Culinary Secrets of the Haydn-Kräutergarten

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) is often called the “Father of the Symphony” and the “Father of the String Quartet,” titles that reflect his decisive role in shaping the classical style. Born in Rohrau, a small village in what is now Austria near the Hungarian border, Haydn rose from humble beginnings to become one of Europe’s most celebrated composers.

He spent much of his career in the service of the Esterházy family, where he had the stability and resources to experiment with form, orchestration, and musical wit. His works—over 100 symphonies, numerous quartets, sacred music, and oratorios like The Creation—marry elegance with inventiveness, and often carry a sense of humor alongside deep spirituality. Haydn’s influence on contemporaries such as Mozart and Beethoven was immense, and his legacy continues to define the Classical era as a period of balance, clarity, and profound expressiveness.

Our visit to the Haydn Haus in Eisenstadt offered a rare glimpse into the personal world of one of music’s greatest masters. The modest but elegant residence, where Joseph Haydn lived for many years while serving the Esterházy family, preserves the atmosphere of 18th-century daily life. Walking through its rooms, we encountered original manuscripts, instruments, portraits, and furniture that conveyed both the simplicity and refinement of Haydn’s existence.

The museum tells the story of his journey from a village boy with a gift for music to Kapellmeister at one of Europe’s most important noble courts, and eventually an internationally admired composer. Particularly striking is the way the house reflects his dual nature: disciplined and devout in his vocation, yet joyful and playful in his art. Standing in the garden where he once found inspiration, one can sense the quiet devotion and creativity that gave rise to symphonies, masses, and oratorios that continue to move the world.

The museum displays personal artifacts such as his clavichord, sheet music in his own hand, and household objects that bridge the gap between his domestic and creative life. A highlight is the extensive collection of portraits and engravings, showing not only Haydn himself but also the cultural world he inhabited. Among the most fascinating exhibits is the room dedicated to his sacred music, which showcases scores and documents tied to the great Masses he composed in Eisenstadt.

The original instruments from his time as Kapellmeister to the Esterházy princes also stand out, allowing visitors to imagine the sound world of the late 18th century. The museum garden, where Haydn is said to have sought inspiration, provides a peaceful conclusion to the tour. Together, these exhibits weave a vivid picture of Haydn as both a humble man of faith and a towering genius of classical music.

When Joseph Haydn signed the purchase contract for his house in the present-day Haydngasse on 2 May 1766, he also acquired small vineyards, fields, and a modest garden behind the former civic hospital. Known as the Kuchlgärtl hinter dem Spittal (“little kitchen garden behind the hospital”), this plot remained in his possession until October 1778. Although originally larger than today, only fragments of the old wall and the simple garden shed recall Haydn’s own time. The shed, a purely functional structure, once stored garden tools and everyday utensils, while its oak corner posts are likely original pieces.

For Frau Haydn, Maria Anna Theresia, the Kräutergarten was the household’s hidden treasure. Here she could gather parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, chives, and mint, together with less common plants such as soapwort, cowslip, mallow, ribwort, and comfrey. Roses, chamomile, lovage, lavender, hibiscus, elder, and lilac brought fragrance and healing, while plums from the Zwetschkenbaum and grapes from the vines added sweetness. These plants were not just flavourings but essential for health and daily living in the 18th century, blurring the line between kitchen and apothecary.

The tradition of such gardens stretches back far before Haydn. The Esterházy princes, Haydn’s patrons, were renowned garden enthusiasts. As early as Count Nikolaus Esterházy, a castle garden north of Eisenstadt cultivated useful and medicinal plants, and under Paul I a larger kitchen garden was laid out along the city wall. In this way, Haydn’s modest Kuchlgärtl reflected a broader culture of gardens as symbols of nourishment, medicine, and refinement.

Behind the elegant walls of the Haydn-Haus in Eisenstadt lies a world of forgotten culinary wisdom. The Haydn-Kräutergarten revives the plants, flavours, and household practices that once shaped the everyday life of the Haydn family. Long before the age of refrigeration, conserving food meant creativity. Frau Haydn relied on a blend of salt and antibacterial herbs such as thyme and sage to preserve meat. These herbs did not only keep food edible but also added fragrance and subtle flavor.

Vegetables, on the other hand, were often preserved by pickling in vinegar, as with the Hungarian uborka (small, bitter cucumbers). Pickled vegetables were a staple side dish, lending freshness to otherwise heavy meals. Fruit, too, found its way into jars and crocks, transformed into jams and conserves. Drinks were simpler: most people drank wine, considered the cheapest and safest beverage, while tea and chocolate were luxuries.

The kitchen also reveals the immense value of spices. Pepper, for instance, was so precious it was measured by the grain and even traded in “pepper sacks” — at times more valuable than gold itself. While potatoes and maize were cultivated in the region, they served a humble purpose: potato blossoms as decoration, maize as animal feed, and potatoes mainly for pig fodder. The museum features die Kuchl.

The opening in the ceiling that is directly connected with the central chimney indicates that this vaulted room used to be the kitchen. Firewood and kindling were kept in the immediate vicinity of the open fire on which the cooking was done. None of the original kitchen utensils that Mrs Haydn used have survived. The kitchen cabinet, flour bin, and a so-called fkour keg were typical objects found in contemporary kitchens.

Daily meals in the Haydn household were modest but nourishing. Breakfast might be beer soup with egg foam dumplings and bread; lunch a hearty stew with cabbage and dumplings; afternoon snack a slice of smoked meat (Selchfleisch) with bread and cheese. Evenings were accompanied by wine, the constant companion to meals. Without servants to cook, Frau Haydn had the help of a kitchen assistant, ensuring meals were simple yet sustaining.

Today, the reconstructed Haydn-Kräutergarten invites visitors to step back into that domestic world. The beds are carefully planted to echo 18th-century practice, and walking through them one can imagine Frau Haydn selecting herbs for a broth while her husband composed nearby. The atmosphere is crowned by a verse from Gustinus Ambrosi, inscribed as a poetic reflection of Haydn’s legacy:

“Aus diesem kleinen Haus

blühet hier dein Geist

der in die Welt hinaus

und zum Ewigen weist,

die nie vergeht, die Saat,

die ewig festhält dein Ja.”

— Gustinus Ambrosi

Translation:

“From this small house

your spirit blossoms here,

reaching out into the world

and pointing towards eternity,

the seed that never fades,

forever holding firm your Yes.”

Thus, the Kräutergarten becomes not only a culinary and medicinal memory of the Haydn household, but also a symbol of how something humble and local can blossom into something eternal.