August 26th

Vienna UN

Today we visited the UN in Vienna. Vienna is one of three UN headquarters around the world with the other locations being in New York City, Geneva, and Nairobi. The two main offices that are based in Vienna are the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The IAEA works exclusively to promote the use of safe nuclear energy and is the main authority when nations are seeking to develop nuclear power programs. The administrative body of the UN  was created in 1957 in response to the new nuclear threat that came about during the end of World War II with atom bombs being deployed over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. It was president Eisenhower's address to the UN general assembly in New York City entitled "Atoms for Peace" that helped establish the IAEA statute which outlines the goals of this organization. The three pillars of the  IAEA are 1) Nuclear verification and security 2)Safety 3) Technology transfer. What I found interesting was the duality that nuclear energy represents. After the U.S. dropped the atomic bombs on Japan, the Japanese government swore an oath to never use nuclear weapons on another country after the destruction that was brought upon their land. I asked the lecturer if Japan pursued nuclear power after what had happened to them in World War II. However, Japan does have nuclear power plants which shows how even though they were exposed to the worst of nuclear energy, they are still pursuing it as a vital source of energy in their country today. Our lecture we received dealt primarily with the the mission of the IAEA as well as the new threats that nuclear power presents to the ever changing world. The most major threat being terrorists acquiring nuclear materials and using these as an improvised nuclear explosive device to detonate in a major city. What was very interesting was that the IAEA provides a list of guidelines to countries with nuclear power programs to minimize the detrimental affects to the environment. The lecturer said for the most part however that most countries follow these guidelines and the IAEA carefully monitors this but for the most part doesn't seem to have to constantly be intervening.  The next lecture was made by a member of the UNODC which deals heavily with the crimes of human trafficking. In recent decades, human trafficking has been made a crime against humanity by the UN and in recent decades has become one of the most profitable of crimes. Estimates put the total annual profit of human trafficking at around 31,654,000 million US dollars.  The main reason people are trafficked is that they are promised a better life and in reality they are exploited mercilessly. Sex, forced labor, and organ harvesting are the most common types of exploitation that are bestowed on the victims. Only a handful of these trafficking victims are ever identified. One of the questions that I wanted to ask but was not permitted by time was when the UNODC does catch a human trafficker, are they tried in their own country and then an international court? I was curios to hear about the process when they are actually able to bring one of the traffickers in on charges and what the criminal process is like because it is an international crime yet also the responsibility of that country if they signed the UN bill to prosecute and crack down on human trafficking.

August 25th

Hrad Castle- Bratislava

After class today, A small group of us made our way to the capital city of Bratislava, Slovakia. It was only about a 50 min train ride from Vienna and was my first trip to Eastern Europe. Situated along the Danube River, Bratislava was the capital of the Hungarian Empire from the years 1536-1763. After we got off the train we headed for the Hrad Castle, which is one of the most dominate features of the cityscape of Bratislava. It is situated atop of a hill and looks directly out over the Danube River. it was built in the 13th century and is constructed primarily in the old gothic style. The largest of the towers is called Crown Tower and actually houses the crown jewels of the Hungarian Empire. One of the most noticeable features across the river was the old Soviet style of housing. The apartments are brightly colored and are very distinct from other apartment buildings that you would be used to seeing. The style of architecture was intended to provide individuals with affordable housing while putting as many people into one building as possible to maximize efficiency. With a population of around 429,000 the capital city of Bratislava is Slovakia's largest city. You would not get that impression however walking around because the city is very easy to navigate and was quite small compared to Vienna. The people there were very friendly though compared to the Viennese and it was much more affordable to grab some dinner. We went to this restaurant at the bottom of the hill that lead up to the castle and for 6 people, we were able to get dinner for around 31.00 euros. If you were to do that in Vienna it would have been double that. Our waiter though was very friendly and did not try to rip us off or anything like some waiters in Vienna tried to do. There is quite a lot of shopping though in Bratislava if that is what you desire. In the main downtown area, there are countless jewelry shops, shoe shops, clothing stores and so on. There is a street market where you can get affordable jewelry which is hand made and very rich in detail and the prices are very affordable. Before we left, we walked along the Danube River at sunset. It was probably the most beautiful sunset that I had seen on the trip . The city of Bratislava is very small so we spent about 6 hours there and saw all the sites. I would definitely go back to the city though because of its charm, affordability, beauty, and local population. Unlike Vienna where everyone seems to treat you like foreign tourists, I didn't feel out of place in Bratislava. The people didn't give me disgusted looks for just walking down the street and enjoying their city like the Viennese do.

