In Pursuit of the Glory of the Habsburg Dynasty in Vienna - Part 15 of the Former Austro-Hungarian Empire Free Travel

In Pursuit of the Glory of the Habsburg Dynasty in Vienna - Part 15 of the Former Austro-Hungarian Empire Free Travel

At the end of the 13th century, with the rise of the Habsburg family, Vienna developed rapidly, and magnificent Gothic buildings sprang up like mushrooms.

In the 15th century, the Habsburg family became the most prominent, influential, and widespread ruling royal family in European history,

holding many monarchical titles such as Duke of Austria, Archduke, Emperor, King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, and King of Spain, and even occupied the throne of the Holy Roman Emperor for centuries, ruling over much of Europe across languages and ethnicities.

Vienna became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and the economic center of Europe.

The motto of the Habsburg dynasty: "Let others wage war, while you, happy Austria, go marry!"

In 1147 AD, the Babenberg Margrave built a Romanesque square-shaped church, which is the present-day St. Stephen's Cathedral, and since then the church has always been the spiritual home of the Viennese.

At the end of the 13th century, with the rise of the Habsburg family, Vienna developed rapidly, and magnificent Gothic buildings sprang up like mushrooms.

St. Stephen's Cathedral was also expanded many times, with the construction of two high towers to the north and south. The Gothic-style south tower rises 136.7 meters, becoming the third highest tower in the world.

In the 18th century, the exterior walls of the cathedral were renovated in Baroque style, and the coat of arms composed of yellow, green, and black on the roof, as well as the double-headed eagle representing the Habsburg dynasty, are eye-catching.

The two rows of Gothic columns inside the church divide the nave into three parts. The church houses a large number of artistic treasures.

The "Wiener Neustadt Altar" painted panels, exquisite reliefs, and fine craftsmanship all showcase the luxury and extravagance of the former imperial palace.

Behind the altar, two stained glass windows let in colorful rays of light, adding a touch of mystery to the Baroque altar.

The royal crypt beneath the church contains the coffins of many members of the Habsburg family. The coffins are carved with holy angels and various patterns, and hold the internal organs of 72 members of the Habsburg royal family.

In 1857, Franz Joseph I demolished the medieval old walls and bastions of Vienna and rebuilt them into a ring road over 50 meters wide, laying the foundation for the current old town of Vienna.

Both sides are lined with trees, and the streets inside the ring road are radial and circular, crisscrossed, paved with cobblestones, and filled with Baroque, Gothic, and Romanesque multi-story buildings.

On both sides of the ring road, there are mostly museums, city halls, parliament, universities, and the State Opera House, among other exquisite cultural and artistic buildings.

The Hofburg Palace on the inner side of the ring road was the palace of the Austrian Habsburg royal family. From the 13th century onwards, over more than 600 years, successive emperors expanded and rebuilt the Hofburg Palace, incorporating Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and neoclassical styles,

finally forming one of the largest palace complexes in the world. The connected old and new Hofburg palace complexes cover an area of 240,000 square meters, with 18 buildings, 54 exits, 19 courtyards, and 2,500 rooms.

The Hofburg Palace records the prosperous era of Empress Maria Theresa's enlightened rule, the brilliant achievements of Joseph II's vigorous reforms following his mother's legacy, and the honor and disgrace of Austria during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I.

The palace complex houses more than twenty world-class collections of royal cultural treasures, which can be considered the best in Europe.

Among them, the Sisi Museum, the Silver Collection, the Imperial Apartments, the Spanish Riding School, the National Library, and five museums open to the public allow us to glimpse the rare treasures and lifestyle of the prominent royal family.

In February 2017, two years ago, we spent two full days wandering through the Hofburg museum complex. The collections were so rich and overwhelming that aesthetic fatigue set in, and we barely passed by the Schönbrunn Palace entrance (see another travelogue for this trip's Schönbrunn Palace visit).

On this Central European free trip from November to December 2019, Vienna served as a transit hub, and we stayed here for a longer time. I had more opportunities to examine the cultural and artistic heritage behind Vienna's magnificent buildings and explore the honor and disgrace of the Habsburg royal family.

The imposing Heldenplatz (Heroes' Square) is part of the "Imperial Square" that was not fully completed until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The two bronze equestrian statues on the square commemorate Prince Eugene of Savoy, who defeated the Ottoman Empire, and Archduke Charles, who defeated Napoleon of France.

