August 26th, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The Leopold Museum and Good Company
Mauthausen
August 25th, 2009
Jüdisches Museum and Habsburg Mortuary Ritual
August 24th, 2009
I got lost in the city today. I wasn’t really lost, per se; I just got on the wrong tram and didn’t turn around! I felt like this would be a good way to see new district of Wien that I probably would not have seen otherwise. I ended up going into a district with a lot more housing and local shops. I like to see the way that other cultures live, and in the inner city of Wien that is normally in apartment buildings. These buildings seem rather large, 10-15 stories, and most of the windows have colorful foliage growing out of them in various directions. Even though the apartment building are relatively “city” look for American standards they still give me a home-ier feel than I get from apartments in the States.
LATER THAT NIGHT…
I feel nauseous about going to Mauthausen tomorrow. If I didn’t feel like it was so important to go then I wouldn’t. After reading Ruther Kluger’s memoir, Still Alive, I understand that she feels that the concentrations camps across Europe have become nothing more than modern tourist attractions meant to “whitewash” the past. One of the parts that stuck out for me was the two students who were doing their service to the community by giving guided tours of former concentration camps. They seemed startled by the fact that Kruger argued against the tours and against the public viewing of the death camp. She believed that the Holocaust needed to have a name, so that by default holocaust would suffice, but that to show people a cleaned up version of a death camp was like showing them nothing at all.
The Third Man
I am such a fan of The Third Man! Not only is it a well acted and well-shot movie, I loved the fact that I could pick out individual places of interest in the background. I was sitting next to Natalie in the movie theater and we probably interrupted each other 8-10 times trying to tell each other that we recognized a church, statue, or monument that was being shot. One of the important things that I took out of the movie was the "feeling" of what it was like living in Wien post-World War II. It was interesting to see the portrayal of the militarized zones and the officers that were keeping "order" in their individual part of the city.
In many ways the "Cuckoo Clock Speech" is a metaphor for the way that people felt after going through the Great War and trying to survive in a city like Wien. When Lime compares the people to dots he is acting like an air force pilot on a bombing raid. In many ways his profession is like an air raider in that he sets off the bomb (bad drugs) and doesn't watch the innocent suffer the consequences. His speech reminded me of the countless civilian bombing campaigns that what on during the Great War and how people justified it. Maybe they are black dots. If they don't have faces do they actually count? There were times in the movie that I actually understood where he was coming from, which is frightening. I think that he was just trying to make quick and easy money, but who can say what you personally would do if you were stuck in post war Wien. It seemed like everyone in the movie except Sgt. Pain had some kind of backwards motive to them, and he was the one in the end who suffered the consequences.
I really liked the score to the movie, composed by Anton Karas. What I liked is that the plunky/catchy tune was so NOT what I envision for Wien today. I'm sure that was done on purpose (no waltzes) and shows that at that time in Wien's history she wasn't actually herself. Wien was in a much darker place after the war, evident by the bombed out streets and blatant mistrust amongst the four sides within the city.
One aspect I did catch onto was the way that the "Soviet Zone" was referred too. The soldiers often talk about how Harry could easily escape into the Soviet Zone and there is little cooperation between the parties involved. There is still talk in Wien about the distaste of the Russians during the occupation and the horrors and savagery that they brought to the people as payback. Knowing this I still wonder why the Viennese haven't torn down the monument to the Russian Soldier, although Dr. O says it is because the Viennese don't like change.
The Schatzkammer
I have been waiting for some time to visit The Schatzkammer (Imperial Treasury) of the Habsburg monarchy, and I was not disappointed! This chamber holds the crown jewels and treasures of the Habsburg monarchy during its glory days as head of the Holy Roman Empire. These treasures are the epitome of the pomp and excess of the Habsburg monarchy as well as the ideal of Absolutism.