August 24th

Entrance to Mauthausen

Barracks within camp

Outer walls of Mauthausen

Path leading down into the quarry 

On August 8,1938 political enemies of the Third Reich began to arrive at Mauthausen concentration camp from Dachau. Mauthuasen was a prime location for a concentration camp as it had a rock quarry that provided building materials for Hitler’s potential building plans within Germany that would emphasize the power of the National Socialist Party. Many individuals died as a result of hiking up the death stairs that lead from the campsite down into the rock quarry. Prisoners were forced to carry stones weighing 50 Kg; on their backs while SS guards beat them often to death. Of the 200,000 victims who were placed in Mauthausen, 100,000 died in captivity from starvation, cold, and execution. Mauthausen was open from 1938 until 1945 when US Army divisions, including the 11^th armored division liberated the camp in May of 1945 at the end of the Second World War. Ruth Kluger however is not in favor of concentration camps being used as memorial sites. “The various shoah museums and reconstituted concentration campsites do the exact opposite. That’s why I find them so hard to take: they don’t take you in, they spit you out. Moreover they tell you what you ought to think, as no art or science museum ever does. They impede the critical faculty.” (Kluger pg. 198). Kluger feels that the concentration camps that still stand do not accurately convey the sheer depravity that existed there during the years of operation. A person cannot really get anything personally out of their experience because they are taken through these sites as tourists and with the information they hear, formulate their opinions because of what they are hearing from that informational guide. I disagree with Kluger on her point that the camps that still stand today impede one's critical faculty. I had a very emotional experience at the camp even though the horrors of the camp were not visible to me. It was a place that oversaw the suffering of countless innocents and I constantly thought about this as I went through the camp. When our class was led into the gas chamber at Mauthausen the exact same way prisoners would have walked to their deaths, was something that to me, was just not right. Our tour guide said that we might be the last class to ever walk into that gas chamber because they might close it permanently. To me there was no reason to be marched into a room where people met their death. To me it was very disrespectful and after standing there, my emotions got the best of me. That experience of utter sadness reflecting on those unfortunate people who lost their lives that way allowed for me to come to the conclusion that I would never visit another concentration camp. I agree that families who lost loved ones should be able to honor their loved ones who died at Mauthausen, or other concentration camps around Europe by visiting those places to honor the memory of their loved ones.Kluger is quite adamant that all the individuals are lumped into one general experience. Kluger argues that with these campsites being used as memorials, individuals who died in those awful installations, are just lumped into one collective body, with their unique experiences not mattering in the course of history. I disagree though with Kluger on her point that individuals are just lumped together into the collective dead. In the crematorium of Mauthausen, there are individual plaques with pictures of individuals whose family left to ensure that their loved one would not be forgotten among the countless dead of Mauthausen. Their pictures show a joy for life that was extinguished in the most depraved method imaginable. Mauthausen for those family members who lost loved ones, can be used as a proper memorial. Sadly most of the deceased were not given a proper burial. Even though the site has such a dark, tragic history, realitives of loved ones lost can use the site to pay their own individual respects to those who were lost. 

August 23rd

Death and Life by Gustav Klimt-Leopold Museum Vienna

The Leopold Museum houses the private art collection of Dr. Leopold, who just recently died in June of this year. Dr.O had gone through the museum with Frau Leopold and as always was able to relay great information about the late doctor’s collection of fabulous artwork. The museum houses some of the most significant pieces of Austrian expressionism and the secession movement. With the world’s largest Schiele collection, the Leopold also has great pieces by Gustav Klimt, who was greatly influenced by Egon Schiele’s works and both artists succumbed to the Spanish Influenza epidemic that ravaged Europe from 1918-1919. The piece of art that stood out to me was Klimt’s Death and Life that he actually painted in 1910, but then went back and made changes to it in 1915. It depicts a menacing death figure, ready to snuff out the lives of the individuals portrayed on the right who are far removed from death. There is a newborn baby, whom is being showered with love from the proud mother. There is a couple who is shown mourning for the loss of a loved one, and a pensive old woman who seems to be praying. Klimt used rich -colors; the most prominent colors that immediately catch your eye are the rich violets, and blues that seem to draw you on the focal figure of death in the painting. Klimt actually went back after World War I broke out, to add in figures that were actually closer to the figure of death. Now that the youth of Europe were dying on the battlefield, Klimt realized that this was a dark time for Europe and to me, he seemed obligated to make a statement about the carnage that is directly associated with war. The crosses on the figure of death symbolize to me the lives sacrificed for the sake of one’s country. I got the impression after looking upon the work for several minutes that Klimt was trying to convey the joys that life can bring but also the mystery that surrounds death that subconsciously everyone has to face at one point or another. The figure of death symbolizes the fear of the unknown and the inevitable end that everyone must confront, but has no desire to contemplate.

