Kunsthistorches Museum again

Returning to this part of Wien makes me so happy, I love museums and feel so lucky to go to so many. I made my way directly to the painting section inside and was truly impressed. I was facing art from time periods that I emphasize on in my major. I could actually see through the paintings the reaction from the catholics to the protestant reformation. All the ornate and elaborate pictures sought to show the power of god and the stories that went along with their beliefs. On the other side the protestant pictures that I was able to pick out were portraits of people and landscapes that showed no image of god. This discovery reminded me of classes I have taken where we learned about how the protestants took everything out of the churches and painted them white. The stark difference between a catholic church of this time period with its ornate gold and saints statues versus the protestant empty churches really shone through in these paintings.

Bratislava

This trip was really humbling. In such a beautiful setting a person could see hints to a checkered past. Pins and stickers made jokes about how other countries loved to take their land. There was a "KGB" bar that poked fun at people being taken in the night, and their lack of substantial museums all showed me that these people had been through a lot. The castle was nothing like what I had expected. It had been destroyed by a fire in the 50s so the inside was all plain white stucco. It was not elegant and seemed to remain isolated from the fashions other castles I have seen had adopted (like mimicking the French).

From the top we could see a famous bridge that had been built by their comunist government and we could also see the communist housing complexes. It was easy to pick them out because unlike the Karl Marx Hoff in Wien they were seperate but did look all the same.

The people were very welcoming and I had some of the most amazing gulash. We spent the day after food and the castle just walking around exploring the many parks and found a street square that had carts selling lots of fun stuff. The things being sold were very arts and craftsy, I could see how the person selling them had probably made them himself. For example lots of wooden knick knacks with puff paint. This was such a different scene than Wien and it was an adjustment. I began questioning what a person needed to survive and decided that their gulash was good enough to tempt me to stay.

After some delishous ice cream and more shopping around the market we stumbled upon a life size game of chess in the middle of a park. It was so tempting we had to join in. After emerging victorious we did as the locals and began to amble about to find a plague colum. Plague Colums seem to be all over Eastern Europe and I have found one in every city I've been to so far. The plague was a huge deal to the people and the rulers had to show apreciation to god for delivering them from death unscathed while so many around them had died.

I feel like this particular trip has humbled me as a person. I've realized that all the clothes and objects that I have are unnessisary and people survive with so much less. I also kept thinking of the invasions this place must have seen historically and after reading my guide book's specific history of Bratislava it mentions how certain people just see who's ever in charge as another oppresive force. This points to the absolutist movements in monarchies where they would find themselves rulers of peoples that had no idea who their ruler was. The people in the Slovak provinces according to the Lonley Planet book all spoke different forms of the same language and felt very seperate from each other. This reminded me of the way that Germany took so long

to form because so many different people lived in such a vast area and external forces were keeping the nation apart.

Karlskirche

Walking up to this church i was not really impressed by its exterior. It seemed to be stuffed between the technical university and an ugly platz. Surrounding it there were many skate boarders and graffiti. Looking back I should have held this away from my judgement for a place considering all these were developments from much later than this place's construction. Upon entering I was fascinated with the audio guides information about every single kiosk and statue in the place. Everything was donated by a certain person and done by a famous artist and it represented something specific for that parish. It makes sense that something a community would need would appear. After we finished looking around at ground level we ascended in the elevator and climbed many steps to reach the very top of the dome. Standing that close to the beautiful and elaborate paintings on the ceiling was enlightening. I realized that all the pictures were telling a story and relaying a teaching from the bible. Many were also reinforcing the relationship between royalty and God, affirming the state's power.

I wonder who was permitted to actually reach the top of the dome and if people were able to see it without the elevator blocking the view from the bottom. I'm glad that due to the restoration in this church I was able to experience such a rare view.

