A Weekend in Vienna: Day 3

I spent my 21st birthday in Vienna. It began at the breakfast table where everyone wished me happy birthday while I sipped on a fresh espresso. `We left the hotel at 9 and took the U-Bahn from Schwendenplatz up to Heiligenstadt – the end of line 4. From there we set off on foot, stopping to admire the Karl Marx Hof.

The Karl Marx Hof is a large housing complex that was completed in 1930. Stretching two-thirds of a mile, the complex holds 1,382 apartments and can house roughly 5,000 people. The structure was built with a plethora of amenities such as a kindergarten, laundromats, doctors' offices, business offices, and a library. After Anschluss, the building was renamed Heiligenstädter and used as housing for Jews. Architecturally the building looks like a fortress with tall walls, tiny windows, and a domineering presence.

From there we walked to the Beethoven Haus for a workshop with a curator to prepare for an in-class project. The House of the Holy City Testament is located on a quiet street in Heiligenstadt. Beethoven is… an interesting character. There’s honestly too much to say about him. When Beethoven’s hearing began to decline, he retreated to the Austrian countryside to come to terms with his deteriorating health as well as live in solitude - his pride often got in the way of his relationships. Throughout his life, Beethoven wrote incredibly detailed journals and letters, and it is because of these that we know so much about him. His Achilles heel was pride. He didn’t tell friends and family members about his

declining hearing for years. He struggled with mental health and contemplated suicide while living in isolation in Vienna. For our workshop, we perused the exhibits through the lens of a critic looking to create the perfect exhibit.

Afterward, a group of friends and I took the U-Bahn to Naschmarkt – a stall market over the Wien River that’s existed since the 16th century. The market stretches almost a mile long and hosts a wide assortment of restaurants, fresh produce stands, local artists, and textiles. Once there we realized to our dismay that it was Sunday, meaning most places were closed for the day. We ended up eating at a small burger shack – Rinderwahn am Markt. The prices were cheap and the food was amazing– including their salted caramel peanut butter milkshake. Also, fries in Europe... might just be better than in the states.

From there we went on a hunt, searching for another slice of Sachertorte

– I’m obsessed. We came upon the Sacher Hotel – home to the original Sachertorte. There was a line of course but the wait was worth it for a slice of heaven. I can’t wait to attempt to make this dessert and inevitably fail when I return to the states. Café culture in Europe is so soothing - I need to learn how to slow down more.

In preparation for an informal project, we were doing the following day, we went to the Jewish Museum to do a bit of research. Vienna’s Jewish Museum is the very first Jewish museum ever created. It was established in 1895, sponsored by a group of Viennese Jewish citizens. The collection originally focused on the culture and history of Jews during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Following Anschluss, the museum was closed in 1938. During the war, artifacts were confiscated by the Nazis, and over half of them disappeared, later appearing on antique markets or fading into ambiguity. The current Jewish Museum was opened at its present location in 1993. The first floor showcases objects from WWII and the stories tied to

them. The second floor focuses on the Salzburg festival – a cultural festival that was used to promote nationalism. The third floor showcases older artifacts from before the Holocaust while the fourth floor is entirely dedicated to antique artifacts. This museum differs largely from any Jewish museum I’ve been to before. Rather than feeling melancholy and somber due to the Holocaust - Shoah is how the Jews refer to the Holocaust - the exhibits are framed to celebrate Jewish culture throughout history.

We returned to the hotel to pitch our idea for the project and relax for a bit. Previously, we had planned on going out for my birthday but after laying down for a few minutes we realized how exhausted we were. While we sat contemplating our evening plans we heard some jazz music ringing through the alleyway outside our hotel window. Turns out there was a live music bar - Draken: Bar & Music - right below our hotel and Sunday nights starting at 7 are jazz night. Immediately we set to work brainstorming a new plan.

Hot Dog

Change of plans, rather than going out and partying, so to speak, we settled on wandering the wooden stall market in Stephensplatz, finding something to eat, and then checking out the previously mentioned Jazz bar. Dinner ended up being a “hot dog” – bratwurst with ketchup and mustard in a bun – and a glorious Baum Kuchen. Baum Kuchen – a tree cake – is a layered sand cake that is baked over an open flame. It’s made with a high-fat dough, baked around a cylinder, and coated or filled with your choice of topping. I had mine rolled in cinnamon and sugar as the locals do – I asked.

We wandered towards the Jazz bar and came upon what I would call my kind of nightlife. The venue was packed to the brim with people pouring out the door and sitting in the alleyway just to listen to the music streaming through the open door. I fought my way through to the bar and ordered a simple Prosecco – my favorite – and struck up a conversation with a man that looked kind of like Willem Defoe. He was originally from Texas but moved to Vienna 35 years ago. He hated Europe initially due to his unwillingness to be open-minded, but when he realized his stupidity he wrote an article called – Sigmund Freud Should’ve Stayed in Vienna Longer. Now he works a typical business job and has a daughter my age.

Upon my statement of farewell, he tried to give me some advice: learn to be open-minded. He went into a long spiel about how brainwashed American’s are; blind for all intents and purposes until we gain an outside perspective by living in another country.

It was a relaxing night compared to how I always envisioned my 21st birthday but I’m glad I spent my 21st at a jazz bar – it’s a much better representation of myself. I enjoy the simple pleasures in life: live music, a good drink, and quality company.

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