August 21st

Arnold Schonberg

Arnold Schonberg was one of the most prominent musical talents to grace the city of Vienna. Schonberg was self-taught and he studied great composers very meticulously. The composers that helped shape his musical developments were Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Johann Sebastian Bach. Leading up to the outbreak of World War I, Schonberg composed some of his most famous works. One of his most famous works is entitled Pierrot Lunaire and was completed in 1912. This is the piece that I chose to listen to in order to gauge whether or not I liked Schonberg’s compositions. The melody seems to consistently be changing through the piece and it doesn’t seem blend together very well throughout. The violin and flute seem to be the most overpowering as the composition goes on. Personally I feel that it tries to incorporate too much changing melodies and it didn't really make for a beautiful, uniform composition. It is kind of hard on the ears because although it is filled with emotion, it just seems to change too abruptly and much too often. It is not as melodious as the music that Strauss composed for Die Fledermaus. That music was beautiful and the singers conveyed that beauty to me as I watched from my seat during the opera.  As I listened to Pierrot Lunaire, the woman singing didn’t seem be accompanying the music, it made the whole performance into a loud consistent noise rather than a performance that I could truly listen to and enjoy. Overall I would have to say that I didn’t really care for Schonberg. I’m not pretending to know anything about music but it really wasn’t pleasant to listen to. It was just something totally different and although it has a very interesting and unique sound, for me I would not want to listen to more Schonberg after listening to Pierrot Lunaire.

August 20th

Vienna Criminal Museum 

O'Donell's Cartridge case with Imperial seal

Assassination attempt on Franz Josef- Divine Intervention

Blood of Franz Josef on O'Donnell's glove

Today after class Misha, Sheena, and myself went to check out the Crime museum. It was a private museum and had an overview of the history of crimes in Vienna. Probably one of the most famous crimes in Vienna to occur was the failed assassination attempt on the life of Franz Josef. While walking with one of his officers by the name of Maximilian O’ Donnell, a Hungarian nationalist named Janos Libenyi spotted the Emperor. He actually managed to stab Franz Josef in the back of the neck and many people believe that the collar of his shirt managed to save his life. O’Donnell who struck down Libenyi with his saber, had his glove stained with the blood of Emperor Franz Josef. Also kept here is O’Donnell’s cartridge pouch that carries the double-headed eagle, symbol of Hapsburg Austria. There hangs a painting depicting the failed assassination attempt with god and Christ pictured above on a cloud, calling out to warn Franz Josef. The work is entitled “the Salvation of Emperor Franz Josef” and shows that the ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was spared because of the grace of god. This illustrated that because the assassination attempt failed, it was a miracle for the Empeor was stabbed in the neck; therefore he was spared by the grace of god. The museum is not for the faint of heart though. They were very graphic images of murder victims including the murders of small children. Vienna has long been at the forefront of criminal prevention. After World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire, Johann Schober was in charge of the Viennese police force which would come to be the most modern crime prevention unit during this time period. Criminology really seemed to begin in Vienna with the foundation of INTERPOL in 1923. One of the foremost individuals on counterfeit bank notes, Dr. Artur Klauser also worked with the Viennese police corps. Mouldings of murder victims and objects associated with crimes were pioneered by Dr. Poller of the Viennese police service and clearly illustrated how the Viennese were quite adept at perfecting the processes that would lead to solved criminal cases. It’s very eerie to see pictures of the people who were murdered and then actual items that were used by the criminals to wrap their bodies in and transport them. Misha, Sheena, and myself were emotionally drained afterwards because of the violent and brutal images on display. We came to the conclusion that although difficult to look upon an individual who had their life taken from them, it really can change a person’s attitude towards gratuitous violence. People tend to be de-sensitized to violence with its portrayal in mass media for example. However looking upon real people, who were brutally murdered by someone, results in a sad, yet strong personal connection with the victim. You are able to realize that this was someone who had their whole life in front of them and had it stolen away from them without warning. The personal connection leaves you feeling saddened and asking how could another person inflict such horrible brutality towards another human being?

