An American Werewolf in Austria

“The museum culture of the camp sites has been formed by the vagaries and neuroses of our unsorted, collective memory. It is based on a profound superstition, that is, on the belief that the ghosts can be met and kept in their place, where the living ceased to breathe.” Ruth Kluger, “Still Alive." No pictures are needed for this entry, as pictures are meant for pleasant memories, ones that you wish to recall decades down the line. It's not that I don't want to recall Mauthausen concentration camp - in fact, quite the opposite. I want to sear its image into my brain. I want to remember the sun beating down on my face on the pathway to the enclosure, the stench of sweat that still permeated the wood in the barracks, the stones on the ground beneath my feet. Approaching the camp I noted the remarkable similarities to the Vacaville Prison - the surrounding hills, the town at its base, the road that travels to and from the main gate. The only way in or out. The houses on ...

August 24, German word of the day: reisen, "to travel." Well, this is certainly a relevant word! I spent most of the 24th laying low and napping. Clubbing until 3am doesn't allow me to bounce back as fast as I did when I was younger! I went down to the corner cafe, DirtWater, to get some drawing done. Despite the name, they make great drinks and food, and are truly sweethearts. It is one of the places I will miss the most about Vienna. Dirtwater by fairy light. August 25th, German word of the day: Der Ulaub, "vacation." This has been quite the vacation indeed! Upon arriving in Vienna, I honestly wasn't sure if I could survive the entire month. And here I am with just a few days left, and I don't know how I'm going to survive being back home! Today was a beautiful journey to the Zentralfriedhof, or Vienna Central Cemetery. We were joined by Johannes Reiss from the Osterreichisches Judisches Museum, and his wonderful wife Traude (and the...

German word of the day, August 21: das Elendsquartier. It means "slum." There aren't many slums to speak of here! But, I am sure they exist. German word of the day, August 22: vermissen. To miss! I certainly miss my husband and cats, but I will miss Vienna as well. German word of the day, August 23: die Adventszeit. Advent season. The time before Christmas. On Thursday, we visited the Leopold Museum, guided once again by Lisa and her extensive knowledge of art history. The museum was slightly smaller than some of the others we've visited, and much smaller than the Kunsthistorisches Museum (which I need to revisit before I leave!) With a more modern bent, the Leopold contains 20th century works of art, including lots of Klimt and Schiele, and other works characteristic of the Succession art movement. Surprisingly, the Leopold Museum is not named for Leopold I and his impressive chin, but rather named for Rudolph Leopold, an Austrian art collector. Before I delv...

“Beware the autumn people… For some, autumn comes early, stays late through life…For these beings, fall is the ever normal season, the only weather, there be no choice beyond. Where do they come from? The dust. Where do they go? The grave. Does blood stir in their veins? No: the night wind. What ticks in their head? The worm. What speaks from their mouth? The toad. What sees from their eyes? The snake. What hears with their ear? The abyss between the stars. They sift the human storm for souls, eat flesh of reason, fill tombs with sinners. They frenzy forth. In gusts they beetle-scurry, creep, thread, filter, motion, make all moons sullen, and surely cloud all clear-run waters. The spider-web hears them, trembles- breaks. Such are the autumn people. Beware of them.” – Ray Bradbury, “Something Wicked This Way Comes” One of my favorite books is Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes," which is about a  traveling  autumn carnival that wrecks havoc on a small t...

Before we left Vienna city limits, we made a pit stop at the Karl Marx Hof. Designed to provide thousands of residents with amenities, the Karl Marx-Hof was the site of the "February Uprising," where dissidents barricaded themselves during the Austrian Civil War. The square outside the subway stop is called "12 Februar Platz" in memorial of this. I could talk about that particular landmark all day, but we have a lot to cover, so I move on~ Ah, the quaint town of Klosterneuberg! As much as I enjoyed the small town of Eisenstadt, this town reminded me a bit of Berkeley: hilly, with cute houses and quiet streets. At the center of the town, the Klosterneuberg Monastery sits atop a small hill. Built in 1114, this impressive structure was founded by Leopold III of Babenberg (the patron saint of Austria!) As myth states, Leopold and his wife were on the balcony of their new castle in Klosterneuberg, when his wife's veil was swept away by the wind. It could n...

While my 3-day weekend was mostly occupied with social activities, I will take an opportunity on this quiet Sunday evening to blog about a strange machine I've seen in many Austrian tourist spots. The Phonomat Machine. This model was found in the Bergkirche, in Eisenstadt. I have noticed them frequently in churches, often poised off to the side of the pews. They seemed to be antiquated relics, with a distinctly 1960s-retro feel. You insert a coin, choose one of the languages, and pick up the receiver. The machine will then give you facts about the tourist site in question. Their website (http://phonomat.at), which I translated through Google, indicates numerous times that the machines are not for sale and can only be leased through the company. The website also indicates that they lease telescopes and souvenir coin-making machines. I spotted one of the coin-making machines in the Alps, but have not yet seen any of the telescopes. I'll look for them! Phonomat mach...

Prince Eugene of Savoy is one of the most interesting characters of classic Viennese history. As the youngest of eight children, born to Olympia Mancini of France, Eugene Savoy did not appear to be destined for greatness. Because of his mother's close ties with Louis XIV, Eugene was prepped for a the life of a monk, making his career in church. His physical appearance was often disparaged by the French leaders and aristocrats, his slight build and delicate constitution at the receiving end of many jabs. However, Eugene had no interest in pursuing a life in the Church as directed by Louis XIV: he wanted to become a military man. c. 1712. While known for his brilliant military strategy, Prince Eugene of Savoy was also reputed to be gay. He never married, which was quite rare for an accomplished general and someone of his status. Popular soldier's rhymes of the day poked fun at his sexuality. He appealed to King Louis, asking to be in command of a French army unit. Louis ...