Heeresgeschichtliche Museum

The museum of military history was much more interesting than I had thought it would be. I had the image of a small room with dusty weapons in it for some reason, but this was quite the opposite. The large several leveled open rooms held very nicely labeled display cases with so much history. I felt like I was looking at history from an angle that I had not thought of in a while, the military aspect of it. In the more modern section there was a painting of a woman being grabbed during a riot. The audio guide told me that this riot had occurred in Simmering (where we stayed) this showed me how a workers neighborhood like Simmering could change over time and be the source of protest for what people saw as unfair treatment. One part of the museum housed pikes and more traditional weapons and I was reminded of my medieval studies class I took where Kevin Roddy described all the uses for these weapons and how they had evolved over time. Once again I was standing in a museum and able to connect what I was seeing to history that actually happened. It seems lame but actually being able to connect what I was looking at in a case to history I have been told about or read about was invigorating and made me want to learn more. Another theme that I'm noticing on this trip is that I am shocked by the violence that has occurred in the past. The picture above shows some weapons that were used. The brass knuckles were particularly disturbing. I have never known war and seeing this collection really gave me a glimpse into the trail it left behind.

The section on the thirty-years-war was very interesting. There was a huge painting showing people fleeing from the approaching troops. Their faces held such panic and in the background a person could see the army burning homes and looting. This one picture really drove home the point that the armies took everything and ruined peoples lives if they came in their paths. The uniforms present were surprising as I thought that the military at this point while more organized than before would lack actual uniforms. The other section that stood out was the "war against the Turks". The siege that they laid upon Wien was a particularly interesting point of reading in our texts for this class and seeing actual images and weapons from this event was enlightening. The importance of rank was also illuminated in this museum and especially in the section for the "war against the Turks". It was very important to document who did what and have something to show a person's military skill.

Belvedere Palace

This Palace felt very welcoming as I walked around. The water was artfully used to mirror the palace and show symmetry. It was a strange walk, as one had to pass the rather dingy and littered train station to enter the palace gates where it was immaculate and revealed a truly beautiful view. The name really does say it all. I found the artwork within these walls worthy of hours of gazing and they truly revealed parts of history in an organized and accessible manner. For example on the upper level there were many Biedermeier paintings that showed the longing for a simply country lifestyle and reinforcement of values that supported the home and order. I was intrigued by a painting depicting salon life and a lively game of chess where a woman was victorious against her male challenger.

MAK (Museum Fur Angewandte Kunst)+2nd Tram exercise

This museum was very scattered I felt, it was not as organized as the Leopold Museum for example. The first exhibit I saw was very modern art, some very thought provoking short films and some that left much to be desired. The exhibit where pieces of yarn that were just pinned once at two point in a room seemed to lack some bare bones definitions of art to me.

Moving on we saw some very interesting furniture depicting different time periods. This was particularly moving for me because these numerous chairs were something that would be used in daily life for people. Each room was divided in time periods and it seeded very tangible as the the changes and the goals within each room. The Biedermeier was very quickly shown to be as it had been described in the texts we have read and had seen the paintings in the Belvedere in the upper levels.

One desk in particular stood out to me as its clean lines and beauty shone across the room in a simple form that welcomed a woman to sit and write at it. The description card explained that there were built in vases for flowers and this seemed to fit the time period perfectly as it would add to the comfy beauty in the room. The changing fashions in furniture was illuminated in this one museum much better than seeing paintings of chairs and reading about the household style could have ever done. Seeing the clear progression from one type of chair to another was very revealing to the tastes of the time period.

I especially liked this one hallway within the exhibit that had all the chairs behind a screen and then they shone light so that all we could see was the silhouette of the chair. The different Arte Nuevo lines were so great and I could see these being a hit at the cafe museum.

Later in the day I did the tram exercise where I rode it around the Ring Strasse twice. Noticing the parliament building and the other large markers was so telling of the importance of the Ring Strasse itself. This has been one thing that endeared this city to me. The attempts to modernize and organize being so visible. I hopped on and off a few times to get ice cream and peak into a book shop. The different parts of the ring are spaced differently and this was a truly nice view. I'm glad I did this.