In 1683, the powerful Ottoman Empire army besieged Vienna for two months. The 19-year-old Prince Eugene led the people in a tenacious resistance. Right at the foot of the statue's wall, he repeatedly blocked the Turkish troops who dug tunnels into the Burg bastion, earning instant fame.

This battle is hailed as a classic battle of Christian civilization against the Eastern Ottoman Islamic civilization.

The two bronze equestrian statues of heroes freeze the glory of the Habsburg dynasty in its prime. The square is named after the heroes who resisted foreign invasions in the history of the Holy Roman Empire.

The Neue Burg (New Palace) of the Hofburg to the southeast of Heldenplatz was begun at the end of the 19th century and only the southeastern corner was completed when the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed.

The columns on the front of the Neue Burg are arranged in an arc symmetrical pattern. Above the wide central terrace, an eagle with spread wings reveals the ambition of the Habsburg family. In 1938, the mustachioed unsuccessful applicant from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, born in the small town of Linz, Austria, proclaimed the third annexation of Germany and Austria from this terrace of the Neue Hofburg...

The Germanic people went from the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation to the modern German Federation. The Treaty of Versailles prohibited the unification of Germany and Austria. The brief seven-year unification during World War II, and now the permanently neutral Second Republic of Austria.

The glow of the winter sunset sheds a hint of reflection on the empire's honor and disgrace.

The northeastern part of Heldenplatz is one wing of the old Hofburg Palace.

Passing through the ceremonial hall portico connecting the New and Old Palaces, we enter the old palace area. The Silver Collection displays exquisite tableware, porcelain, and various banquet decorations, showing the empire's luxury.

The Court Silver Exhibition showcases various tableware used by the royal family,

including the silver tableware used by Empress Sisi and her husband, pottery depicting portraits of early Habsburg family members, and various banquet decorations.

The Treasury houses a large number of the dynasty's treasures, displaying crowns, chalices, and other objects inherited by the Habsburg family, highlighting the authority and elegance of the royal family.

Tableware used by the emperor for banquets in those days,

including what was then called "white gold" Chinese porcelain, some of the earliest European porcelain treasures,

gifts from the French court, and exquisitely crafted Italian silverware.

Visitors to the Hofburg seem uninterested in the story of the empire's destruction and are more captivated by the girlish thoughts of Princess Sisi. The legendary Princess Sisi is widely respected and loved by the people of Hungary and Austria, and her souvenirs can be found all over Vienna.

The Sisi Museum displays more than 300 personal items, including the princess's letters and portraits, recreating the colorful and busy life of this legendary queen.

From a carefree teenage girl living in Munich to her astonishing courtship with the Austrian Emperor and eventually becoming the deeply admired and beloved Empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The queen's flush toilet is on display.

The museum focuses on Elisabeth's personal life, especially her rebellion against court etiquette, her obsessive pursuit of beauty and thinness, her extreme passion for sports, and her痴迷 for classical poetry and art.

To escape palace life, she often traveled extensively, frequently visiting Hungary, Italy, and other places. The tragic Sisi was stabbed to death by an Italian anarchist with an awl on the shores of Lake Geneva in Geneva, Switzerland...

The Imperial Apartments display the 19 studios, living rooms, and drawing rooms of the empire's most famous imperial couple, Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Sisi.

"The war he started sent tens of millions of people into a sea of blood and left the empire he fought for all his life teetering" aptly describes Franz Joseph I.

Franz Joseph I was extraordinarily diligent, working at least 12 hours a day, and to strengthen his willpower, he often took cold baths and slept on a camp bed. He himself was proficient in eight languages commonly used within the empire...

Compared to the tragic Princess Sisi, Franz Joseph I's life was even more tragic. His younger brother, Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, was executed by local revolutionaries in Mexico; Crown Prince Rudolf died in a suicide pact with his lover; his wife, Empress Elisabeth (Princess Sisi), was tragically assassinated on the streets of Geneva.

Having lost his brother, beloved son, and wife, Franz Joseph I chose his third brother's eldest son, Franz Ferdinand, as the new crown prince. Subsequently, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo thoroughly provoked and angered the old emperor, who had ruled for over sixty years. In a rage, Franz Joseph I launched a retaliatory war, ultimately igniting the Balkan powder keg of Europe and triggering World War I...

After enduring many vicissitudes and a life of hard work, the unwise Franz Joseph I quietly passed away from pneumonia in the midst of the war. Perhaps this was the best outcome for this emperor of the twilight years, as he at least did not witness the collapse of the Austrian Empire!