August 19th

SK Wien v Aston Villa

Villa Scores in the 12 minute

Rapid Wien Free Kick close to goal

Today was my first experience witnessing a European football (soccer) match live. The team from Vienna is known as SK Rapid and they play their home matches at the Gerhard Hanappi Stadium in the 14^th district of Vienna known as Penzing. SportKlub Wien has 32 championships to their name including one German Bundesliga title in 1941 because of the Anschluss with Hitler in 1938, making Austria apart of Germany.  They were playing Aston Villa, a team from the English Premier League. It was a Europa League cup, with this being the first leg. The final score was 1-1; therefore if SK Wien goes to England and beats Aston Villa outright, they will advance to the next round. However if no one were to score in that next game, Aston Villa would knock out SK Wien out of the tournament because they scored more away goals. We headed to the stadium early around 4pm, because kickoff wasn’t until 6:45pm. The game had been sold out since Monday so we decided we would try to see if anyone was selling tickets to this important match. Everyone that was selling tickets however was only selling their tickets for 50 euro and most people only had 1 extra ticket. It was much more different when compared to the states though because when you go to a sporting event in the states, the ticket scalpers make themselves known to their clientele. There were really no sign of scalpers outside of the stadium so our plan was not gonna work. Martha, Misha, Sam, and myself just finally walked up to the ticket window and asked if we could buy tickets right before kickoff, because usually when people don’t show up to claim their tickets they are usually just sold. They said we could indeed buy tickets. So what we ended up doing was going and buying tickets for 18 euro from the visiting ticket window where fans from Aston Villa sat during the match since football (soccer) fans are segregated in stadiums to cut down on violence. The atmosphere was electric though as 17,000 packed into the stadium to support SK Wien. Sam who isn’t even a soccer fan was completely blown away by the atmosphere generated by the SK Wien faithful It’s amazing when 17,000 SK Wien fans raised their green and white scarves in unison and just cheered for their beloved team nonstop from beginning to end. During the game the few hundred Villa fans instigated shouting matches in between the fenced off area. I was completely shocked when I heard individuals referring to the Vienna fans as Adolph or Nazis. It was really disrespectful and uncalled for but for English soccer fans, everything is fair game. They even had a chant about German bombers being shot down in World War II, which was 70 years ago, but I guess they felt they had to bring up events those events to stick it to the SK Wien fans. The SK Wien fans weren’t so pleasant themselves though. In the second half they began to throw objects at the American goalkeeper for Villa, Brad Guzan. They were throwing drinks onto the field, and small objects like lighters and coins. Brad Guzan immediately ran to the referee to ask him to intervene. He stopped play for a few seconds but it is not the referee’s job to supervise the behavior of 17,000 people when he is tasked with looking after the 22 players on the field battling tooth and nail for the win. UEFA, the governing body of the Europa League tournament, is investigating the incident and will use Brad Guzan’s testimony to possibly hand down financial penalties to SK Wien and their fans. After the match the Villa captain, Nigel Reo-Coker gave his game jersey to a Villa supporter who was in the front row. He then proceeded to walk right by the Vienna supporters right behind the goal and gave them an obscene gesture with his middle finger. Lets just say he didn’t get a warm reception form the Rapid fans. After the game was over, we had to wait to be let out of the stadium. Unlike sports in the States, people have been crushed to death because of stampedes and have died as a result from angry rival fans. Therefore crowd control is key after a big Europa league just for those precautionary reasons. Being the huge soccer fan that I am, I felt very fortunate to get into the match for 18 euro and it was truly an experience that I will never forget. It has definitely been one of the highlights of my time in Vienna.

August 18th

The Kiss- Gustav Klimt- Belvedere art gallery

Judith with head of Holofernes- Gustav Klimt- Belvedere art gallery

Grand Marble Hall- belvedere

Today was our guided tour of the Belvedere Palace, courtesy of Dr. O. The summer palace of Eugene of Savoy, construction on the Belvedere Palace began in 1721 and in just two years, was fully constructed. Lucas Von Hildebrandt was the architect whom Prince Eugene fully entrusted with the grand project. Even though Hildebrandt had everything he needed to construct the palace, the fact that it only took two years to complete is simply astounding, considering they have been trying to fix the fountains out in front of the upper Belvedere for three years now. It was interesting to see how Hildebrandt incorporated Prince Eugene’s victory over the Turks in 1683. Hildenbrandt carved Turkish figures into the walls, forcing them to hold up the roof of the Belvedere much like Atlas holds the world on his shoulders in Greek mythology. In this way their defeat in 1683 will forever be immortalized. Standing in the Grand Marble Hall, the grandeur of the baroque style of the palace is clearly shown. The ceilings are done by the Italian painter Carlone, and are done in such a way to mess with your perspective. The ceilings seem to be very high until you actually go up several floors and can peer out and see that the ceilings are not as high up. In Steven Beller's Concise history of Austria, he interprets the Baroque in Austria as being defined by Italian art that was put into service of the Hapsburg dynasty. The Belvedere blends this together seamlessly to give you a definitive Baroque style. The wide mirrors and rich marble sculptures adorn the walls of this room. The elegant chandeliers hang in the room glistening with the light that emanates into the palace. This was all about making an individual feel small when they walked into this grand hall in the Belvedere because baroque architecture is meant to make you feel that way and is no surprise that Baroque has come to be associated with imperial wealth and absolutism. The works by Gustav Klimt were absolutely exquisite because of the rich detail and use of gold in the finished works. The crazy part is that Klimt was asked by the university of Vienna for samples of his works and they rejected him, thinking he didn’t possess the qualities that would make him a successful artist.  I took an art history class before I transferred to Davis at my community college and I remember seeing  Judith with the head of Holofernes and The Kiss. I never thought that I would see any of those works in person but here I am in the Belvedere art gallery, staring face to face at these famous works. It is interesting when you hear that Klimt thought that women were very mysterious and that men were putty in the arms of a beautiful woman. This is most evident in The Kiss as we looked upon the work. Some people thought the woman was enjoying the passionate kiss; others thought she didn’t want to be bothered by her male companion’s display of affection. I truly believe that If Klimt thought heavily about the feminine mystique, he wanted to portray her in such a way that the audience looking at the painting has no idea what is going through her mind. This made The Kiss one of the more fascinating pieces of art to look at because you can get an idea as to how Klimt wanted to paint it, but it is also so open to individual interpretation which makes it such an interesting piece of art to look at and discuss.

