Rudolfina Redoute – Masc Ball

The Rudolfina Redoute is the oldest, most traditional and largest couleur-style ball event and can look back on a long history. Of the many redoubt routes that once existed, the Rudolfina redoubt is the only one that still exists today. Redoute means “masked ball” and the characteristic of a redoubt are the women with a mask – who come alone or in company – and the choice of women.

The Rudolfina Redoute has its origins in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It is traditionally used by the eponymous K.Ö.St.V. Rudolfina Vienna, who held a dance event (Maikränzchen) in Fischbach’s garden and halls “Zum wilden Mann” for the first time on May 4, 1899. From 1899 to 1907 the May Day was held continuously. From 1907 (or 1908) the Maikranzchen became a festival under the name “Rudolfina Kränzchen”. The First World War naturally caused a break. The last Rudolfina wreath for the time being was 1914. For 1920 a carnival evening is together with the K.Ö.St.V. Kürnberg in the Türkenschanzpark occupied. Then the “Rudolfina Kränzchen” from the time before the war was taken up again. Such an event is documented for the years 1921 and 1922. The “Rudolfina Kränzchen” became the very first “Rudolfina Redoute”, which was invited to the Hotel Continental in Praterstraße 7 on Saturday, January 13, 1923. It was quite typical for this time that wreaths became “redoubt” and there were a variety of redoubt. From 1923 on, Rudolfina redoubtings were recorded until 1929. From 1924 the festival always took place on Shrove Monday. On February 28, 1927, the first Rudolfina redoubt took place in the Hofburg (Großer Festsaal and Neuer Saal). During the National Socialist rule in Austria, student corporations were banned and dissolved – including the K.Ö.St.V. Rudolfina -, there was no Rudolfina redoubt from 1938. In 1947, the first redoubt took place on a small scale in Ebendorferstrasse. The party was celebrated with home-made wine, sausages and black bread. The first major post-war redoubt was held in the Pallavicini Palace in 1948. In 1959, after ten years in the Sophiensaele (1949 – 1958), the redoubt returned to the Vienna Hofburg, a venue that was traditional for them in the first republic. Since then, the Rudolfina Redoute has been held every year on Mardi Gras (Rose Monday).