Ok, so there are many more than simply 10 facts to know about this wonderful city, but just to give you a taste of life in Vienna, the following 10, somewhat random, facts should be enough to tide you over until I can gush about everything in person. So, here we go.
1. The original snow globe was invented here, by accident, in 1900. At first, attempting to make his own light bulb, Erwin Perzy I created the first snow globe, using the Basilica of Mariazell as its subject. This basilica was one of the first sights I saw in Austria and was in the town where I spent the first three days in this wonderful country. The snow was made of ground rice.
The factory still resides in Vienna and now creates made-to-order snow globes, including one recently made for the Obama family. The Perzy family sill owns and operates the company and has kept it rather small and authentic, creating snow globes of all different subjects to hold memories in a unique fashion.
2. The Danube river, known as the Danau in German, is unique as it runs through 4 capital cities, the most in the world. It is Europe’s major river flowing West to East, starting in Germany’s Black Forest and flows into the Black Sea through Romania and the Ukraine.
The river plays a main role in the lives of all countries through which it flows, but especially in its 4 major capital cities using the river for trade, protection, and an attractive destination. These capital cities include: Vienna, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; Budapest, Hungary; and Belgrade, Serbia. Originally used as a natural border and protective tool against invaders, Vienna is the only city of the 4 that has the river running along the outer edges of the inner city, rather than the city center. The river was also the subject of the largest environmental dispute taken to international court when Slovakia wanted to divert the Danube, while Hungary, originally a partner in the endeavor, decided it was too destructive.
3. Vienna is known as both the “city of dreams” and “the city of music, ” making it a large tourist attraction to people from all over the world. The “city of dreams” term came from Sigmund Freud’s influence in the city during his research, as he was the world’s first psycho-analyst and was born in Vienna. Composers such as Strauss I, Strauss II, Schubert, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, von Suppé, Mahler, and Brahms. Vienna remains today a mecca for musicians and aspiring musicians. A major music university is situated across the street from Palais Corbelli, the IES center.
Music flows through the windows and into the street, making a wonderful atmosphere during the week.
4. The Zentralfriedhof, the “Central Cemetery” of Vienna, opened in 1874, holds a dead population of almost twice the living population of Vienna. In its time of erection, a horse tram ran from the first district of the city to the cemetery. It was eventually replaced with an electric tram, which still runs the same route today, and was named the “71″ in 1901. From its beginning to today, this tram is the major public transportation line to the cemetery. The Viennese developed a euphemism saying a person had “taken the 71″ when they died. Oddly enough, my apartment is in the direction of the Zentralfriedhof. I “take the 71″ every day.
