08/04 - 08/05
After a long but unforgettable experience the night prior, I ended up sleeping in until almost noon on Sunday (08/04). As the group was planning to meet at the Museum of Military History (Heeresgeschichtliches) in the Third District at 1:00, I quickly had to get ready and take a streetcar to the museum. As historicism was popular in Vienna when the Museum of Military History was built in the mid-nineteenth century, the museum architect drew inspiration from the artistic styles of the past. This was most noticeable by the prevalence of the museum's Gothic style, though Byzantine style elements are also present, such as the large dome in the front.
The front of the Museum of Military History.
Arriving at the museum shortly after 1:00, I joined a group led by Raphael, a museum tour guide. Elucidating the military history of Austria, Raphael began with the Ottoman Sieges of Vienna in 1529 and 1683, both of which were curbed by the forces of the Holy Roman Empire. Similarly, he listed the various (and almost humiliating) times that Belgrade was captured by Austria under the direction of the Habsburgs, only to later either be besieged or captured by the Ottomans. According to Raphael, this seemingly perpetual cycle would finally end with the 1791 Treaty of Sistova following centuries of conflict between the two powers.
Along with the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was another Austrian event explained by Raphael that endlessly fascinated me. A Bosnian Serb killing the heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian throne prompted Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia, which soon thereafter started WW1. Interestingly, according to Raphael, Franz Ferdinand's death was only indirectly the prime motivation to launch a war against Serbia. This stemmed from the fact that Emperor Franz Joseph was not terribly fond of his nephew as he did not fully approve of Franz Ferdinand's marriage to his wife due to her lack of dynastic roots. Moreover, Franz Joseph merely would use his nephew's death as an excuse to incite the war, which some believed would help to consolidate the power of the Habsburgs. However, this would backfire due to the 1918 dissolution of Austria-Hungary, upending the centuries-long rule of the Habsburg monarchy.
The infamous car that Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were shot in.
Raphael also lightly touched upon the concept of absolutism, which was more thoroughly explained in Nicholas Parsons' Vienna: A Cultural History and Steven Beller's A Concise History Of Austria. Absolutism under the Habsburgs was characterized as the irrevocable power of the monarchs over other important institutions, including the Catholic Church and the nobility. According to Vienna: A Cultural History, this would eventually evolve into enlightened absolutism under Joseph II based off the ideals of the Enlightenment. Claiming to be ruling on behalf of the people, Joseph II would use this excuse to increase his own power while simultaneously reducing the power of the Catholic Church during the mid- to late-eighteenth century. Following the French Revolution propagating the ideals of liberalism and nationalism, revolutions and movements demanding reform led to the monarchy promising a constitution produced by the Krensier parliament. However, according to A Concise History Of Austria, Francis Joseph would soon thereafter dissolve the Krensier parliament and reimpose absolutism, which became known as neo-absolutism due to its new focus on modernization.
The group had its first formal class on Monday morning (08/05). Covering the long history of Vienna, Prof. Stuart began with the founding of the Roman support camp Vindobona at the tail end of the first century. She highlighted the various Roman elements that still exist in Vienna, such as remnants of a brothel and the Roman museum. Prof. Stuart also underscored the importance of the Catholic Church in preserving documents and antiquities during the Dark Ages. With the crowning of Charlemagne as the Roman emperor by the Pope in 800, the Holy Roman Empire came into fruition. The Babenbergs would rule the Austrian territories from the tenth century until it ceased to exist due to a lack of a male heir in the thirteen century, which resulted in the Habsburgs succeeding the dynastic family as Austria's rulers. The Babenbegs were praised for their establishment of various monasteries in Austria, while the Habsburgs were regarded as strategists for their use of dynastic marriage alliances to secure their power.
Later that day, we traveled to the St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom). Our tour guide, Gretl, explained that the twelfth century church took centuries to be fully completed, with its most pronounced architectural features that still remain are that of the Gothic and Romanesque styles. The church's imposing south tower makes Stephansdom the tallest church in Austria and the ninth tallest in the world! With its historical role as a safe haven for refugees and the legend of the north tower's architect falling to his death after making a deal with the devil, the St. Stephen's Cathedral has become an internationally recognized symbol of Viennese culture.
St. Stephen's Cathedral versus scale model.
After Gretl's tour, I joined a couple other students in climbing Stephansdom's staggering south tower. Following the taxing ascension of the tower, we were greeted with breathtaking views of the city below and a small gift shop. According to Nicholas Parsons' Vienna: A Cultural History, the south tower provided vantage points for defensive purposes in case of an invasion. We then walked to the nearby underground Zwölf-Apostekeller heuriger, enjoying the traditional Austrian cuisine provided at the wine cellar.
The view from the top of the Stephansdom's south tower.
German Words of the Day: Spiegeleier (Fried Egg) & Frühling (Spring)
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