Initially, the Burgtheater was very well received by the Viennese because of its majestic appearance and a number of technical innovations, such as electric lighting. However, criticism of the poor acoustics soon began. Finally, in 1897, the auditorium was reconstructed to minimize this problem. The new theater is an important meeting place in public life and is considered one of the "shrines" of Vienna. In 1945 it was damaged by bombing and in 1955 it was rebuilt.→