A fascinating morning lecture from Lonnie Johnson, a trip to the Vienna Folklore Museum, and a fun afternoon trip to the Belvedere Palace.

Today included a fascinating morning lecture from Lonnie Johnson, a trip to the Vienna Folklore Museum, and a fun afternoon trip to the Belvedere Palace. The morning lecture provided me a new, fascinating foundation by which to understand political and social changes in Vienna prior to the Fin-de-siecle period. It was especially interesting that Palacky was interested in providing the Austro-Hungarian Empire with a state system somewhat similar to that of the United States. What would have happened if this had occurred? I would like to know whether or not Palacky’s plan was intended to be modeled after the United States, and what the change in central power was intended to be. I found Dr. Johnson’s discussion of Hitler and Herzl to be intriguing. He said that both of these men attempted to "solve the Jewish problem in Vienna." These men each had different beginnings: Hitler as a failing artist with questionable mental health and Herzl as a Jew himself. Their means of attempting to "solve" this "problem" were incomparably different, and their goals were worlds apart. How closely linked were their beginnings with their goals? This is a topic I would like to investigate further. I also found Dr. Johnson’s discussion of nationalism and economics to be fascinating. He mentioned that there was a clash between the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s economic needs and the various nationalistic prides held by the ethnic groups in the empire. The society needed cooperation in order to produce a strong economy, but the individual groups valued their ethnic heritage so strongly that they saw this multi-ethnicity as a distinct threat. Each society seems to be faced with the need to determine which of these things (economics and nationalism) it will value more highly. America is facing a similar question today, with regard to recent development in immigration laws. The Folklore Museum was gorgeous. I was amazed by the handiwork evident in the works of these artists. The melding of games, superstition and religion was fascinating, as these were all expressed in the artwork of the Folklore Museum. What really is the difference between superstition and religion? It seems that more unknowns and more manipulation are involved in superstition, but the actual distinctions between the two are unclear. Is it even necessary that there be a distinction between the two? There are elements of each contained in the other. Lack of education seems to encourage the melding of superstition and religion, or the acceptance of superstition at all. Does this imply that ignorance is related to superstitions? In recent years, more Austrians (proportionately to the total population) have received education, implying that superstition is something that can be avoided through education. The trip to the Belvedere was magnificent. While on the grounds of the Palace, approaching the splendorous palace, I was shocked by its beauty. How did the public allow this one family to exhibit so much wealth while they barely had enough to get by? The entrance to the palace was epompous, using illusions to give an even greater impression of wealth. After entering the Palace, I was in utter awe of the manner in which this family valued art. Not only were these brilliant artistic masterpieces collected, but the building design itself exhibited much beauty. I found the baroque and medieval exhibits to be beautiful and striking. Many of the paintings were ones I had before seen prints of numerous times. It was a great privilege to see the originals of these paintings. The works of human genius are so incredible. My viewing of the works of various numbers of the secession movement was marvelous. The connections between these artists were clear, as they all discussed and created art together. It’s truly amazing how they shared ideas in a Roundtable fashion. I was in utter awe of the paintings of these artists – Schiele, Klimt, Kokoschka…to see the actual originals of world-famous paintings was utterly phenomenal! How thankful I am that fin-de-siecle Vienna valued the visual arts so highly, allowing us to enjoy the work today. What would have happened if art patrons had not worked to preserve these works? Would they have been wholly lost? What has been wholly lost? After learning that Klimt’s Beethoven frieze was nearly destroyed, I am incredibly grateful to art patrons of the past. Our evening included a leisurely trip to Stadtpark followed by a trip to the Rathauspark. It is cunning to see the café atmosphere in play. These beautiful gardens were full of small diners, bars, and cafes on this sunny, warm day. It is easier now to see the effects of this café atmosphere on the works of the artists and academicians of fin-de-siecle Vienna.

What really is the difference between superstition and religion?