Leopoldskron Palace was built in 1736. It served as a place of permanent residence for the family of the Prince of the Archbishop of Salzburg, Leopold Anton, Baron von Firmman (1679-1744). The design of the palace was presented by the Scottish Benedictine monk Bernard Stewart. Leopold Firman was a great lover of science and art. However, he went down in history as a tyrant, mercilessly expelling 22,000 Protestants from the city. In 1731, Archbishop Leopold Anton von Firman announced the need to rid the city of Protestants. He signed the "Decree of Exile", which stated that the Protestants are obliged to abandon their faith, or to leave the city. To his surprise, more than 21,000 citizens refused to betray their beliefs. Landowners were given only three months to sell their land and leave. Many plots were confiscated personally by the archbishop, others were sold for pennies. Many children were taken away from their parents in order to be raised by Catholics. The city became a stronghold of Catholicism. The tyranny of the monarch during his reign inspired terror throughout Europe. This could not but affect the financial development of the city. And Salzburg, and the economy, and the reputation of the Firman family suffered terribly. The construction of Leopoldskron Castle was an attempt to save the social prestige of his family. In May 1744, the archbishop presented the castle to his nephew Count Lactantius Firman. After the death of the monarch, his body was buried in the Salzburg Cathedral, and his heart in a chapel, which he loved very much. Lactantius Firman was a connoisseur of works of art. Thanks to him, a large collection of paintings appeared in the castle, among which were works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Dürer and Titian. He was one of the first fans of Leopold Mozart and his son Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. After the death of Lactantius, the castle was put up for sale. In 1837, the castle was acquired by Georg Zierer. Most of the art collection was sold. In the 19th century, the castle often changed its owners. Here lived: Ludwig I of Bavaria and banker Karl Spengler, they even tried to make a brothel out of the castle. In 1918, Max Reinhardt, then the most famous theater impresario in Europe, bought the Leopoldskron Palace. He was a co-founder of the Salzburg Festival. The castle was in very dilapidated condition. Reinhardt began work on the restoration and reconstruction of the palace. With the help of Salzburg masters, the stairs, the Large and the Marble halls were restored. Thanks to the creative nature of Reinhardt, a library and a Venetian number appeared in the palace. And the rest of the rooms were used for theatrical productions, since according to the idea of the master, in theatrical plays, the audience moved from one room to another, thus changing the scenery. In the castle park a theater was built in the garden, with a pond against the backdrop of the mountain. Over the years, Leopoldskron has become an important meeting place for theater workers, writers, composers and actors from all over Europe. Max Reinhardt breathed new life into Leopoldskron Castle. The Reinhardt era ended during World War II. In 1938, the Nazis confiscated the castle as "Jewish property." Reinhardt, who at that time lived and worked in Hollywood, did not return to Leopoldskron. He died in 1943 in New York. In a letter to his wife, Austrian actress Helen Thimig, Reinhardt wrote: “I lived eighteen years at Leopoldskron, really lived, and I made it alive. I have every room, every table, every chair, every light, every picture lived. I loved he was not treated as something ordinary. These were my best, richest and most mature years. I lost it without complaining. I lost everything that I brought there. It was the thing of my whole life. " During World War II, the Leopoldskron Castle was used by the Nazis as a summer residence and guest house. In 1945, he was returned to the heirs of Max Reinhardt. Helen Thimig, widow of Max Reinhardt, allowed the castle to be used as a forum for intercultural and interdisciplinary exchanges. Since 1947, Leopoldskron Castle has been home to Salzburg Global Seminar, an international non-profit organization. Over the years, guests come here regularly. More than 530 workshops have been held here. The main purpose of these seminars is to overcome the cultural, racial, political, ideological and geographical differences in the world. The Salzburg Global Seminar provides a neutral, independent platform for dialogue and invites leaders, experts and eminent figures to exchange knowledge and experience at the highest professional level with its partners. Guests can dine like the archbishop in the magnificent rooms of the palace. The restaurant located in the castle is available for banquets and unforgettable events, as well as for cultural programs and performances. It also operates here: a library, conference rooms, meeting rooms. Since 2014, the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron has been operating in the castle.