Stephansdom

Have you ever had the feeling when you are visiting a place that there is a far greater force present than yourself? I believe this force can be many different things for different people. For some it might be the presence of God in the church, that He is controlling ones destiny of “seeing” an object. For some it might be the history of a place, an example being that the church or imperial ground you are stepping foot on is 900 years older than yourself. And for many it is the knowledge that wherever you go (especially in a city like Vienna) you are entering a place where a myriad of both good and horrible events have taken place that have shaped the surrounding city and, on a much larger scale, the world we live in today. This is the feeling that overcomes me everyday that I am in Vienna. It might not make a lot of sense written down, but then again does it have too?

As many can see I have taken a couple of days off from posting my blog online. This is for a couple of reasons. First is my Internet connection to the bloging site, which is sporadic. Second is the fact that there is so much going on throughout the day that by the time I get back to my room all I want to do is sleep! I wanted to try and catch everyone up with what has been going on in my life, especially since I will be MIA the next couple of days while I’m in the Austrian Alps. An upfront warning is that this is going to be a rather large post since there are many amazing events and places that I have seen and experienced that I would like to share with you.

August 4th, 2009

The German word of the day is Wahrscheinlich, which translates to probably.

It’s raining! It’s pouring! And that makes me SO happy! It is finally sweater and jean weather in Vienna and as you can tell I am overly excited. It has, as of late, been extremely hot and humid in the city and I am very fond of this overcast and wet day. Of course I bought an umbrella at H&M for three euro yesterday (just in time!) so I am prepared.

Breakfast at Bier & Co. below our apartment complex today and NO I did not have bier. For some reason I am addicted too their ham and cheese plates with sourdough bread, which if put together correctly gives you enough for both breakfast and a snack later. This comes with hot tea and orange juice for three euro, so good deal! I take off with my group to school on the metro and I guess there was some kind of incident today. While Kathy was giving an overview to some students a woman looked over at the group and told us to “be quiet”. The professor, of course, told her she was being rude (in German) and at class taught us the German equivalent of “what the hell”, which is “was si das”. Once I get back into the States that will be my new catchphrase.

Today’s class was on the Protestant Reformation and the major differences between Catholics and sects of Protestants. These links will give you a more focused idea of the evolution of Martin Luther’s ideas and how they spread into the Protestant Reformation. Some aspects of Lutheranism are the minimalist aspect in churches and that with predestination there is no need to worry about who is going to Heaven. According to lecture by Professor Stuart, John Calvin brought about the second phase of the Protestant Reformation by preaching “total depravity, unconditional election (salvation by grace alone, not merit), limited atonement (Christ did not die for everyone, only the elect), irresistible grace and perseverance of grace.” Catholicism was the religion of the Hapsburg Empire and focuses on commitment to the sacraments, the relationship between a person and God and communion. The “order” of this belief is: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Unction, Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony. We briefly touched on the Counter Reformation, which is the Catholic revival after Pope Pius IV until the end of the Thirty Years War. This was, according to the professor, a return to the theological and spiritual tradition of the church and the relationship with Christ. (I don’t want to loose you with details, but these movements have directly affected the religious imagery and churches that I have visited in present day Vienna.)

Enough with school.

Today I visited St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the symbol of Vienna’s religious central and a monument to the Viennese determination in the many internal conflicts that have wrought the city. The tour guide who led us through the church says that the tower is the equivalent to 445 feet tall (136 meters) and the tallest point in all of Austria. There is an ordinance that no “high rise” can be taller than the south tower, named “Steffl” by the locals. The north tower is 68 meters tall and holds the Pummerin, the largest bell in Austria at a little over 44,000 pounds. The roof, which is one of the most recognizable in Vienna, is covered with 230,000 glazed tiles that form a mosaic of the double-headed eagle. This double-headed eagle is the symbol of the Habsburg dynasty and gets set off against the Neo-gothic building of the church itself.

The inside of the church was amazing, for lack of a better word. The first time I walked in my breath was taken away at both the interior of the church and the feeling that, like I said before, I was walking into something that was “bigger than myself.” To my immediate right I saw a Byzantine style icon with what I recognized as a saint (by the halo) and the baby Jesus. Out of the alter there were what looked like rays of light illuminated by the candles that people purchased for prayer. To the front of me I saw an ornate pulpit that was outlined with carvings and numerous altars that were spread across the church (apparently there are 18). The high alter, like at any church, immediately caught my attention as well as the one to the left of it which I now know is called the Wiener Neustädt. I took a tour of the church with fellow classmates, but to tell you the truth, I couldn’t make out the Austrian guides English. This was not anyone’s fault; he just has a heavy accent. I followed him around at the beginning, which is where all of the other information came from, but then decided to walk around on my own.

The biggest problem that I had at the church was the feeling I got while taking pictures. Internally I questioned whether it was acceptable for me to be taking pictures of the altars and icons while people were visibly praying to them. It made me feel out of place and like a tourist in their home, or “God’s Home.” It made me think about how I would feel if so many people (and there were hundreds of people!) came perusing in and out of my church at any given time or during Mass. I personally don’t think that I would like it! I also quickly realized that I would have to return to the church at a later date to pick up the valuable information I was missing by wondering around by myself. I didn’t mind this, however, because I knew that I wouldn’t be able to take everything in on one shot.

After visiting Stephansdom I decided to take the train back to Simmering and call it an early night. With so much walking and information being thrown my way it is making me visibly exhausted. And after visiting places like St. Stephen’s I feel like I need to sit for about an hour and digest what I have seen in order to take it all in. Sleep is good…

More to come soon! I’m going to post this now so you can all read something new!