Passing through the portico, we enter the lively inner courtyard of the Hofburg.

On one side, the conspicuous Swiss Gate, mainly in red, blue, and gold, leads to the oldest building in the Hofburg, the Swiss Court, named after the loyal Swiss mercenaries who once guarded it.

Today, the wing adjacent to the Swiss Gate also houses the official residence of the President of Austria.

On the other side, the Michaelertor (Michael's Gate) leads to the Michaelerplatz outside the palace, which is the main entrance to the Hofburg Palace.

At the entrance of the Michaelertrakt (Michael's Wing) of the Hofburg Palace, there are four statues of Hercules symbolizing the power of land and sea, always guarding the royal family.

The largest square in the old palace, Franz Joseph Square, is relatively quiet. The statue of Franz Joseph I on the square, dressed in a long robe, resembles a wise man. The women around him symbolize faith, peace, justice, and power.

The women around him symbolize faith, peace, justice, and power.

The tragic Emperor Franz Joseph I of the Austro-Hungarian Empire reigned for sixty-eight years, spending his life trying to prop up the crumbling empire.

The military statue on the lawn of the Burggarten looks even more lonely, with few visitors.

Most tourists gather around the large Mozart statue on the other side of the garden.

The Baroque-style Austrian National Library on one side of the Kaiserforum (Emperor's Square) is one of the ten most beautiful libraries in the world.

Originally the Habsburg royal library, it holds 7.4 million books, including papyri, manuscripts, rare books, maps, globes, and more.

The magnificent reading hall is exquisite and luxurious.

The inconspicuous Augustinian Church next to the library is the royal court church.

Although the exterior of this church is not very striking, the interior is quite luxurious, and the small church has two pipe organs.

The Habsburg dynasty held many royal weddings here, including the wedding of Empress Maria Theresa to Duke Francis Stephen of Lorraine, the wedding of Archduchess Marie Louise to French Emperor Napoleon I in 1810, and the wedding of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I to Princess Elisabeth (Sisi) of Bavaria in 1854.

In the silver urn in the Loreto Chapel on the right side of the main altar are placed the hearts of 54 members of the Habsburg family.

Franz Schubert once conducted his own mass here.

According to the traditional Habsburg funeral custom, the body is buried in three places: the internal organs in St. Stephen's Cathedral, the heart in the Augustinian Church, and the bones in the Capuchin Church.

The large statue on Maria Theresienplatz, separated from the Heldenplatz of the Hofburg by the Ringstrasse.

The main body of the monument is a square pavilion-shaped stele. The dignified and elegant empress sits on a throne at the top. Wearing a crown, the empress holds a scepter in one hand and extends the other hand downward, as if admonishing or greeting her subjects.

From top to bottom, the four sides of the stele are lined with two rows of Roman columns. In the middle of the four facades, figures representing "pillars of Theresa's throne" are carved: royal advisors, administrative officials, military commanders, artists, and scientists.

Every figure in the monument is sculpted vividly, and the multitude of figures forms a grand sculptural group, making the Theresa Monument part of the world cultural heritage.

The four statues of generals on horseback are lively and elegant.

Maria Theresa, known as the "Grandmother of Europe" and the "Mother of Austria," abandoned the traditional religious piety of the Habsburg family and embraced the new governance concept of "enlightened absolutism." The empress maneuvered skillfully, earning a reputation as a European diplomat. Domestically, she implemented a series of policies to promote commerce, improve institutions, and popularize education, while vigorously promoting culture and art, ushering in the golden age of Austrian art.

The "Three Giants of Vienna" and a large number of masters established Vienna's reputation as the world's music capital. Strauss's waltz "The Blue Danube" became a Viennese classic.

Maria Theresa gave birth to sixteen children in her lifetime, often directing her generals against enemies while heavily pregnant.

Two of her sons, Joseph and Leopold, successively became Holy Roman Emperors. Two other sons, Maximilian and Ferdinand, became the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne (and Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights) and the sovereign of the Este family in Italy, respectively. Among her daughters, one became the governor of the Netherlands, while two others married into different Italian noble families. Through these children, her grandchildren became rulers of several European royal houses, earning her the later title "Grandmother of Europe."

Once, during an incognito outing in their youth, Franz and Theresa had a knightly adventure: Franz bravely leaped over a fence and picked a few bunches of grapes to quench Theresa's thirst. However, they were discovered by a gardener and had no cash on them. When they revealed their true identities, the angry gardener did not believe them and locked the couple in a cellar. They were rescued by guards only in the evening.

