas tree tradition in Vienna did not exist since ancient times but began in 1814 thanks to Fanny von Arnstein, an influential Jewish salonnière who hosted one of the city’s most prominent salons.

Born in Berlin in 1758, Fanny married a Viennese banker and established a salon that gathered political, artistic, and intellectual elites during the Congress of Vienna, making it a hub of political and cultural life.

Her salon was monitored by the secret police due to her significant influence, and through this surveillance, the first Christmas tree in Vienna was documented, a tradition she brought from Berlin.

Subsequently, the imperial family in Vienna adopted the custom when Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg introduced the Christmas tree to the imperial palace in 1816, from where the tradition spread throughout the city.

Fanny von Arnstein is recognized as a key figure in Vienna’s cultural and social history, not only for introducing the Christmas tree but also for her support of the arts, music, and social welfare.

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