Sunday, January 27, 2013
St. Stephen's Cathedral
After we visited the Schönbrunn Palace, we were presented with the optional excursion to climb the St. Stephen's Cathedral, which is the main Cathedral in Vienna. The building is huge. Cody, Morgan, Lindsey, and I went with Dr. Moser and climbed the 400+ stairs to the top of the bell tower. It was pretty awesome to see the city from that high up.
The Imperial Palace – Schloss Schönbrunn
On the
morning of Thursday, January 24th, we went to Vienna's Imperial
Palace. The Schönbrunn Palace is located in the
13th Viennese district of Hietzing. Since 1743, the palace
was under Empress Maria Theresa and expanded to its current
form. During the Austro-Hungarian Empire , it was called
the "summer imperial palace of Schoenbrunn."
Schönbrunn
Palace is the largest palace and one of the most important and most visited
cultural assets of Austria. The castle and grounds are approximately
160-acres. A major attraction in the park is the oldest existing zoo in
the world, the Vienna Zoo.
-source: http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/Schloss_Sch%C3%B6nbrunn
I enjoyed walking through this palace much more than the one we saw in Berlin. I think the biggest difference was the decor and attitude of the royalty that resided there. Although the palace and the grounds are massive, the decor on the inside is very tasteful. All the walls were white with a gold trim, which expressed a more modest idea of royalty. It was easier on the eyes and a lot easier to take in. Regardless, monarchical royalty were obnoxiously rich.
I enjoyed walking through this palace much more than the one we saw in Berlin. I think the biggest difference was the decor and attitude of the royalty that resided there. Although the palace and the grounds are massive, the decor on the inside is very tasteful. All the walls were white with a gold trim, which expressed a more modest idea of royalty. It was easier on the eyes and a lot easier to take in. Regardless, monarchical royalty were obnoxiously rich.
Riesenrad - Vienna Ferris Wheel
After we visited Vienna's Central Cemetery, we went to one of the city's iconic attractions, the Ferris Wheel. Located on the city's carnival grounds, the Riesenrad has been in operation for more than a century. Because of the cold weather and time of year, most of the carnival grounds are closed, except for a couple of restaurants, indoor rides, and the Ferris Wheel. It was a lot of fun, although it was hard to see the entire city due to the winter fog.
Vienna’s Zentralfriedhof (Central City Cemetery)
On Wednesday, January 23rd, we made the most of our first full day in Vienna. The first thing we did was visit Vienna's Central City Cemetery. Built in 1863, it is Europe's second largest cemetery (second to Hamburg), stretching over 590 acres with 330,000 graves and 3 million interments. The only possible American comparison to the cemetery could be Arlington Nation Cemetery, but that is reserved for military personnel. The Zentralfriedhof is unique because it is non-denominational burial ground, with sections for Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and unaffiliated.
It was an important stop for us because of the Jewish sections. There are two sections, at gates 1 and 4. The first gate suffered extensive damage during the Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass). The second gate is still used today. In Judaism, it is believed that the God sent savior has yet to come. When he does, the dead will ascend into heaven. Because of this, Jews must have a proper burial and remain at rest and peace. This is why the Holocaust was a rape of the Jewish faith - most of the individuals murdered were lost. They were burned or thrown in mass graves. There was never a proper burial and most of the people to remember the victims were killed too.
The concept of a permanent resting place is very important to Judaism, which is why both gates at the cemetery has and will remain in existence for many years. In contrast, the Christian graves must be renewed every 33 years, or they will be reused. This saves space at the cemetery and makes sure there are living individuals that still care about the graves. This also helps pay for the upkeeping of the cemetery.
As we walked through the main part of the cemetery, we were in a well maintained area. We first walked through the beautiful cathedral in the center of the cemetery. Afterwards, there was a "VIP" section, with famous people including composers such as Ludwig Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, and Johann Strauss II, all masters of composing and decomposing. There was a memorial for the beloved Mozart, although his actual burial site is unknown. There was also a military section for the Soviet Army, who liberated Austria at a high cost during WWII.
We then took a trolley down to the Jewish section of the cemetery. This section stood in stark contrast to the first part of the cemetery. The front part looked decently maintained, but as we walked farther and farther back, the gravestones turned into faded, crumbling blocks, covered in overgrown vines and ivy. I noticed most of the graves dated before the outbreak of World War II. It was completely silent, an eerie stillness hung over the cold ice and snow. Animal tracks covered the ground and deer walked ahead in the path; like walking through a forest, we felt isolated from the city. I understood the Jewish struggle. There was no Jewish community, no one left to care, no one to pay for the maintenance of the cemetery. I thought to myself - "Time is a force of continuation - it has no memory, no history, no good, and no evil. Humanity within the context of time is just that. Time heals the evils of humanity, but it is up to us to remember consequences of our evils, so we never forget to love."