Absolutism is the unchecked rule of a king over his subjects. It is the consolidation of power by a given monarch that has no checks and balances through legislature or the church. An absolute monarchy has complete control over its subjects' lives and claims to have the power to do so by divine right from God. Louis XIV of France is a prime example of absolute monarchy and shows how the elite would parade their wealth through extravagant means. (In his case it was the Palace of Versailles.) The idea that one individual has divine right over all others is the corner stone of Absolutism, and this is the ideal that the Habsburg monarchy followed. This to falls in like with the dramatic and religious Baroque style of art, which I have talked about throughout the blogging process. The artistic style and "way of life" was perfect for the monarchs to use as a means of impressing visitors and drawing awe from their subjects. The lavish style of art was the personification of the Habsburg Monarchy who in many ways viewed themselves in that way.
The crown jewels of the Habsburgs fall in line with the extravagant nature of both the Baroque style and Absolutism. The globus cruciger (aka the orb) that monarchs like the Habsburgs would carry represents Christ ruling the world in the hands of a single supreme ruler. The scepter is a form of a staff, thought by many to hold special powers that are denoted from God (think Moses). In A Concise History of Austria Beller describes how the pomp and grandiose excess of the absolute monarchy made a subconscious barrier between the Habsburg rulers and the peasantry. This helped to legitimize the authority of the rulers while keeping the peasants "in their place." Below are the Austrian Imperial Crown Jewels: The Crown of Rudolf II, the orb and the scepter.
I really enjoyed the clothing of the knights, of which there were three orders. The highest honor that any person could receive by the Habsburg Monarchy was to become a member of "The Order of the Golden Fleece", which is also shown below.
There are also some items at the Schatzkammer that really stood out to me. The baptismal ewer and basin christened the archdukes of the 17th century and was a gift commemorating the marriage of Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria and Maria of Bavaria.
This golden cradle was a gift from Paris to the Empress Marie-Louise, the wife of Napoleon. This cradle, which is too extravagant for words, was meant to legitimize the couple’s son as "The King of Rome."
The Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire (minus the Glove from Palermo).
Reliquary with a Nail from the Cross. This is supposedly the nail that was driven into Jesus's left hand.
These are just some of my favorite pieces. There are more that I would mention but the space would be crazy for this one blog.
Karlskirche
I realized this morning that by visiting Stephansdom twice at the beginning of the trip I have failed to visit the scheduled Karlskirche, one of the more famous churches within Wien. Just looking at Karlskirche will tell you that the Greeks, Romans, French and Italians heavily influenced the architect, Johann Bernard Fisher von Erlach. The columns at the front of the church are similar to the Trajan Columns in Rome, and the dome at the top of the church has a distinct Italian flare. The reliefs on the front spiraling columns explain the life story of Saint Carlo Borromeo, as does the fresco on the ceiling of the church. Fisher is also the architect of the Schönbrunn Palace.
Karlskirche was built after Emperor Charles VI made a plea with his patron saint (Borromeo) that if the plague would end in Wien he would erect the church as thanks. The plague in 1713 was destroying the population of Wien, and many times rulers will partake in great acts of patronage towards saints if their "prayers" for salvation come true. There are a lot of things about this church in particular that I liked. The high alter is one of my favorite so far on the trip! The alter painting shows the ascension of St Borromeo, and I really liked the gold work on the top. After some research I found that the piece is a symbol for Yahweh, which is "the personal name of the one true God who delivered Israel from Egypt and gave the Ten Commandments."
While I was walking in the church the sun was streaming in from the alter at the perfect angle, so it was quite beautiful to look at. One of the cool things about the Kalskirche is that you can take an elevator and stairs to the church's ceiling to check out the famous fresco by Johann Michael Rottmayr. I thought that it was amazing that they would let anyone so close to the ceiling without checking for pens or paint to vandalize it with. It is kind of sad that that is where my mind wanders, but I could picture some anarchist bringing in red paint and destroying the fresco! The artwork shows the intercession of Charles Borromeo, supported by the Virgin Mary.
