Vienna

Two Historic Cities of Europe

By Ellory Kearns

Friday, March 22, 13

Viennas Greatest Sights

Lippizaner Horses
The Lippizaner Horses have been preforming in Vienna for almost 500 years. They are intensely trained for up to 12 years before they are ready to preform. The arena is spectacular and the horses are like nothing youve seen before. Their ski# is mind blowing and as is their beauty.

Catacombs
The Catacombs are located under St Stephens Cathedral. It is the nal resting place for 1000s of people. The Black Plague ki#ed more than half of the population of Vienna and every body was thrown in the catacombs. Bone Houses were built not only under the church but under the streets of the city. Dukes also were in these catacombs. Before someone important was buried they had to have their organs taken out and placed in silver canisters; preserved in alcohol. These canisters were on the shelves in catacombs right in %ont of us. The catacomb tour was creepy and gross but very interesting.

Roman Ruins
Romans ruins have been discovered in various places around Vienna. In the Ho$urg Center wa#s and moats %om the 1st to the 5th century are preserved in an enclosure.

St Stephens Cathedral
St. Stephens Cathedral is a beautiful church in the center of Vienna. Pi#ars rise up 445&. to the ceiling. The Interior has many sma# chapels, over 20 alters and an intricately carved stone pulpit. Tapestries and murals cover the wa#s and throughout the church there are tombs of Kings, Dukes, Lords and Saints.

Habsburgs Summer Palace

The Habsburg summer palace is a must see in Vienna. A beautiful place, we learned about the some of the greatest rulers of the Habsburg dynasty including Maria Theresa and Franz Josef I . Every room was decorated magnicently and it revealed the story about life as a royal. On the palace grounds is the Vienna Zoo, it is one of the oldest zoos in the world.

Friday, March 22, 13

World War I
Viennas Involvement
At the start of World War I Vienna was not greatly eected. The war led to a lack of supplies such as food and clothing due to the ban of trade to Austria.This was enforced by the Triple Entente Alliance between France, The United Kingdom and Russia. Costs of the war were extremely high and were funded mostly by borrowing money from the people that was never returned. This ruined the savings of many people of the city. A famous event during the war was an air ight over Vienna. It took place August 9th 1918 and was led by Gabrielle DAnnunzio an Italian poet and nationalist. DAnnunzio and his team in their aircraft traveled 1200km round trip to Vienna to drop tens of thousands of leaets reading this message:
"On this August morning, while the fourth year of your desperate convulsion comes to an end and luminously begins the year of our full power, suddenly there appears the three-color wing as an indication of the destiny that is turning. Destiny turns. It turns towards us with an iron certainty. The hour of that Germany that thrashes you, and humiliates you, and infects you is now forever passed. Your hour is passed. As our faith was the strongest, behold how our will prevails and will prevail until the end. The victorious combatants of Piave, the victorious combatans of Marna feel it, they know it, with an ecstasy that multiplies the impetus. But if the impetus were not enough, the number would be; and this is said for those that try ghting ten against one." -Written by Gabrielle DAnnunzio

This message meant that the time of the German Empire was over. The Italians were coming to power and they would remain in power until its demise: this was during the peak of their rule during World War II under Benito Mussolini. The closure of World War I was also the collapse of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. In November of 1918 it was proclaimed in front of parliament that the GermanAustrian Republic was established.

Friday, March 22, 13

History Of Vienna
In the historic part of the city there is still evidence where a settlement had its moats and walls. This was a Roman military encampment, Romans inhabited the city from the 1st until the 5th century. In the 5th century there are indications of a horrible re, only a small settlement remained after this event. Sixth century copper coins have been found representing that signicant trade activity took place here. As well as 6th century graves found during an excavation. There are documentation's of a battle against the Hungarians in the year 881, in the year 955 the Hungarians were defeated, this enabled Vienna to evolve towards the middle ages. In 976 the Babenberg Family became the Margrave of Austria. The Margrave was the commander of the military defense on the border of an Empire. Vienna sits near to the Hungarian border and was a protector of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1155 Duke Henry II of Austria named Vienna the capitol of Austria. During The Third Crusade King Richard the Lionheart of England was captured by Duke Leonard V the Virtuous of Austria in a town near Vienna. He brought a ransom of 10-12 tons of silver. This enabled the Austrians to build a mint and city walls in the year 1200. In 1221 Vienna received the entitlement of a staple port, this meant that merchants were required to stop and sell goods when passing through the city, Vienna became one of the most important trade cities in the Holy Roman Empire. In 1278 Rudolf I took his place at Austrias throne as the rst of the Habsburg dynasty. He found his way to power by defeating Ottokar II Duke of Austria and former King of Bohemia now known as the Czech Republic.

The Habsburgs were the most famous dynasty of Austria. They were in power for 640 years. They lost their throne in 1918 at the end of World War I. Maria Theresa was a great and famous ruler from 1740-1780. She was Empress of The Holy Roman Empire, Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Germany, Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia (Czech Republic). She had 16 children, 11 girls and 5 boys; this was very disappointing for them because women could not become the highest ranking rulers. Six of her children died before the age of 17, 3 of them younger than 5. The rest lived to adulthood and died around the age of 50. One of her daughters was Marie Antoinette Queen of France. Most of her children were married for political reasons to keep friendship bonds between countries strong. The Habsburgs had a summer palace in the country where Maria Theresa and her family would go every year. The palace is located not far from the city center of Vienna, although in the 1700s it would have taken all day to get there. It had 1,441 rooms, 1000 sta, the entire Habsburg family, sitting rooms, grand bedrooms, ballrooms, concert halls and acres of gardens. Maria Theresas great-great grandson Emperor Franz Josef the Is wife Elizabeth, or Sisi as she was more commonly known as is said to be the most loved Austrian Empress. She was very beautiful with ankle length hair. Both her and her husband Franz Josef were great adventurers but rarely saw each other as they traveled independently. SHe despised the Royal social scene and thought it impractical and a waste of time. The rst few years of her marriage she rarely went into Vienna and lived at the summer palace. The children lived a very strict lifestyle; they were not permitted to play and were taught to have the skills of rulers from the time they were small. The history of Vienna is ancient and fascinating when walking through the streets of the old town I could feel the presence of great rulers that lived her so long ago.

Friday, March 22, 13