Schonbrunn Palace

Absolutely beautiful does not describe this place. I felt like I had at once been introduced to the Hapsburg's and understood them so much more. The art that each room held, the construction, and the laundry list purposes of each room showed how they carried on their daily life. Not only the main palace but the extensive gardens and hunting lodge showed their desire to display their power and claim to the throne. Seeing the French eagles at the entrance on top of the obelisks was surprising. This mark and a certain room showed the mark Napoleon had left when staying here. I am not sure why I had half expected this palace to look similar to the ones I had seen in Madrid, but this was much different and beautiful in its form. Walking in the gardens and labyrinth showed a side of the Austrians that i particularly like, they enjoy their nature and know how to take their time when it matters. So many people were strolling with their families and enjoying the day and it didn't take much to imagine Franz Joseph taking a walk in the failing sun along the carefully tended hedges and enjoying the flowers. This place truly was one of luxury and displaying power, yet in a functional way.

The Third Man

Taking the street car to a Vienna movie cinema was fun. I love movies and almost chose a major in film. Before leaving the states I watched 'Citizen Kane'. Orson Wells was a genius and I was confident going into the movie that I would love it. Throughout the movie it was so strange to see bombed out Vienna and recognize places they spoke of. This movie was an instant reminder of the history that these streets had held at one time. The divisions and the meaning of every statue I have passed in my wandering. I had not actually placed in my mind the meaning to the actual people living in Vienna that the divisions based on nationality would mean. I wish that there were more movies accesable about this city that would illuminate more to me. I will have to look into this.

Mauthausen Memorial

I have taken a while to process this trip and part of me still doesn't feel like I should talk about it. After reading the Ruth Klueger book part of me felt like going here was against the survivor's wills but I really believe that going is important.

On the bus ride there I felt mixed about this trip. I was having fun chatting with people that weren't sleeping. It seemed like everyone was trying to sleep and not think about where we were heading.

When there at first it didn't hit me until we were standing in the room where they burned the bodies. The scenery was so beautiful with rolling hills and trees dotting the landscape had been able until this moment to distract me from where I was. It just seemed so unreal and I couldn't imagine just tossing several bodies in at a time. The second room after this was a plain room and we were supposed to stand there and wait for the rest of the group to finish looking at the memorial photographs until the tour moved on. But as I stood there something in that room made me panic. It felt different than the others. It seemed angry and unsettling. The empty room had held something at one point that was communicating to me somehow and I had the sudden urge to do anything to get out of there at once. In a few minutes our guide told us that this was where they would stack the bodies and store them until they were to be burned.

An important point that was made about the holocaust was that it was not done by crazy people. They were normal people that under particular circumstances used incredible creativity in tormenting other humans.

The stairway of death really made an impact on me. It was really disorienting to walk down them and almost impossible to walk back up them. I could never had carried a rock up them. How these people survived as long as they did is incredible.

The Leopold Museum

The Leopold Museum is one of my favorite museums that we saw in Wien. It is so hard to comprehend that this was one man's collection. The building itself is a work of art. The oddly placed windows that give us a view to another room or several stories down is a nice tie in with the revolutionary art work that is held within the walls. The artwork was top rate and I enjoyed broadening my artistic knowledge about new people. The picture "Death and Life" by Klimt was particularly surprising. I was thinking that death seemed rather sneaky and waiting to pounce but it was really nice to have a group discussion about what we all saw in the picture. I wish we would have done that more. It was good to see Klimt's later work and compare it to the earlier ones in the Belvedere.

The cafe inside the Leopold Museum had the best breakfast! Perfectly cooked bacon, delicious bread, sausages, melange, and so much more...I am coming back just for breakfast if I have to.

The Murderers among us film was very tough to watch, but was very well done. It highlights the way that a city and its people may not want to remember themselves or their actions, but really needs to deal with. This movie really made me think and I went on a walk later that night around simmering. What happens to the people that actually supported vehemently the Nazi movement. So many history lessons and movies seem to act like after all the concentration camps were closed these people and their opinions didn't matter anymore; but they were still there and as this movie showed many of them were not punished. How many people were they able to influence and convert to their way of thinking? Wien today needs to deal with its past and perhaps make some more reparations in ways of museums and official acknowledgements of the part it played in antisemitism.

