With its immense scale and opulence, the Hofburg Palace—continually expanded and embellished by successive rulers—evokes the era when the House of Austria reigned from Castile to the West Indies. Over the course of the 20th century, the former Habsburg residence evolved into a monumental and multifaceted museum complex. To mark the centenary of the Republic's founding (1918), the Hofburg added a new museum that fills a significant gap: the turbulent history of 20th-century Austria.