Zac in Vienna: Schatzkammer, To Bratislava

Saturday 7.8.10

Saturday – Schatzkammer and Bratislava

On Saturday we had no class, so I slept in, and later went to the Schatzkammer – the Imperial Treasury in the Hofburg. Here rest the sumptuous gold and jewels of the Habsburgs. Everything in there is very old, and was extremely expensive back when it was new. Walking to the Schatzkammer you see Baroque exemplified in the architecture – grandiose buildings designed by master architects and often also commissioned by the Habsburgs. Within the treasury this Baroque-ness is seen on a smaller scale. There are lots of ceremonial robes and mantels worn by Habsburgs. You also see the cradle of Napoleon’s son (Napoleon II), who was borne to him of a Habsburg wife – Archduchess Maria Louise, daughter of Emperor Franz and Maria Theresia. It is so rich and ornate, that it seems the young future King of Rome never actually slept in it – it was merely symbolic, an emblem of Emperor Napoleon’s power. The most famous piece is the Crown of the House of Austria, commissioned by Rudolph the II in 1602 (who, in fact, had moved his court to Prague, where the crown was made). No Habsburg was ever crowned with it, there is a famous painting of Emperor Franz wearing it, which is also in the Schatzkammer. The crown has a sufficient amount of gold, pearls, and jewels to prove beyond doubt to any viewer of the crown that the Habsburgs were wealthier than any humans need be.

Said crown.

The rest of the material in the Schatzkammer is also very ornate. There are lots of glittering jewels to be seen. Of note is the largest emerald in the world, which was also owned by the Habsburgs. There are also a lot of relic holders, which brings to light the interaction between the Habsburgs and the Catholic Church. They were very religious. Historically this can be seen with a study of the Counter-Reformation, when the Habsburgs and Catholic Church teamed up to ensure that Austria remained Catholic and not Protestant, which it still is today (I’m typing this on a Sunday and we had trouble finding a café that was open). Empirically this can be seen in the Schatzkammer. The Habsburgs spent disgusting amounts to commission bejeweled gold pieces to house saints’ relics – bits of bone or cloth that supposedly at one time belonged to a saint (but most of which, I’m inclined to think, are simply ordinary things sold to Catholics by con artists trying to make a buck). The relic-holders are often gold or silver sculptures encrusted with copious amounts of large jewels. A little window displays the tiny relic; which, ironically, probably was supposed to belong to a saint who lived a life of humility and would have been horrified to find that their bones/clothing are housed in a costly gold statue that could have been sold to feed the poor. In any case, by “imperial treasury” they really mean imperial treasury – the place is full of gold, silvery, ivory, and jewels that remind one of pirate booty and sultans’ treasury rooms in faerie-tales.

Something over-the-top.

A narwhal horn!

The largest emerald in the world.

After the Schatzkammer I caught a boat with a couple of friends from the program down the Danube to Bratislava. It rained that day, and we stepped off the boat to an imposing steel-gray sky over dark buildings. “We’re definitely behind the Iron Curtain now,” we said to ourselves. “Act like you can take on anyone,” my female companion said to me. And indeed it looked kind of scary. We stepped into the first hotel we came across to check on the price of a room. It was 80 Euro for three people. As we were debating whether this was too much, the receptionist told us, in good English, that he could show us on a map where some cheaper hotels were. We were astounded. After days of the rudeness of the grumpy Viennese, someone actually offering to help us by transferring our business elsewhere was amazing. He also told us the best place to find clubs and drew on our map where to go. After many thanks, we left, thrilled. Slovakia took on a new atmosphere for us – it was far friendlier and homier than Vienna. And indeed this proved to be the case. We stopped in an “Old Slovakian Restaurant” – it was cozy, and the waiters were super friendly (anyone whose has experience the renowned Viennese waiters will know our relief at this) and suggested some very good food and VERY good beer. I really liked that beer. Much better than Austrian stuff. Even the other customers did not eye us with grumpy mistrust like the Viennese. We ended up finding a hostel (but we got our own room, so it was really a hotel) for 58 Euro, dropped off our stuff and explored the city. Lots of fascinating old churches, and the famous castle Hrad, which seems to be one of the main sources of tourism in Bratislava. The buildings are very old and amazing there (still very delightful to anyone used to the boring modernity of the States), though far less ornate and over-the-top than the structures in Vienna. We went to a vodka bar and tried absinthe. All in all, a very pleasant night. Bratislava is a very friendly and welcoming town. I enjoyed my stay and the pure white castle walls up on a hill overlooking the capital looked magnificent at night, all lit up. We went up the hill to get some good shots of the Schloss.