Landeszeughaus (Styrian Armory), Graz (must see)

In the Inner City of Old Graz, just off the Main Square at number 16 Herrengasse, is the Styrian Armoury, the largest historical armory in the world. It was built by Tyrolean architect Antonio Solar in the years 1642-1645. The state of Styria was often at war with elements of the Ottoman Empire. An armory was needed to stockpile weapons.

The armory today has a collection on four floors of more than 32,000 historic pieces of armor and weaponry, including cannons, muskets, lances, halberds, partisans, swords, sabres, more than enough helmets and some strange-looking horse armor. The Styrian Armoury was a leading arms depot of the Hapbsburg empire.

By 1699 conflict with the Ottomans had ended with the Treaty of Karlowitz. Furthermore, the technology of battle had changed significantly. The amory ceased to be vital to the defense of Graz. In 1745 Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa was centralizing the defenses of Austria. She wanted to move the weaponry in Styrian Armoury to Vienna.

The Styrian estates petitioned to keep the weaponry of Styrian Armoury as a memorial to Styria's past. The petition was allowed. The weaponry of Graz was not used in earnest until the revolution of 1848. Some weapons were used but not perhaps so much armor.

In 1879 Dr Fritz Pichler and Franz, Count Meran arranged the exhibits according to the 17th century system. In 1892 the Styrian Armoury was absorbed into the Joanneum Universal Museum.