August 17th

Sacher Torte w/ Whipped Cream

Original Stained Glass from Stephansdom

Original Sculptures of Saints from Stephansdom

Martyrdom of St. Catherine

Today I decided to go to the Café Sperl and do some blogging while enjoying a Koffee Brauner, which is served black with just a splash of milk. The coffee was good but didn’t blow me away. I decided to order the Sacher Torte as well to experience this famous dessert. It was a chocolate cake with apricot jam in the middle, and dark chocolate icing on the top and sides. The Sacher torte was supposed to be the favorite desert of Franz Josef when he ruled Austria from 1848 to 1916. The cake was not very moist so the whipped cream on the side is a must.. It wasn’t too sweet and had a little tartness to the flavor. It was a nice dessert to accompany a cup of coffee though. The waitress at Café Spearl came over promptly and took my order but once she gave me the Sacher torte and the Koffee Brauner, she was then nowhere to be seen. It is nice how the servers just leave you alone but at the same time when you are ready to pay they are nowhere to be found. The waitress literally smoked three cigarettes while I looked at her to try and get her attention. Finally she came over and I could pay and be on my way. It is quite a change from getting a coffee at starbucks where you just pay and be one your way. It is a much more relaxed way of ordering a coffee. The server makes their way over and takes your order and just leaves you be to enjoy it. Most Viennese people just love to enjoy some good conversation and read the newspaper. After that I went to the Wien Museum, which Dr.O recommended a visit to. It was awesome because they had actual sculptures from Stephansdom that had been saved from the fire that brought the roof of Stephansdom down in 1945. Dr.O had discussed at length how they removed some of the stained glass that had once been in the cathedral because of the many different art styles that were incorporated into Stephansdom. Thanks to Dr. O I was able to identify the martyrdom of St. Catherine as she was shown before the wheel and then shown before her death kneeling in prayer in front of the executioner with a sword clutched in his hands over his head, about to deliver the deathly blow to Catherine. The exhibit of sculptures and artwork that were originally in Stephansdom, was the most fascinating in the Wien Museum for me. It showed me how desperate the Viennese were in saving the valuable pieces that were originally in one of the preeminent cathedrals in the city. 

August 16th

Middle Kingdom Columns

Gemma Augustea Cameo

Greek Helmet

Egyptian Sarcophagus 

Today started out real rainy so a few of us headed to the Kunsthistoriches Museum to take a look at some of the exhibits that we missed when we had our tour with Dr.O. Mariza, Misha, Josh, and myself went and checked out the ancient Egyptian artifacts as well as classical antiquity pieces from Greece and Rome. What were fascinating were the 4,000-year-old columns that were actually from the middle kingdom of ancient Egypt. The columns were actually given as a gift to Franz Josef who began ruling the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1848 amidst the revolutions that were breaking out in Europe around this time. The columns were actually given to Franz Josef as a gift and were shipped from Alexandria to Vienna by boat and train. It was just amazing to think how Franz Josef was gifted these columns that were stood in Egypt around 4,000 years ago and are still used as necessary support columns. The Kunsthistoriches Museum has the world’s largest collections of Roman cameos. These cameos were used to reflect contemporary Roman history. The most famous cameo that is on display there is the Gemma Augustea that depicts Emperor Augustus at his coronation with a goddess placing the oak leaves atop his head. Underneath, a victory over barbarian hoards is emphasized with the Romans taking prisoners. It is a beautiful piece carved by a skilled stonecutter into Arabian sardonix. The Kunsthistoriches Museum has a wide collection of items and just shows how the power of the Hapsburgs, ruling over the Holy Roman Empire. The ancient Egyptian columns standing inside the museum showed just how much respect the Hapsburgs commanded in world politics. If Egypt gave 4,000-year-old columns to Franz Josef, the ruler of the Austrian- Hungarian empire, one cannot help but imagine the clout that the Hapsburgs carried. It illustrated to me that most of the treasures can be seen today because of the influence and undeniable power that the Hapsburgs had allowed for such international recognition.

August 15th

Today a small group of us went to Café Zul because the Internet was down at our apartment complex. I ordered a mélange which is one of the classic Viennese selections at coffe houses. It is most likely comparable to the cappuccino. It is served with milk and just a little whipped cream to top it off. The cultural importance of the cafes in Vienna is apparent when you are in one of the many cafes that pop up all around the city. People were sitting out front enjoying good conversation. Most common are the people who take their dogs for a walk and then sit outside in the beautiful weather to enjoy a nice mélange or Brauner. It is a great opportunity to converse or to just enjoy reading a chapter out of your current book or get up to date on current events by flipping through the paper. The importance of coffee in Vienna dates back to 1683 when Eugene of Savoy pushed the Turks out of the city limits. When the Turks retreated, it has been said that they just left mass quantities of coffee behind to the victorious Viennese. This Turkish influence however is very noticeable as there still continues to be countless coffee houses all around Vienna. After my cup of coffee I was feeling hungry and decided to pay a visit to the SchnitzelHaus. The pork schnitzel burger is very tasty and they batter and beat the pork meat right there in front of you when you order. I thought I would be polite and order in German and ordered correctly until the employee asked me in German whether I wanted chicken or pork schnitzel. I didn’t know how to respond correctly so he became agitated and asked me in English. This is just one of my examples of encountering less than friendly Viennese. I just try to be polite and friendly but most people in Vienna I’ve noticed don’t want to be bothered with pleasantries. After this Mike, Misha, and myself went to The Duke, an English pub, to catch the Liverpool-Arsenal game. We are big soccer fans and wanted watch the game live. It was quite interesting to be in an English pub where no one was actually English. Don’t get me wrong the people working at the bar spoke very good English, but they were all 100% Austrian. But they were showing the Liverpool- Arsenal game so we were in no rush to leave. It was not the greatest atmosphere for watching a soccer match, no one was really into the game but we enjoyed it and made our own atmosphere in the bar with our enthusiasm while watching the match.