The delighted Theresa later erected a plaque here to commemorate this adventure. It read: "The Roman Emperor committed a crime of trespassing on private property; the Hungarian Queen was his accomplice, and one might even say the instigator and abettor."

Maria Theresienplatz is at the center of the museum district. The surrounding sculptures, the Natural History Museum, and the Art History Museum offer an unparalleled artistic feast.

The Natural History Museum in Vienna houses over 30 million specimens from fields such as biology, earth sciences, anthropology, and archaeology.

The collection of treasures was begun by Emperor Francis I, the husband of Empress Maria Theresa, and includes prehistoric flora and fauna specimens

as well as archaeological finds from the Hallstatt culture.

In 2017, the Vienna Natural History Museum held an exhibition titled "Special Exhibition on the Evolution of Earth's Minerals."

The Earth began a new era—the "Green Earth Era," with beautiful and brilliant ammonites.

The famous "Bouquet of Gemstone Flowers" of Maria Theresa.

The Art History Museum at the other end of the square is the fourth largest art museum in the world, housing European treasures collected by the Habsburg dynasty over centuries.

The Art History Museum in Vienna has a magnificent Renaissance exterior. When you are in the Egyptian collection hall with ancient Egyptian columns and the Classical Antiquities hall that recreates Roman imperial architectural decoration, you cannot help but be impressed by its solemnity and exquisite design.

The center of the museum building is a magnificent staircase hall. Above it is a landing featuring a group sculpture of "Theseus" by Italian sculptor Antonio Canova, while the ceiling painting is "The Myth of the Renaissance" by Mihály Munkácsy, and the wall murals are by Austrian painters Hans Makart and Gustav Klimt. The splendid decoration complements the museum's architecture and collections. The overall neo-Baroque style makes it one of the most solemn and magnificent architectural decorations of late 19th-century Vienna, unmatched by other European museums. It not only takes visitors on a journey through the long history of art but also amazes them with the classical architecture itself.

The Vienna Art History Museum exhibits works in chronological order and regional characteristics, divided into Egyptian and Oriental Art, Greek and Roman Art, European Paintings, Sculptures and Decorative Arts, and Medals and Currency Arts.

The Egyptian and Oriental collection is one of the most important ancient Egyptian collections worldwide. Over 12,000 objects span nearly 4,500 years, from prehistoric Egypt (about 3500 BC) to early Christianity.

Geographically, it covers Egypt, Nubia, the Eastern Mediterranean, Mesopotamia, and the Arabian Peninsula.

The Egyptian collection consists of four parts: cult of the dead, cultural history, plastic arts, and the development of writing.

Important exhibits include elaborately decorated offering chapels from the Old Kingdom, coffins, human and animal mummies, the Book of the Dead, tomb stelae, statues of gods,

everyday items such as clothing and cosmetics, and a rich array of sculptures in the round.

Important Oriental exhibits include figure stelae from classical South Arabia and the lion wall relief from the Ishtar Gate in Babylon.

The Greek and Roman collection features about 2,500 objects spanning over 3,000 years, from Cypriot pottery of the Bronze Age to early medieval remains.

A large number of exquisite Greek and Roman sculptures are in the special collection.

The "Augustus Cameo" is a double-layered onyx cameo from ancient Rome, crafted with exquisite skill, and is considered one of the treasures of the Vienna Art History Museum.

The cameo has two layers: the upper layer shows the gods crowning Augustus, which gives the gem its name; the lower layer shows a Roman legion erecting a standard, symbolizing the empire's invincibility in foreign wars.

Treasures from the period of barbarian invasions, ethnic fusion, and the early Middle Ages, such as gold objects found in the Romanian city of Sânnicolau Mare.

Collection of ancient Greek pottery vases.

Other important exhibits include the colossal Cypriot priest statue, the Amazon Sarcophagus, a bronze plaque inscribed with the Roman Senate's decree on the Bacchanalia, and the Theseus mosaic discovered in Salzburg.

Paintings are among the finest European paintings from various periods collected by the Vienna Art History Museum, with works by masters such as Dürer, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Jan van Eyck, Titian, Raphael, Rembrandt, and Rubens.

The collection covers the 16th-century Venetian school, such as Titian's "The Good News," Veronese's "The Raising of the Young Man of Nain," and Tintoretto's "Sebastiano Venier."