It was funny because everyone who went on the initial trip to the church was telling me how "scary" it was to climb up the steps to the ceiling. After climbing up the steps of the south tower of Stephansdom nothing can scare me!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Schönbrunn Gardens
I have started hitting a roadblock internally on the trip: Exhaustion. I am so tired that all I want to do is sleep! Having something to do everyday really takes everything out of you, especially when it is hot and muggy. I stayed in for the most of the day today but then felt guilty since there is not that much time left on the trip. To make up for that Jan, Anthony and myself decide to take the subway to Schönbrunn Palace to go to the Z00. By the time we got there (5pm) the Zoo was going to close in an hour, so definitely not worth it!
Instead the three of us decided to check out the gardens that were situated on the beautiful estate. Looking at The Great Palm House you don't even have to go inside, you can marvel at the fantastic iron structure standing in front of you! It has two 28-meter high central pavilions and two lateral pavilions that are three meters lower. This allows for circulation that helps keep the building at four climatic zones, allowing for multiple species to flourish.
The Dutch-Botanic Garden was set up in a tropical environment, which actually made me want to be in the air outside! I love walking around in gardens though. I like to see plants and flowers that I would never get the chance too. An inventory of the entire stock of the Dutch-Botanic Garden dated 1799 lists 4,000 plants of nearly 800 different species.
We also walked into the Wustenhaus, which is a scene out of Arizona. Lots of cacti, birds and scenes close to home. More humidity.
The Baroque gardens were some of the most beautiful that I had seen in Vienna. It was particularly lovely in the back of the palace looking up towards the Gloriette from Schönbrunn Palace. Below is a picture of the palace and some of its gardens.
The United Nations -- IAEA and UNODC
Today I used my passport inside of Wien to get into international territory. In other words, I went to the UN today!
It is a treat as a political science minor to be able to visit the United Nations in the Wien International Center. We were able to have talks with representatives from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Well get to that later though...
I really liked the architecture of the UN building because of how unique it looks. Apparently the architect started building from the top down to make the curved shape, which I think is incredible. The courtyard has 193 representative flags for its members which includes Vatican City, which I think is rather strange. The tour guide gave us the generic tour at first, pointing out other official bodies that are located at the UN. I wish we had a tour guide from the one that focuses on space exploration because I would have asked when Star Trek is actually going to happen in real life! (I really would have asked...) We were taken into the conference room that the respected countries meet to "talk business".
I could get used to this desk job!
Our guide from the IAEA was politically correct, which I understand but pisses me off. I know there were questions that he answered from the standpoint of the UN rather than his own personal feelings. It was frustrating because it seemed like he was reading off of slides rather than answering our questions straight up. I asked him about the possibility of a nuclear attack with missing material from Russia and he cut me off by saying that all weapons were accounted for. What I was trying to ask was about nuclear waste or materials of that nature, which I know is a different story. Oh well, he was a nice guy anyways. I do understand that once an individual becomes a member of the UN than they have to go by the vote of the charter. I just wish he could have been more up front with us. It seemed like a lot of our questions were not applicable for the discussion because we were asking questions about disarmament of countries. Apparently that is something that the IAEA does not handle. There were a lot of questions from different students and I wish I had been able to ask if there were any medical advances with nuclear power that we might be able to expect in the future. One of the major goals of the organization is to make sure that nuclear power is used for productive means rather than destructive. I also liked when he said that just because a country has the means or capability to house a nuclear program does not mean that they will get the funding for it. It makes me feel like we are not out there putting a potentially destructive power in some terrorist’s hands.
After the talk with the IAEA we met with two interns who told us about what we would need to do to apply. I thought it was cool that they took the time to go over the application process with us since it is so extensive. Unfortunately you have to have your BA to apply, so now everyone is out of the running (at least for now). Speaking English is a huge plus because it will eventually be the language of the world (meaning everyone will know it). Most people that work at the UN have a master of 2-5 languages though, if not more. One again I feel inept compared to my bi-lingual and tri-lingual counterparts giving us the tour. If I could start my education over I would have taken both Spanish and French and SERIOUSLY studied.