August 13th/14th

French Muskets-Captured at Battle of Leipzig

Castle Forchtenstien

Today we left the Alps and headed to Castle Forchtenstien. It lies on the Burganland which is the region that forms  the borderland between Austria and Hungary.  The main tower was constructed in the 13^th century. The Esterhazy family came to the castle and transformed into a Baroque palace complete with an Italian frescos in the chapel of the holy virgin decorating the ceiling. The murals on the entrance way had images that depicted images from ancient antiquity that had 120 pictures of all the Caesars that comprised the Holy Roman Empire. A fascinating claim made by the Esterhazy family was that they could trace the bloodline all the way back to Dracula, Attila the Hun, and even Adam and eve. This clearly illustrated how the Esterhazy family claimed to have an historical bloodline that would emphasize their power and their supreme nobility within the Burgenland of Austria- Hungary. Paul Esterhazy wrote about the harmony of the heavens, commenting on the overall beauty of the intricate fresco paintings. It was interesting to see how Castle Forckinstien was never besieged by the Turks considering how many times the Turks attacked Austria, trying to expand their empire. Castle Forckinstien also served as an armory and their were countless examples of Austrian weaponry on display ranging from battle armor used in the 30 years war, to the more modern muskets of the 17^th and 18^th century. The display that really caught my attention though was seeing muskets that were captured from Napoleon’s French forces at the Battle of Leipzig in Germany. I actually visited the monument in the city of Leipzig that was erected to honor those who were lost during the victory over Napoleon’s forces. The monument is bigger than the modern day Eiffel tower and obviously was intended to honor the brave men who lost their lives, while also sticking it to the French at the same time by making the monument dwarf the Eiffel tower.
August 14th

Neptune Fountain

French Garden at Schonbrunn

Front Entrance to Schonbrunn

Today I visited the beautiful Schloss Schonbrunn. Schonbrunn in German actually translates to “the beautiful spring”. The palace was absolutely beautiful and having seen pictures of Versailles in France, really shows how the palace at Schonbrunn was constructed to emphasize the importance of the imperial wealth. . Originally built as a pleasure palace by Ferdinand II, it was actually raided by Turks in 1683 when they tried to invade and conquer Vienna in the same year. The Schonbrunn estate belonged to Leopold I in 1686, three years after the Turks had been driven out of  Vienna. He wanted his son to have an illustrious palace that he could live in. Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was given the initial commission to build a spectacular palace for Leopold's son. One of the interesting things about the construction of the Schonbrunn palace was that Erlach abandoned his original designs in his attempts to keep to the more traditional Baroque stylings of the 17th century. According to the Schonbrunn Palace website, Erlach decided to design Schonbrunn palace around a central axis. For example, the main entrance is the parade court where the palace is the central axis, with buildings flanking it on either side to encircle the entrance court. This would allow for Schonbrunn to be the focal point of all other architecture in the vicinity. Maria Theresa, one of Austria’s most notable rulers made this palace her home along with her family in 1740. According to the lonely planet guidebook, the color of the palace was Theresa’s favorite. It is a rich yellow that really catches your eye and seemed to blend in seamlessly with the beauty of the grounds. I tried to sit and contemplate what other color could have been used, but I seriously could not think of a color that would complement the baroque palace in the same way that the rich yellow did.  The palace grounds were breathtaking. The French garden in the back was neatly kept, compared to English gardens, which are allowed to just grow naturally. The flora in these gardens was very colorful and had intricate patterns trimmed into the garden, which shows how much upkeep is actually necessary to maintain the order and balance within the French gardens. There were countless Viennese there who were utilizing the beauty and open space of the palace to go for a run. It truly was one of the most serene, and beautiful spots in the city of Vienna.

