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| With Bahnsteigtüren/Platform barrier doors, you cannot photograph the U-Bahn/subway train |
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| Gebäude der Wiener Secession/Vienna Secession Building (1898, by Joseph Maria Olbrich in Vienna Secessionist style) for a group of artists who resigned from the Association of Austrian Artists that was stuck in traditional artistic styles; this gave the Vienna Secession artists a place to exhibit |
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| Beethovenfries/Beethoven Frieze (1902, by Gustav Klimt) begins on one wall with genii (Roman geniuses that are like guardian angels) floating behind a knight to urge him on a quest for happiness, a nod to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and its inclusion of the poem by Friedrich Schiller on joy |
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| The middle wall shows all the hostile forces against happiness symbolized by the three Gorgons and their father, Typhon the giant, while the longings and wishes of humankind fly overhead (KSS) |
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| Poetry can lead us to happiness, and at the end a chorus sings Ode to Joy; because the frieze was not meant to be permanent, an art collector carefully removed the walls in seven pieces; the frieze was one of the art works recovered in 1945 from the Altaussee salt mine where it was hidden by the Nazis; it has been returned to the Secession Building, but in a special climate-controlled room in the basement |
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| Because in 2015 Vienna's city government was a coalition of the Social Democrats and Green Party, it was decided to have diversity-themed pedestrian traffic lights showing heterosexual and same-sex couples |
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| Originally meant to be temporary, overwhelming public support has made them permanent |
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| Burgtheater/Imperial Court Theater (1888, by Gottfried Semper and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer in Neo-Baroque and Neo-Renaissance styles) |
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| The theater is known for frescoes painted by Gustav Klimt, as well as his brother Ernst and Franz Matsch, located over the grand staircase; we did not realize that there are two grand staircases and one is being renovated |
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| Top of the grand staircase on the south Volksgarten side of the theater |
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| Scene from Molière (1886-1887, by Ernst Klimt) |
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| Ceiling frescoes |
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| Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (1886-1887, by Gustav Klimt) depicts a scene from Romeo & Juliet, and Gustav painted himself, his brother Ernst, and fellow painter Franz Matsch in the audience to the right under the balcony |
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| Ancient Theatre Scene (1886-1888, by Franz Matsch) |
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| Upside down is The Cart of Thespis (1886-1888, by Gustav Klimt) and right side up in the tympanum is Altar of Dionysos (1886, by Gustav Klimt) |
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| Looking down from the top of the staircase |
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| Bust (c 1875, by Victor Tilgner) of Charlotte Wolter, the star actress of Burgtheater (KSS) |
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| Upper Hallway used during intermissions |
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| Ash trays are no longer used! |
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| Costume worn by Charlotte Wolter |
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| Original design sketches by Gustav Klimt were found in the theater attic in 1990 and are now displayed in the Angelika Prokopp Foyer; here Gustav portrayed Ernst Klimt in a ruff and Franz Matsch with a hat, while he stands behind them |
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| Gustav Klimt self-portrait sketch |
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| In the Romeo and Juliet scene, Gustav used his younger brother, Georg, as a model |
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| Across the street from Burgtheater is Das Wiener Rathaus/ Vienna City Hall (1872-1883, by Friedrich von Schmidt in Neo-Gothic style), which we had seen in 2009 |
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| This couple kept taking each other's photo at #wienliebe/ Vienna love, so we gave up waiting for our turn |
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| Alt Wiener Erdäpfelsuppe/Vienna potato soup with root vegetables and bacon |
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| Wiener Schnitzel/Vienna breaded veal cutlet with warm potato salad and cranberry sauce |
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Now we were both ill and coughing, so when I was ready to try exploring after lunch, Kent was not. It was still miserable outside, so we hunkered down to prepare for flying home tomorrow.
Sunday, April 12, 2026
At least we did not have to leave early, but we did leave earlier than Viking had scheduled us (at 12:20 for a 13:20 flight!). A one-and-a-half hour flight to Frankfurt, where fortunately we had more than a two-hour layover, because most of it taken by waiting in line at border control for them to take photos and get our fingerprints. Left Frankfurt about 17:00 for the eight-and-a-half hour flight to Toronto. There we had an hour delay, finally departing from Toronto at 22:20 for the hour-an-a-half flight to Philadelphia.
Monday, April 13, 2026
A short wait for our ride, and we were home by 1:30.