Tram Excersise

The readings for today about the formation of the Austrian monarchy really interested me. The intricate web of marriages seems to necessary but cold. The tram exercise was fun but a bit frightening. I ended up near the hospital and the different types of people I saw was surprising. There were more younger people and professional folk all in a rush to get wherever they were going. I got off the tram and walked around to get apple ice cream and a salami sandwich from a small cafe and found the university so it makes sense that there were younger people. There is really a difference between taking the underground subway and taking a surface street to get where I'm going. I get more interaction with people and am able to see where we are going and the path to get there. I will make an effort from here on out to take more surface streets instead of just the underground way.

The Jewish Museum

I was rather disappointed with this museum, but at the same time it made me painfully aware of the history and lives that were stolen from the Jewish people. What I was most impressed with in this museum was how there was so much stuff just shoved in a corner. There were many donations of ritual equipment and they were poorly labeled and piled on top of each other. This really gave a feeling of a warehouse that was just holding these objects until their owners came back. I got to thinking about all the people's stuff that was taken from them during the holocaust and how it was just piled and thrown aside to gather dirt.

Upstairs there was a section dealing with what it meant to be a Jewish woman and I really felt that this exhibit was one of anger. It seemed that the women shown were unhappy and trying to reclaim a part of themselves that had not only been taken from them from the war, but also by the men in their own communities. It reminded me of a book I read in another history class called "The Memoirs of Gluckel Hamel". She was a rare woman as her husband made it so she could run the family business in a time when a woman was never in a position of power. I think that there must be serious issues within some Jewish communities where women don't feel appreciated or respected.



On a happier note we went to breakfast today at the Naschmarkt and once again enjoyed the bustling crowd and lively people watching. I have become much more comfortable reading a menu and ordering. I think this new confidence stems from the familiarity of Vienna at this point for me.

4 days in Prague

Going on the tours of each part of the city was so interesting. Each of the four parts had such a different characteristics. I am glad that I read the Metamorphosis, Kafka is fantastic. Very odd and fragmented but very good reading. His melancholy tone matched some of the history we were learning about in Prague, especially all the troubles that the Jewish population had to endure through time. His feeling of not belonging anywhere and being disconnected from a community permeates the short stories I read where there is a very definite obstacle that keeps him from his one happiness or requires him to make a very difficult, but necessary decision. The short story about the torture/murder devise was something I could not get out of my head when I was walking through the torture museum in Wien and Cesky Krumlov.

The clock that we saw in the main square was very telling in how it incorporates so many different calenders and ways of telling time. Prague as a city was diverse and did not disregard its past.

I found the picture signs in Prague that would denote which house was whose to be very clever and showing the importance of a name or craft in shaping a communities view of a family or person. The peacock showed that this particular location was a brothel and it was supposed to bring ideas of beauty and something rare.

As we were walking across the Charles bridge there were many statues with very specific meanings and reasons for being located where they were. One particular one was supposed to give a person better health if they touched it and when looking at it we can see that it has been worn down through years of touching.

Prague was very mixed having a clock with Zoroastrianism references, a Jewish section, and very christian statues sprinkled through the city. Another thing we noticed on the tour that reminded me of our readings and class was this church that is protestant. Instead of an ornate Gothic or baroque exterior it is a simple white. No frills or anything to distract from god and hard work. I was reminded of the religious wars where there was outright fighting in the streets and how protestants would destroy catholic churches by throwing statues to break them and tearing down all the decorations inside. All these extras they felt were distracting from god and tied to anger about indulgences.

One of my coffee breaks was in a tiny underground cafe. My coffee was delightful and i was pleased to see modern art decorating the walls. Figuring out all the different currencies is fun but I feel like no matter how carefully I plan the tip I'm not giving enough.

We went to a very nice place for dinner that was a traditional coffee shop. The chairs and the decorations held very closely to what I can imagine the original place to look like. I enjoyed the most amazing lobster bisque I've ever had and felt like I had been transported back in time and allowed to eat at a very elite location.