August 12th

Trip to the Alps

There are few times in someone’s life when they can say that they hiked along the Austrian Alps. It was absolutely beautiful and there were times when I couldn’t help but stop and just take in the sheer beauty of my surroundings. It was a beautiful sunny day, and considering the day before was just a torrential downpour it was awesome to be able to hike around for the majority of the day, not having to worry about the weather. Misha and myself met up with a small group at the ottohaus and then continued on the blue trail to the second chalet. It is amazing when you feel like you are only walking for 10 min and look back and see how much ground you actually covered. We had took pictures with a huge crucifix on top of a hill past the ottohaus and within minutes it was way off in the distance. We managed to get to the 2^nd chalet where we stopped in to have some beer and some gulashsuppe mit brot. I went to order the gulash in German and sure enough, the man behind the counter responds to me in English. I’ve always thought that Germans are the best at picking up accents. But I tried to be respectful and order in German rather than just go blabbing on in English. The soup was delicious though and after hiking for a good part of the day, was much needed. We headed back to our lodge by utilizing the red trail to return. It was nice because we got to see much different scenery than we previously had hiking along the blue trail. The landscape was much more dotted with trees and various forms of flora. We stopped to have a water break and these two Austrian men walked by and overheard Misha, Marielle, Amanda, Mariza, and myself conversing. They laughed and remarked how we were the only English-speaking people on the entire mountain. We replied that there was much more of us and they laughed and encouraged us to enjoy the rest of our hike. There were many people climbing along the Alps yesterday though. It ranged from elderly couples to entire families with their dogs. It really makes me wonder though if the Austrians actually appreciate the surroundings of the Alps even after they hike through the various trails. It really made me realize the unique perspective that I as a tourist have when visiting a place for the first time. Everything is just so beautiful and unique but to the people that frequent the Alps for example, it must be beautiful but since they have seen it so many times, they are not as awe struck as I was when I hiked through the beautiful majesty of the Austrian Alps.

August 11th

Joseph Haydn's remains

Schloss Esterhazy

Passion of the Christ

Today we got up bright and early at 8am and made our way to the city of Eisenstaedt before heading up to the Alps. We came to the front of the Esterhazy Palace, which marked the capital of the Burgenland state. According to our tour guide, Schloss Esterhazy was originally constructed in the 13^th century but came under the ownership of the Hungarian Esterhazy family in the year 1622. Under the direction of Paul the First, the palace became a Baroque seat of power for the Esterhazy family. We then headed to the Bergkirche in Eisenstaedt where the remains of Joseph Haydn lay entombed in a brilliant white marbled tomb. It was amazing to see how Bergkirche has one of the few remaining Haydn organs in the world and his remains. It was interesting to hear about the comparison between Mozart and Haydn. Haydn was happy to have the patronage of the Esterhazy family where as Mozart had a total falling out with his patron, the Archduke of Salzburg. It was interesting to see how a hymn that Haydn composed for the Hapsburgs of Austria was then used as the melody for unified Germany. I found that really interesting because I have long thought the German national anthem to be one of the most beautiful anthems in the world. It was quite a revelation to know that Haydn, one of the world’s great musical minds composed such a beautiful melody. I had no idea until I visited the city of Eisenstaedt as to the quality of music that Haydn could compose. Continuing into the Bergkirche I was exposed to the passion of the Christ, as this was re-enacted with models of the trials that Christ faced during his trial and subsequent crucifixion. It revealed to me once again how Catholic artwork emphasizes the absolute suffering of Christ. The Passion scenes in Bergkirche would have allowed even illiterate individuals to understand what happened to Christ without ever having to read the bible. It was very graphic but moving. One cannot help but feel moved by the distinct emotions that are carefully carved into the characters faces.  One would definitely not find that kind of artwork in any Protestant church because the ideals that Protestants believe in are much different when compared to the Catholics. Catholics believed that through good works, one would find salvation. So, with this being said, emphasizing Jesus’ death on the cross for the sins of all mankind would make Catholics aspire to live up to the model that Christ represents. For Protestants, God’s good grace is bestowed upon an individual, and through good behavior that person alone can be saved. That is what Martin Luther believed and is the central tenet of the Protestant branch of Christianity. They do not need to emphasize the suffering of Christ as the Catholics do because they believe that individuals realize what must be done to ensure salvation. After a full day in Eisenstaedt, we then loaded on the bus and drove to the base of our lodge in the Alps where we caught the gondola up to our hotel. 

