Cultural capital - Madrid | The metropolis of the Habsburgs # 2023

Madrid under the Habsburgs was chosen as the Spanish capital and the old city center is still called Madrid de los Austrias after the Austrians.

Between the 16th and 17th centuries, Spain's golden age, not only did spices and precious metals flow from the South American colonies to the metropolis, but the visual arts also reached their absolute peak with Hieronymus Bosch and Velazquez.

Today Madrid presents itself as a liberal cosmopolitan city with monarchist charm, in which the financial crisis of 2006 is still being felt, but which has brought civil society closer together through many private initiatives.

The Austrian Cultural Forum Madrid (foro cultural de madrid) supports cultural exchange between the two countries and tries to convey a modern image of Austria beyond the clichés.

The Austrian Cultural Forum gives the Viennese curator Barbara Mahlknecht the opportunity to immerse herself in Madrid's cultural scene for two weeks through a so-called residency.