Type Public Founded 1707 Number of employees ca. 530 | Industry Auctions Headquarters Vienna, Austria | |
 | ||
Key people Chairman Martin Boehm, Lucas Tinzl | ||
The Dorotheum ( [ˌdoːʀoˈteːʊm]), established in 1707, is one of the world's oldest auction houses. It has its headquarters in Vienna on the Dorotheergasse and is the largest auction house in both Continental and German-speaking Europe. Besides auctions, the retail sector also plays a major role in Dorotheum's business. In the Dorotheum, works of art, antiques, furniture, and jewellery from various centuries are put up for auction. The building is constructed in the neo-classical style. It is an attraction for Viennese natives and numerous tourists alike.
Branches exist in Vienna in the Austrian states, the Czech capital of Prague, and the Italian cities of Milan and Rome, as well as in Düsseldorf, Munich and Brussels.
History
The firm's establishment as the Versatz- und Fragamt zu Wien was carried out by Emperor Joseph I in 1707. Seventy years later it moved into the former Dorotheerkloster, which gave it its current name of Dorotheum. The new building of the Dorothem Palace in the location of the old cloister was completed in 1901. At the end of the 1980s, the building's foyer and interior were redesigned by the Viennese architect and designer Luigi Blau. In 2001, the Dorotheum was sold to an Austrian consortium and since then has greatly expanded.