In the Hofburg complex I visited four sections: the Albertina, the Imperial Treasury, the Spanish Riding School and the Sisi gallery which also included the Imperial Silver Collection.
The Imperial Treasury was amazing. I saw more pearls in two hours than I have seen in my entire life. Small pearls richly decorating crowns, jewellery and clothing. Yet again, the audio guide was wonderful in explaining the context for the magnificent exhibits. Each of the Emperors had their own crown commissioned, and the different crowns were indicative of what focus that Emperor had. Propaganda again. I'd be interested to go back and research the British ones to see if they were created in a similar way. I don't remember that being a feature except for the Coronation Cloak.
There was a whole section on the Coronation regalia for the Holy Roman Emperor, and lots of information on how the Emperor was voted in. Various parts linked back to information from the Czech Republic in terms of the Estates, who held voting rights. My grasp of European History is still very basic but I am starting to make connections.
There was another whole section on Napoleon, which I didn't understand until I heard that he had married a Hapsburg daughter. A smart political move on his part, and their's, at least while he was on the up.
The final section was devoted to the Order of the Golden Fleece, which I first heard about with Maximilian. I saw regalia, and amazing copes worn by the priests of the Order.
One thing which I have kept encountering, but still haven't fully connected, is the Protestant/Catholic issue. In the Czech Republic there was a famous battle, White Mountain, where the 'home grown' Protestants, the Hussites were defeated. The Habsburgs were staunch Catholics and insisted that the people in their dominions be Catholic, causing many Protestants to flee. The link between the Austria/Hungary Empire and its domination of the Czechs is one reason why many in the Czech Republic hate Catholicism. All the architecture is linked too, because the Baroque is connected with the counter reformation.
Of course the Jewish issue keeps coming up as well. Most of the Jews were thrown out of Vienna in 1420 and the remainder slaughtered in 1421. Coincidentally the Emperor owed them lots of money. They were allowed back in later, but continued to have a chequered history, and in Judenplatz I saw an interesting memorial to the thousands of Austrian Jews killed in World War II which was unveiled in 1990.
The Sisi exhibition was interesting in a similar way to the Maximilian one. Here was a significant figure in Austrian royalty who I knew nothing about. The particular focus of the exhibition was to undo the myths that grew after her death and particularly through films made in the 20th Century and to present the real person, both good and bad. What came over to me was a child/woman suddenly thrust into a life for which she was unprepared, betrothed and married at 15, with 3 children before she was 20, who was probably inherently mentally unstable but made even more so by circumstance. She showed all the signs of bulimia, was fixated on her weight and her appearance and was so anxious about being within the court that it made her physically ill. Throughout it all, I felt most sorry for her husband Franz Joseph who loved her passionately and allowed her the freedom to go wandering about Europe for most of her life. In an attempt to persuade her to stay in Vienna ha had her rooms decorated with a beautiful, quite exotic scene. I stood in those rooms and thought they were the most beautiful rooms I have seen on my travels.
I also felt sorry for her children who she basically ignored, except for the last who she originally smothered with affection, then ignored. The portrayal was honest but sympathetic.
The Imperial Treasury was amazing. I saw more pearls in two hours than I have seen in my entire life. Small pearls richly decorating crowns, jewellery and clothing. Yet again, the audio guide was wonderful in explaining the context for the magnificent exhibits. Each of the Emperors had their own crown commissioned, and the different crowns were indicative of what focus that Emperor had. Propaganda again. I'd be interested to go back and research the British ones to see if they were created in a similar way. I don't remember that being a feature except for the Coronation Cloak.
There was a whole section on the Coronation regalia for the Holy Roman Emperor, and lots of information on how the Emperor was voted in. Various parts linked back to information from the Czech Republic in terms of the Estates, who held voting rights. My grasp of European History is still very basic but I am starting to make connections.
There was another whole section on Napoleon, which I didn't understand until I heard that he had married a Hapsburg daughter. A smart political move on his part, and their's, at least while he was on the up.
The final section was devoted to the Order of the Golden Fleece, which I first heard about with Maximilian. I saw regalia, and amazing copes worn by the priests of the Order.
One thing which I have kept encountering, but still haven't fully connected, is the Protestant/Catholic issue. In the Czech Republic there was a famous battle, White Mountain, where the 'home grown' Protestants, the Hussites were defeated. The Habsburgs were staunch Catholics and insisted that the people in their dominions be Catholic, causing many Protestants to flee. The link between the Austria/Hungary Empire and its domination of the Czechs is one reason why many in the Czech Republic hate Catholicism. All the architecture is linked too, because the Baroque is connected with the counter reformation.
Of course the Jewish issue keeps coming up as well. Most of the Jews were thrown out of Vienna in 1420 and the remainder slaughtered in 1421. Coincidentally the Emperor owed them lots of money. They were allowed back in later, but continued to have a chequered history, and in Judenplatz I saw an interesting memorial to the thousands of Austrian Jews killed in World War II which was unveiled in 1990.
The Sisi exhibition was interesting in a similar way to the Maximilian one. Here was a significant figure in Austrian royalty who I knew nothing about. The particular focus of the exhibition was to undo the myths that grew after her death and particularly through films made in the 20th Century and to present the real person, both good and bad. What came over to me was a child/woman suddenly thrust into a life for which she was unprepared, betrothed and married at 15, with 3 children before she was 20, who was probably inherently mentally unstable but made even more so by circumstance. She showed all the signs of bulimia, was fixated on her weight and her appearance and was so anxious about being within the court that it made her physically ill. Throughout it all, I felt most sorry for her husband Franz Joseph who loved her passionately and allowed her the freedom to go wandering about Europe for most of her life. In an attempt to persuade her to stay in Vienna ha had her rooms decorated with a beautiful, quite exotic scene. I stood in those rooms and thought they were the most beautiful rooms I have seen on my travels.
I also felt sorry for her children who she basically ignored, except for the last who she originally smothered with affection, then ignored. The portrayal was honest but sympathetic.
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