"Viennese salon lady? A nightmare!"

Lotte Tobisch-Labotýn (1926-2019) is considered the epitome of witty charm, unpretentious elegance and spirited courage, and for decades was one of the defining figures of Viennese social and cultural life. She combined noble origins, a good education, wit and astuteness, and a good dose of humor.

At Lotte Tobisch's own request, part of her written estate was donated to the Vienna Library in the City Hall in 2019. Now, supplemented by correspondence, life documents and photographs from private collections, the exhibition sheds light on well-known and lesser-known aspects of the life of this grande dame.

In seven stations with almost 300 exhibits, often shown for the first time, as well as audio and film recordings, a multifaceted portrait emerges that traces Tobisch's multifaceted life from childhood to her acting career, her private and professional network, her successful patronage of the Vienna Opera Ball as well as her many years of charitable commitment, for example as president of the association "Künstler helfen Künstlern".