It was an important stop for us because of the Jewish sections. There are two sections, at gates 1 and 4. The first gate suffered extensive damage during the Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass). The second gate is still used today. In Judaism, it is believed that the God sent savior has yet to come. When he does, the dead will ascend into heaven. Because of this, Jews must have a proper burial and remain at rest and peace. This is why the Holocaust was a rape of the Jewish faith - most of the individuals murdered were lost. They were burned or thrown in mass graves. There was never a proper burial and most of the people to remember the victims were killed too.
The concept of a permanent resting place is very important to Judaism, which is why both gates at the cemetery has and will remain in existence for many years. In contrast, the Christian graves must be renewed every 33 years, or they will be reused. This saves space at the cemetery and makes sure there are living individuals that still care about the graves. This also helps pay for the upkeeping of the cemetery.
As we walked through the main part of the cemetery, we were in a well maintained area. We first walked through the beautiful cathedral in the center of the cemetery. Afterwards, there was a "VIP" section, with famous people including composers such as Ludwig Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, and Johann Strauss II, all masters of composing and decomposing. There was a memorial for the beloved Mozart, although his actual burial site is unknown. There was also a military section for the Soviet Army, who liberated Austria at a high cost during WWII.
We then took a trolley down to the Jewish section of the cemetery. This section stood in stark contrast to the first part of the cemetery. The front part looked decently maintained, but as we walked farther and farther back, the gravestones turned into faded, crumbling blocks, covered in overgrown vines and ivy. I noticed most of the graves dated before the outbreak of World War II. It was completely silent, an eerie stillness hung over the cold ice and snow. Animal tracks covered the ground and deer walked ahead in the path; like walking through a forest, we felt isolated from the city. I understood the Jewish struggle. There was no Jewish community, no one left to care, no one to pay for the maintenance of the cemetery. I thought to myself - "Time is a force of continuation - it has no memory, no history, no good, and no evil. Humanity within the context of time is just that. Time heals the evils of humanity, but it is up to us to remember consequences of our evils, so we never forget to love."
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Arrival in Vienna
On Tuesday, January 22nd, our group boarded a plane and continued our journey to Vienna, Austria. We arrived at our hotel, put our stuff away, and immediately went exploring in the city. Vienna is absolutely beautiful. It is much more of a classic, romantic European city. Berlin is great, but much more modern, like New York City. As I walked, the old architecture enveloped me as I walked down the cobblestone streets past coffeeshops, bakeries, and all sorts of little shops. The pastries and coffee here are incredible!
PLEASE NOTE: Our hotel internet is terrible and I have to use the McDonald's wifi next to the University when I can. I understand I am behind on posts, but I will try and keep the blog as current as possible. AND McDonald's have chicken cordon bleu sandwiches...
THIS PLACE IS AWESOME!
PLEASE NOTE: Our hotel internet is terrible and I have to use the McDonald's wifi next to the University when I can. I understand I am behind on posts, but I will try and keep the blog as current as possible. AND McDonald's have chicken cordon bleu sandwiches...
THIS PLACE IS AWESOME!
The Oranienburger Straße Synagogue
On Monday, January 21st, we visited one of Berlin's last standing Synagogues. Before WWII, it was one of Germany's largest and most prominent synagogues, with a Jewish school and research center. It was burned and destroyed by the Nazi's before the war. It sat in East Berlin as a pile of rubble for forty years. At the end of the 1980's, the Soviet government decided to rebuild the synagogue as a symbol of resurrection. After the fall of the wall, the city of Berlin assumed the project and the rebuild was completed a decade later. The city salvaged as much of the original synagogue as they could. The building is only partially its original size, due to other buildings being built around it after the war. It is not a place of worship, only a museum and a monument. The reality is that there is not a Jewish community in Berlin to worship at the synagogue. The building stands as a hollow reminder of a community that once was an intricate and prominent part of the city only 70 years earlier, but is now nonexistent.
It was very sad to visit this place. There were policemen posted outside the building because antisemitism is still a very serious problem in Europe. After going through metal detectors, we walked through the museum filled with old artifacts and documents from before the war of the Jewish culture. This is what got to me. All the things I was looking at, I thought, shouldn't be in a museum. Jews still use these things and practice with this stuff every day. This is still relevant! And then it all clicked. It isn't relevant here, anymore. In America, we are removed from what happened during the Holocaust. We learn about it, but we live in communities with Jewish families. Jewish communities are still strong parts of American society. There are no real Jewish communities left in Berlin and many parts of Eastern Europe. Just hollow holes where they were, lifeless and silent imprints.
It was very sad to visit this place. There were policemen posted outside the building because antisemitism is still a very serious problem in Europe. After going through metal detectors, we walked through the museum filled with old artifacts and documents from before the war of the Jewish culture. This is what got to me. All the things I was looking at, I thought, shouldn't be in a museum. Jews still use these things and practice with this stuff every day. This is still relevant! And then it all clicked. It isn't relevant here, anymore. In America, we are removed from what happened during the Holocaust. We learn about it, but we live in communities with Jewish families. Jewish communities are still strong parts of American society. There are no real Jewish communities left in Berlin and many parts of Eastern Europe. Just hollow holes where they were, lifeless and silent imprints.
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