I took breakfast on my balcony after a late sleep, and my morning ablutions. I had indeed had a good night of slumber. I had been concerned that I would be unsettled by the high temperature. However, given that I remember little between going to bed, and waking up sometime around 08:30 CEST, I would say this was not the case.
Breakfast comprised of much that I would have at home: i.e. scrambled egg on bread accompanied by tea, and fruit. The addition of a very small number of Austrian sweet comestibles was the only real deviation from my normality. Indeed, it is the modicomb of “home comfort” that is important to me on expeditions such as this.
I was keen to see some of the city I was now calling my temporary home. I was also keen to engage with the history not only of the city, but also Austria as a whole. My knowledge from my Standard Grade History, and my recent Battlefields trip was this this country was pivotal in the catalytic moment that precipitated World War I. That is, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria by Гаврило Принцип (Gavrilo Princip), a Bosnian Serb who saw himself as a “Yugoslav nationalist”. This history being familiar, I had a number of questions including:
- Which Royal dynasty was the Archduke part of?
- Why was the country named “Austria-Hungary”?
- What happened after World War I?
- Why did the World War II “Anschluss” seem to happen so peacefully?
- What happened after World War II?
- What role did Austria play during the “Cold War”?
- What does it mean to be Austrian/Vienese today?
To help gain answers, I walked to the Museum of Vienna. This was some 3.5 km away, so the walk afforded me a chance to see the changing city from the very much residential area I was staying in, to a much more spectacular architectural make up. Despite the searing heat, I enjoyed the 50 minute stroll.
The museum was very helpful in providing the information I sought. It started with a discussion the myriad of prehistoric Celtic peoples in the area before the arrival of The Romans. They founded the military base of “Vindobona” here, which is essentially the start of modern day Vienna. The Roman Empire Collapsed, and by one way or another, the Babenberg family ended up as rulers.
When the Babenberg family did not produce a male heir, a power vacuum was created. The Hapsburg family emerged as the victors in various battles over the area, and managed to stay as rulers for over 600 years. Thus the country is very much shaped by their influence to this day.
Here was the transfer to floor two of the museum. I took a break and had an iced coffee, and an almond pastry on a bench outside.
The Hapsburgs had a policy of gaining lands through marriage. This was applied very successfully, and led to either control, or at the very least significant influence in:
- Austria
- Bohemia (now in modern day Czechia)
- Spain
- Hungary
- Croatia
- England
- Ireland
- Portugal
- Transylvania (now in modern day Romania)
- Galicia, and Lodomeria (now in modern day Poland, and Ukraine)
- Mexico
I think it is clear how powerful this family were.
Hungarian leaders, their country part of this empire grew unsettled, and wanted a return to a Hungarian state. This lead to the Compromise of 1867, when the monarchy of Austria-Hungary was created. This still included a number of areas with a significant identity independent to either of those named in the title of the country. This led to further disquiet, and the actions that led to World War I. The loss of this led to the dissolution of the Hapsburg empire, and Vienna ended up as the capital of a very small country, compared to the significant area it had overseen previously.
World War II brought the “Anschluss” of 1938. Austria was taken by the Nazi party without bloodshed. The museum was very honest about this event, and about the narrative surrounding the involvement of Austria during World War II. According to the museum commentary, it has often been painted as a victim in the whole affair. This has been particularly so as means to create distance between the country, and the events of The Holocaust.
The museum information was clear however, that in recent years many have strived to re-assess this piece of history with an honesty stating that Austria had been as complicit as many other countries in perpetuating atrocities, and that this should be recognised. It’s also treu to say that one of the reasons the Anschluss was bloodless, was that many Austrians favoured the takeover.
In practical terms, this has led to projects looking to re-unite people, and their descendants with articles taken from them as part of the removal of assets from Jewish, Sinti/Romani, and other groups persecuted during these times.
I found the honesty in the discussion quite striking. It reminded me of other World War II related sites, and exhibitions I had seen in Germany. The language, and the storytelling is perhaps more direct, and plainly spoken that if it had been written for an exhibition to be staged in Scotland, England, America, or any of the other “allied” countries who celebrated victory in 1945.
The final section of the museum featured a number of items, and “talking heads” looking at modern day Vienna. Like in many cities, people here are concerned about the “cost of living”, about housing, climate change, and immigration. The latter of which is particularly interesting here given the position of Vienna at a cross of many roads, and thus a place with an anomalously high population of peoples not born here. This has been recognised by a number of groups as an issue during elections. A significant percentage of the population are not eligible to vote. Naturalization takes many years, and is very expensive. There are campaigns afoot to recognise, and promote action on this. I will watch with interested eyes.
I walked back to the apartment in the rain, with the sound of some distant thunder augmenting the music playing in my ears. I took dinner on my balcony, glad that the rain had freshened the atmosphere, but also glad that it had eased. I was also glad for all I had learnt.
P.S. Feel free to fact-correct me on any of the above. I am learning, and it is highly likely I will make errors.
