Literaturhaus Salzburg

The Literaturhaus Salzburg stands in the Eizenbergerhof, the oldest building in the Salzburg district of Lehen. The house dates back to around 1600 and was acquired by the city in 1904. After renovation in the 1980s, it was dedicated to literature in 1991. The Trägerverein Salzburger Literaturhaus Eizenbergerhof was founded in 1994 by authors, publishers and literary mediators. The Austrian poet and Büchner Prize winner H. C. Artmann played a key role in its establishment and later gave his name to the square in front of the building.

The Literaturhaus serves as a meeting place for Austrian and international contemporary literature. Five literary institutions have been based there since its opening: Salzburger Literaturforum Leselampe, Salzburger Autorengruppe, the Salzburg branch of the Grazer Autorenversammlung, erostepost and prolit. Each organisation keeps its own budget and programme while sharing the building’s infrastructure. The house also runs a library, a media library and the h.c.café, named after H. C. Artmann. Over 550 members support the work, with funding from the city, the state of Salzburg and the federal ministry of culture.

Visitors find a lively programme of readings, discussions, exhibitions and interdisciplinary events. The annual festival ‘Europa der Muttersprachen’ presents literature and culture from a different European language area each spring. In autumn, the ‘PENG!’ crime festival attracts well-known authors. Around 250 events a year draw roughly 15,000 guests. The house also awards the H. C. Artmann Stipendium and the Helena-Adler-Preis, and hosts workshops for children and young people.