Visiting Beethoven

I took a trip all the way across Vienna today to the end of the Orange U Bahn line 3 (the Simmering Station). After catching the 71 tram for about 4 stops, I exited at the Zentralfriedhof.

This is Vienna's oldest, largest, and most famous cemetery. The burial places of Beethoven, Brams, the Strausses, presidents, government officials, doctors, professors, and a lot more are found there. This city seems to be preoccupied with death so this is the penultimate location for their final earthly destination and memorial

Of course, as usual, I started off at the wrong entrance, walked the entire length of the huge expanse of amazing gravestones, then across to the west, then back the entire breadth eastward. I was searching for the graves of the famous composers. (I DID avoid paying the two twenty euro being charged at the front gate though. whoops.) I saw literally miles of crypts, mausoleums, graves, sculptures, and memorials. But no Beethoven. Finally, I broke down and broke "man law" and asked a group of English speaking students for directions.

"Down that path and to the left", the teen said. It was about 10 yards from where I stood. The memorials to the great composers containing their earthly remains have put them together in a close earthly proximity. I wonder of Chuck Berry was buried close by someday, if he would sing "Roll over, Beethoven"?

So after about an hour of walking through this quiet, reverent, resting place, I found what I was looking for. But not after some cool sights. I took pictures of what I call "The Angels of Vienna". A collection of angels on the tombs I encountered. I took random pics of the sheer number of gigantic memorials. Then I found the REALLY big ones. I was overwhelmed by the "one-upsmanship" exhibited; even in death. There were Greek columns, covered castles, billboard sized graves, sculptures, lining every of the over 50 separate sections. I took pictures of things that interested me and and one that won the prize for the weirdest. Below are the pictures of my walk in the Zentralfriedhof. The Central Cemetery

No Austrian Memorial tour can start without a huge obelisk commemorating the beloved Emperor Franz Joseph.

Beethoven, Ludwig von

Full view of Beethoven's Final memorial.

Brams (not the dairy guy; the lullaby guy).

Franz Schubert.

One of the Johann Strausses (the father, I think).

There is also a memorial to Mozart in the Zentralfriedhof, but Mozart's remains are not actually there. No one really knows exactly where he was buried as it was in a communal grave, as was the custom in those times. A city that now thrives on the memory of Mozart, didn't see fit to mark his final resting place, now it is a mystery.

This monument to Mozart is actually in the First District. I just wanted Beethoven's teacher to get a little notice also.

And now for some other things that caught my eye..............................

First one of these I've seen NOT at McDonald's or BK here in Vienna. (a double?)

NOT the first one of these I have seen here.

This guy is jumping the gun on the whole

"Rest in Peace" thing.

Now for the weirdest, creepiest grave I saw today.

Must have shopped at "Torsos R Us" for his monument.

This really doesn't do it justice. Maybe you get the idea anyway.

I will do the "Angels of Vienna" in another blog (maybe) or just send it to my "Faithful Fourteen". The actual followers of this blog listed.

I will close for now with the thought I had while strolling through this garden of stone.

I just saw a glimpse of both the past AND the future.

All in one place.

Tchuss.

Random Pictures of Ramblings in Vienna

I had these pictures on my camera that I had taken at different times. I will share them with you.

A picture of the fountain from the back of the Soviet Soldiers Monument in Vienna.

Memorial to the Soviet Soldiers that died fighting in WWII. Vienna was in the Soviet occupied zone following the war.

Saint Michael's Church

Statue dedicated to Mozart.

(He's still kind of big deal here)

I haven't seen a statue for Falco... yet.

Flowers planted at the foot of Mozart's statue

Gusser Beer Wagon: parked by in the Stephansplatz

Another picture of the Gusser Beer Wagon

Anschluss Pictures

On March 12, 1938, the Anschluss, incorporated the nation of Austria under Hitler's Third Reich. Hitler had left Vienna as an unemployed, vagrant, would-be painter. His triumphant (albeit, short-lived) return was on March 14 in 1938. In a previous blog, I stumbled across a picture that Susan had taken of me from nearly the same angle as the one in which Hitler's car as it crept past Archduke Karl's statue during a parade following a speech he gave from the balcony of the Hofburg 73 years to the day (March 15) earlier.

Today, I went to see how many more pics I could recreate in the same manner. I did not have my best friend to take the pictures today so I had to ask unsuspecting fellow picture-takers. I thank them for their time.

Me, in front of the Parliment building.

Over my right shoulder is a statue of Athena.

Nazi troops parade past Parliment; 1938.

Me; near Prince Eugene of Savoy. Near the gates of the Heldenplatz

The Swastika parades near the statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy; 1938

One of the reasons I came to Europe was to visit all the historical sites I could. In this case, the present sites have changed little today from their reason for being of historical interest. I realize that I have been walking the same places that kings and peasants, dictators and shopkeepers, knights and composers.

Awesome.

Wow (is all I have to say)

Me, by the statue of the heroic Archduke Karl

(Taken on March 15, 2011)

Hitler visits Vienna

Picture TAKEN MARCH 15, 1938!!!