August 10th

Miracles of St. Ignatius of Loyola-Ruebens

Lamentation of Christ-Crayer

Portrait of a Couple-Sanfvoort

A Merry Company- Palamedesz

Today we toured the Kunsthistoriche Museum with Dr.O. It was a very expansive museum with great pieces of artwork that in one day, would be impossible to see. It was interesting to find out that Rudolf II was a prominent art collector and his efforts were responsible for the great collection there. There are great examples of Catholic art that hang in the Kunsthistoriche Museum. For example, Gaspar De Crayer’s Lamination of Christ is a strong emotionally charged piece that depicts the body of Christ being taken down from the cross and held by his mother, the Virgin Mary. The expression on Mary’s face is one of utter sadness and the presence of angels and saints only emphasizes the sorrow that follows the death of Christ. This is what is referred to as a pieta, and this clearly emphasized the central tenets of the catholic counter-reformation. This work was meant to emphasize the personal relationship each and every catholic has with the Son of God. His suffering is meant to increase the belief that the Protestants were heretics who were bound for eternal damnation and only through belief in the Holy Catholic Church; eternal salvation would be insured for all those who prescribed to the catholic tradition. Another piece of Catholic artwork is best illustrated in Peter Paul Rueben’s work entitled Miracles of St. Ignatius of Loyola. This work depicts the founder of the Jesuit order who had the divine powers to heal the mentally ill from their sicknesses. Yet again we have another emotionally charged painting with St. Ignatius healing the mentally ill with a wave of his hand. These two works of Catholic artwork puts emphasis on the Catholic Church’s desire to pay a pretty penny to artists who were willing to paint in the style that the Catholic Church wanted. These works were intended to give deep spiritual meaning to those who looked upon them. This was all about emphasizing the close bond that the Catholic Church had with god, unlike the Protestants who were in open rebellion against the church, as Catholics saw them. Unlike Catholic artwork, Protestant artwork did not put much emphasis on scenes from the bible or had intensely religious symbolism. Anthony Palamedesz painted A Merry Company in 1634. It is a group of Protestants gathered in a household enjoying each other’s company, listening to some music being played. One thing that characterized protestant artists was their desire to sell their paintings to patrons who could afford them. This in turn created an art market where supply and demand formulated their success, rather than relying on a central church to pay them to paint a certain way. They had the freedom to express themselves when compared to painters who were patronized by the Catholic Church who wanted a deliberate scene portrayed. The second work that illustrated the differences between catholic and protestant artwork was Dirck Sanfvoort’s 1639 portrait of a couple.  They were painted in a very puritan style with conservative black ensembles. This was painted for this couple who most likely put this in their home. Humility rather than power and spirituality, seemed to be the major difference between Catholic and Protestant artwork.

August 9th

Main Altar-Stephansdom

Master Pilgrim's pulpit

Madonna and Child

Today was my third trip to Stephansdom, but this trip was much more informative as Dr. O gave a great tour of the entire cathedral. The piece of sculpture that I really found beautiful was the Madonna and child, and was completed in 1330. It is more commonly referred to as the “servants Madonna”. It originally belonged to a wealthy woman who was very cruel to her servants. One day the rich woman lost her necklace and she blamed her servants for the lost necklace. One of the servants prayed to the Madonna, and in time the necklace was found. It was really interesting to see how the s curve was incorporated into the sculpture. It is unique in that the statue is standing in such a way that the curve is the most dominant feature at first and then it allows your eyes to flow upwards and enjoy the striking detail of the Madonna with Christ as a child, which according to Dr. O, is a continuous portrayal of Christ. She said as more modern art movements began to progress, Christ started to look more child like even when he was being depicted as a full grown adult.  I also thought it was interesting that the church was actually damaged in a fire during the closing days of World War II. I had read something online yesterday about a captain in the German army who refused orders from his commanding officer to totally destroy Stephansdom. I was totally surprised to see how the church was able to survive the great fire caused as a result of the war. I could see why the Viennese took buckets of water from their houses to try and douse the flames from spreading. It is one of the most beautiful cathedrals that I have been in since I have been in Europe. The three styles of architecture being gothic, new gothic, and Romanesque all blend together to create this majestic structure. I really admired the symbolic nature of the pulpit that was constructed by Master Pilgrim. The wheels with three spokes went upwards to symbolize the holy trinity being the holy spirit, the church, and Christ. The wheels with four spokes going down along the handrails of the pulpit symbolized the four seasons on earth. The pulpit was just so masterfully crafted and it is quite incredible how that beautiful piece was able to survive the fire that could have destroyed Stephansdom altogether.

August 8th

Today was my first trip to the opera. I must commend the entire class for looking sharp in their attire for the opera. The title of the opera was Die Fledermaus and none other than Johann Strauss composed the music. I don’t really have a great knowledge about the great composers but I did stand in front of Strauss’ grave marker and if you are buried only feet away from the great Beethoven, your composition have given great influence to the musical arts. My impression of the opera was very positive though. The music was very beautiful and I especially was moved by the part in where Eisenstien must leave for prison and I could really feel her sorrow as she sang about the misery that would await her while her husband served his prison sentence. When the talented woman playing Rosaline sang about the noticeable absence of her husband at the breakfast table that really was moving for me. “ In the morning over coffee, when I want to pour some for you, and see the empty cup, no greeting can I wave to you, in misery shall I surely, drink it black and bitter!” The song was beautiful and yet expressed so much sorrow. I was quite moved by the end of that performance.  I really enjoyed the opera and it was really interesting to see how the music was able to play such a major roll within the opera while at times was cast into the background by the riveting performances made by the performers. Overall though the experience at the opera was very enjoyable though. At intermission I noticed how most people headed downstairs to enjoy a nice glass of wine and discuss the opera to that point. It was a very mixed crowd with younger kids, middle aged, and older people. I thought that really conveyed the importance of the opera within Vienna. My perspective on the opera though was that it is an important cultural as well as a social entity.