17th-century Flemish painting: e.g., Rubens's "Self-Portrait" and "The Four Rivers of Paradise," Anthony van Dyck's "The Capture of Samson."

Early Netherlandish art: e.g., Jan van Eyck's "Portrait of a Cardinal," Rogier van der Weyden's "Altarpiece of the Crucifixion."

German Renaissance painting: e.g., Albrecht Dürer's "Madonna and Child," Lucas Cranach the Elder's "Judith with the Head of Holofernes."

Other important exhibits include the world's unique collection of Pieter Bruegel the Elder's works, such as "The Return of the Herd," "The Tower of Babel," "The Hunters in the Snow," "The Fight Between Carnival and Lent," and "The Peasant Wedding"; Johannes Vermeer's "The Art of Painting"; Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait"; Raphael's "Madonna of the Meadow"; Caravaggio's "Madonna of the Rosary"; Diego Velázquez's "Portrait of the Infanta Maria Teresa in Blue"; and Italian Baroque painting.

In this great art museum, one painting is particularly famous: Bruegel's "The Tower of Babel." Also known as the Tower of Babylon, it is a legendary high tower built by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. In Hebrew, "Babel" means "confusion," and the Tower of Babel is synonymous with the extreme expansion of human desire.

This painting is based on the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament and is considered an example of God punishing human pride: long ago, all humans spoke the same language and used the same script. After a terrible flood, people emerged from the fear of surviving the disaster but still feared the heavens. To completely eliminate human fear of floods, the new king, Nebuchadnezzar II, decided to build a tower reaching to the heavens for his people to gather together and no longer suffer from flood disasters.

Later, humans decided to build a tower to heaven—the Tower of Babel—to provide a dwelling place for everyone. The word "Babel" comes from Hebrew, meaning confusion. God punished human arrogance by making different groups speak different languages. Since people could not understand each other's languages, the tower project could not be completed. According to the Book of Revelation, the tower was ultimately destroyed due to human original sin.

In this painting, Pieter Bruegel depicts the chaotic structure of this unfinished tower, with construction tools such as scaffolding, treadwheel-operated cranes, and tiny-looking humans and animals extending upward, while the background shows a wide and distant horizon. To the left rear of the tower is the ancient city of Babylon, and to the right front is a large river, where numerous sailboats arrive with building materials. Pieter Bruegel also incorporates many humorous details, such as laundry drying under an arch of the tower and clouds near the top, suggesting this is a human settlement.

The museum's collection of sculptures and decorative arts is rich, spanning different eras. The earliest pieces date from the early Middle Ages, and the most recent from the late 18th century, with an emphasis on the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

The royal family's tastes and pursuits led to collections that are not only exquisitely crafted but also often made from rare materials such as coral, shark teeth, and ostrich eggs. Important pieces include the salt cellar by Benvenuto Cellini, small bronze statues, ivory carvings, clocks, and various mechanical devices and toys.

One of the most famous treasures in the decorative arts is the salt cellar made by Cellini.

The Medal and Currency Department houses 700,000 objects covering various forms of currency: gold bars, coins, paper money, bonds, etc.

Leaving the museum, one cannot help but marvel at the countless artistic treasures of the Habsburg family and reflect on the twilight glory of the former empire.

At its peak, the declining Austro-Hungarian Empire was still one of the five great powers of Europe.

After its defeat in World War I, it was dissolved into three independent states: Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.

The southern regions became an important part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and the remaining parts were partitioned among Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, and others.

The Republic of Austria, the core of the empire, retained only about 84,000 square kilometers of territory, roughly 13% of its 1908 peak, and became a landlocked country.

Although the last emperor, Charles I, gave up the throne, he refused to abdicate. Thus, the Habsburg family began a long exile.

After nearly fifty years, the last crown prince, Otto, renounced the Austrian throne, calling himself a "loyal citizen of the republic," and was finally allowed to return to his long-lost homeland—the neutral Republic of Austria.

On July 4, 2011, the patriarch of the Habsburg family and the last crown prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Otto von Habsburg, died at the age of 98.

Several countries that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (Austria, Hungary, etc.) held a large-scale mourning event lasting 13 days.

The funeral was held in Vienna, with over 10,000 invited guests and 100,000 people attending.

The funeral procession, more than a kilometer long, took the coffin from St. Stephen's Cathedral to the imperial crypt in the Capuchin Church, where 145 family members were buried together.

A century-spanning funeral, interpreting the afterglow of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The people and events of the Habsburgs, so tumultuous for centuries, have all entered history...