After a break for lunch we met with a representative from the UNODC. She was a fill-in but I felt that her presentation was more compelling than the first. I think the reason for this is that you could tell she felt strongly about the cause of drug prevention and treatment centers, and that she really felt like she could make a difference. I, of course, asked the pessimistic questions.
1. With only $20million dollars (their budget) how do you expect to stop drug cartels that are making 2-5 times more than that individually?
-- you can't.
2. When you change a person’s crop from opium to something positive (i.e. food), how do you guarantee the safety of the person who has probably been caught up in the drug wars?
-- you can't.
3. What is the UN doing about the drug problems in Mexico?
-- not enough. (there isn't enough funding.)
See a theme here? There were more questions than these, but these ones were my major focus. It made me feel bad that the speaker felt so strongly about a cause that I see as futile to fight without more money or aid. She made the point though that no person should be forgotten about because of lack of money and no country is beyond help.
Biedermier in the Wien Museum, Ringstraße and the Secessionists
Oh Biedermier. You bore me. I don't mean to be rude, but you just don't do it for me. On a scale of 1-10 you are hovering around a 5.6835. You remind me of jellybeans: Pretty on the outside, but once you have too much your stomach starts to ache.
The Biedermier phenomenon that took place from 1815-1848 was an attempt to emulate the nobility by the middle-class. It was originally a term to describe a style of furniture but was quickly changed into "a way of life". Aaron Green, a writer and music enthusiast, says that the cause of the Biedermier period was the end of the French Revolution and the monarchies of Europe trying to keep a grasp of the situation. To make sure there was no a repeat of violence, "monarchies of Europe reigned with steel-fisted precision and secret intelligence agencies." People were "forced out of the coffee houses and into their homes" as different social organizations like lodges and clubs were shut down. Because the world outside is so dangerous, the home and close friends were the focus of the time period. To me, it looks like pre-1950's Americana. On the other hand, the Biedermier style of the Stadttempel (the main synagogue in Vienna) probably saved it from being destroyed during Kristallnact.
In the Wien Museum there were multiple examples of Biedermier art and style. I like this one in particular because it looks like Jan.
Here are some other examples.
The Biedermier was a stand against the Baroque and Rococo styles of "the past" and a push towards restraint, elegance and comfort.
The more interesting artifact that I found at the Wien Museum would have made followers of the Biedermier style completely uncomfortable. Below is the executioner’s sword of the city along with his robe. The wheel was actually used to roll over people’s bodies for torture and snap bones in half. Ewwwwww...
I also went on the Ringstraße tour today, which was very relaxing. The tour was a yellow tram that traveled along the route where the old wall of the city used to stand. It shows how the buildings inside the original wall have expanded to fit a more "global" purpose while at the same time explaining the urban growth that has taken place in Wien. The buildings along the tour are a clear example of what the Secessionists were againgst, which is historical purpose in architecture. Each individual building has a different architectural style that represents its purpose or function. For example, Parliament is in the Neo-Classical style meant to emulate Greece and the foundations of democracy.
The Kunsthistorisches and Naturhistorisches Museums are in the Renaissance architectural style. During the Renaissance there was a push towards classical study and learning, which is the function of the two museums. (The one below is the Naturhistorisches.)
The Hofburg Palace might be Neo-Baroque to represent the Absolutism and excess of the monarchy, but I particularly enjoy the older Renaissance courtyard next to the treasury.
I personally prefer the architecture to be in historical style and function rather than follow the ideals of the Secessionists. Maybe that is the history major in me, but I like to see a nations history in its buildings. I understand paintings a little more and do not mind them not having historical context, although I do not believe the latter of the two should be done away with completely. I personally like Klimt to a certain degree. He is not my favorite artist in the world, and this is going to piss Kathy off, but I actually enjoy Scheele more. I do, however, recognize any group that is trying to make a movement or statement in the art world like the Secessionists were. Below is the Secession Hall in Wien where the art of Secessionists like Klimt, Schiele, Moser and Fabiani can be found today.