Going to the castle was one experience that I would definitely recommend if a person found themselves in Prague. It became very clear that this was a fortification for military purposes at first and then over time when the threat of invasion had disappeared the entrance to the castle had been permanently changed. Seeing the giant walls that were insurmountable and walking in through the moat really gave me the feeling of the castle from the bottom up. It was a fairly easy walk from there on out but still rather steep. All the vegetation was nice and I realized in this moment that I had been spending all my time in cities and had not seen the countryside at all. I wish this program had offered another week and we had gone to the Austrian countryside.

When we reached the castle there were gates with the signs of the zodiac on it. This surprised me when I realized what they were. I was expecting on the gates of the church to see mini pictures of the saints or the passion of the cross.

One of my favorite things about castles is that they are always located on a high point and give a great view of the city. This was no different and the view showed the very particular roofs that Prague has. The tiles stand out very clearly in my mind as I think of the city. I am still surprised to see so many places that grow wine nicely snuggled within the cities. In Wien we had to travel a bit to get to the hurtigruten but just from looking at this view and the professors comments we could see they existed here in Prague as well.

We went to several Jewish museums and memorials. I was particularly touched by the presence of children's drawings from the concentration camps. Its an interesting perspective to view history through and to think of any time period and what it would be like to be a child at that time. What would you understand? What would those surrounding you tell you was going on? In one picture in particular there stood out a man in a uniform (I'm assuming that this man was part of the SS) and he was pointing with a very pronounced arm at a Jewish man and a child. I know they were Jewish because the yellow star was drawn on their coats and the man had the traditional hair/beard. The child had drawn this picture making the man pointing very large and above them with an angry face and the two people below huddled and almost not even fitting on the paper. This picture to me showed the shame and confusion that this child felt being thrown out of her/his home. The book Still Alive touches on this and how a person felt losing the place of their youth. While Ruth remembers Wien with anger as the place she learned language I wonder what this child if they were still alive would remember of Prague.

I had not realized that there were such elaborate ritual objects in Judaism. The shield for the Tor rah and the crown were two objects that particularly stood out and upon further museum investigations I made note of their presence. The synagogue's decoration with use of pattern reminded me of the mosques I visited in the south of Spain.

Comparing the Jewish cemetery to the one we saw in Wien was very different. While there was a Jewish section in the Wien one this was totally different. Besides seeming older, this cemetery in Prague was very uneven and the tombstones were tilted and on top of each other. The one in Wien, while in disrepair in certain parts all were very carefully lined up and organized. Here in Prague it seems like they ran out of space and just kept putting people in.

One of the most memorable dinners we had in Prague was at a very nice (and pricey) Indian restaurant. The food was fantastic and I couldn't help but wonder why we don't have such good food in the states.

Budapest

We took a weekend excursion to Budapest. I was intrigued to learn that this city was at one point two cities. Buda+Pest I think and they were separated by the Danube, but through time they became one. Stepping off the train my first impression was that these people were much less assuming and laid back in in their clothing choices. Everyone was very helpful with directions and advise and much warmer and hospitable than the people in Vienna. I truly want to come back here and spend a lot of time. Everything moved slower here in a relaxed state. We walked down the Danube and crossed several bridges back and forth to find a little street fair on chain link bridge. The smells were amazing: fresh vegetables, sweet bread, walnuts, cinnamon, and other spices. People were walking and enjoying the music, food, and crafts that artists were selling. We took a tram to the top of a famous hill and wandered around seeing several impressive views and visited a cave church but i would have to say that my favorite part of this trip was the bath. We went to the baths and it was so relaxing. The visual experience and interaction with people was fascinating, it was so diverse and an experience i would truly recommend to understand a part of tradition and culture. There was a clear division between the two parts that once were two cities. Buda was so green and built up with beautiful castles and art works while the pest part was more industrial and older bulky feeling. There was construction everywhere and it seemed that there was an effort to improve the streets as i witnessed several street cleaners. I fell in love with this city and will return.