08/06 - 08/07
For our class on Tuesday (08/06) morning, Prof. Stuart analyzed the effects of the Protestant Reformation on Austrian territories. Prior to this religious turmoil, it was common Catholic practice for people to try to live up to certain religious ideals—especially the Ten Commandments—and earn "extra credit" through charitable donations (indulgences) given to the Church in order to receive eventually receive salvation. The proclamation by Augustinian priest Martin Luther in the early sixteenth century that people can receive grace passively by realizing their worthlessness in the face of God challenged the Catholic establishment.
Prof. Stuart clarified that with Luther's teachings being popularized across the European world during this time, the division between the Catholics and Protestants became more apparent. In their role as rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburgs tried to resist the expansion of Protestantism within their territories, but this would inevitably spark a religious war. This would only end in the 1555 Peace of Augsburg, declaring that the ruler of a state can decide their religion which thereby allowed for some amount of legal religious diversity in the Holy Roman Empire. Emperor Charles V would soon thereafter abdicate from the throne, and Ferdinand I of Austria would succeed him, resulting in a separation into two Habsburg lines: one ruling Austria and another ruling Spain. After class ended, we got ready to travel to the Art History Museum (Kunsthistorisches) for a tour lead by Gretl.
The front of the Kunsthistorisches museum.
In the Art History Museum, Gretl explained the historical importance of various sculptures and paintings that reside in the museum, placing a particular emphasis on those that were associated with the Protestant Reformation. Pieter Bruegel's Children's Games was a famous genre painting that depicted the daily lives of peasants. These types of paintings were popularized during the Protestant Reformation as many people—especially those in the Protestant North—did not want to draw overt religious elements during a time of political and religious uncertainty. Conversely, baroque paintings continued to be popular as a counterbalance to paintings influenced by Protestantism. This was epitomized by Peter Paul Rubens' Miracles of St. Francis Xavier, a direct product of the Counter Reformation period. Depicting people being resurrected by the Catholic Francis Xavier, the painting indicates that the divine God has ordained the Catholic Church and that salvation is obtainable only by following the Church. As Gretl explained it, baroque paintings like Rubens' were used as propaganda in order to convince people to return back to the Catholic Church.
From left to right: Bruegel's Children's Games genre painting & Rubens' Miracles of St. Francis Xavier baroque painting.
A small group of students tried to eat at the famed Café Central, but its discouragingly long line made us instead pledge to return another day. The day concluded with a showing of Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala's The Devil's Bath at the Votivkino theatre, a compelling movie about the strange phenomena of suicides by proxy. Following a pious woman during the eighteenth century, the film depicted the handling of depression in a religious community and the inconsistencies of hypocritical Catholic doctrine (read my full review under the Movies section). Interestingly, the movie was based off of Prof. Stuart's research, which thereby enabled us to ask in-depth questions about the historical background of the film during the Q&A section.
The Q&A section with Prof. Stuart and the directors after watching The Devil's Bath.
On Wednesday (08/07), the class traveled outside of Vienna to visit a monastery in Klosterneuburg, Lower Austria. During a tour led by Father Ambrose, we learned that the Stift Klosterneuburg was founded in 1114 by St. Leopold of Babenberg. Moreover, a legend claims that it was established by Leopold at the place that he found his wife's wedding veil that was lost to the winds a year prior. This region would then become the capital for a short time until the Babebenbers move it to Vienna. After the Babenbergs ceased to exist in the thirteenth century due to lacking any male heir, the Habsburg family under Rudolph of Habsburg eventually succeeds them in ruling the Austrian lands.
The exterior and interior of the Stift Klosterneuburg.
Father Ambrose elucidated that the Habsburgs revered the Babenbergs as the ancestral rulers of Austria, with Rudolph's son marrying a Babenberg in order to connect the dynasties through blood. Accordingly, Leopold of Babenberg would be canonized in the fifteenth century under Habsburg rule. Though the imperial Habsburgs would traditionally visit the Stift Klosterneuburg at least once a year, Father Ambrose explained that Emperor Charles VI was especially fond of the monastery, including wanting to expand it with more baroque elements. However, this would remain unfinished following his death in 1740 as Maria Theresia was more preoccupied with ensuring her rights of succession than continuing this project at the monastery. Before our class returned back to Vienna, we had a meal at the Kerbl Am Weinberg wine bar overlooking the city of Klosterneuburg.
German Words of the Day: Ostern (Easter) & Auch (Also)
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