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Culture March 27, 2020
"The hills are alive..." and so much more.
via pexels/@fr3nksWhen the average U.S. American thinks of Austria, their mind usually goes to the classic 1965 movie “The Sound of Music.”
News flash: it’s time to get with the times.
Full disclosure, I love the movie and even participated in a “Sound of Music” tour in Salzburg. However, after teaching English in Austria for two years and engaging with hundreds of students, I learned that most Austrians have never seen the movie. And if they had, they heavily disliked its status as America’s main source on Austria facts, history, and culture.
Their reactions baffled me until I learned that the 1965 movie never got a theatrical release in Austria. According to Austrian cultural critic J.P. Puschitz, many famous Austrian and European expatriates in Hollywood like Peter Lorre, Marlene Dietrich, Eva Gabor, Billy Wilder and Audrey Hepburn objected to the film. The film’s portrayal of Austria as “the first victim” of Nazism shocked these entertainers, who had fled the Nazi regime.
Unfortunately, one only has to look at archival footage of Hitler’s Anschluss, or invasion of Austria, to see that this wasn’t the case. According to History.com, Austrian Social Democrats had dreamed of a union with Germany since 1919. On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria. In a rigged referendum held on April 10, 99.7% of Austrians voted in favor of the union of Austria with Germany.
Similarly, the musical was not produced at a national theater in Austria until 1993—as a satire. According to the New York Times, “For decades, theatrical producers and managers evidently believed that Austrians would not like to see the period when Hitler took over Austria turned into a light, frothy, American-style musical comedy.”
Like “The King and I,” another Rogers and Hammerstein classic, “The Sound of Music” is viewed in its respective country as “a frivolous, cartoonish offense to national pride.”
I know enough about European history, as well as the art of film, to appreciate “The Sound of Music” for what it is: a Hollywood dramatization that took a lot of creative license with the real-life story. At the same time, I strongly believe that Austria deserves better. This tiny European country offers so much history and culture for the world to enjoy. So let’s dive into some Austria facts beyond “The Sound of Music” and into the modern day.
At the ripe “old” age of 31, Sebastian Kurz was elected Austria’s youngest-ever Chancellor, or head of the government, in 2017. Currently, he holds the distinction of serving as the European Union’s youngest leader.
Considering he joined his party’s youth wing in 2010, it’s safe to say his political career was meteoric. Before becoming Chancellor, he was elected Europe’s youngest foreign minister in 2013. Which begs the question: what have we fellow millennials been doing with our lives?
Kurz’s media savvy is perhaps a product of our generation: he has three times as many followers on Twitter than his predecessor, Christian Kern. But Kern has another quality going for him…
Kern served as the Chancellor of Austria from May 2016 to December 2017. He was also the chair of the Social Democratic Party from June 2016 to September 2018.
Seriously, look at the uncanny resemblance between Kern and Bogart. Here’s Bogart below.
For those who don’t know, many consider Bogart to be the greatest actor in American cinema. He portrayed cynical nightclub owner Rick Blaine in “Casablanca” (1942). The film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and consistently ranks as one of the greatest films in history.
But enough about this deceased dreamboat. To compare, here’s a photo from Christian Kern’s Twitter account. Seriously, if Kern ever wants to change jobs, he could get a gig as a modern Bogart doppelgänger.
Happily for us ENTITY readers, Kern supported #WomenThatDo in that particular tweet on March 8, International Women’s Day. Here’s a translation:
“More than 30 years after Johanna Daniels entered the federal government, we still have a long way to go before we achieve equality. It remains an important struggle in society.”
In the picture, he’s holding a confirmation for his signature on a petition. This petition supports a referendum for equal political representation, which is sponsored by an Austrian feminist movement.
While living in Austria, I realized that many Americans need a quick geography lesson on this small but mighty country. These Austria facts will get you oriented:
This geography lesson only gets better. I found a picture of Wienerschnitzel—not the American fast-food chain, but rather the classic Austrian dish consisting of a thin, pan-fried, breaded cutlet—shaped just like the country. Another uncanny resemblance. Thank you, Internet.
Additionally, we should mention that Salzburg, also known as the Mecca for “The Sound of Music” and Mozart fans alike, and Vienna, the country’s capital, are on opposite sides of the country. They’re both worth a visit.
We haven’t finished teaching you geographical Austria facts! As wild as it sounds, you can actually find some of Austria in China.
Tourists looking for a day trip from Salzburg often visit the picturesque and prehistoric village of Hallstatt. Hallstatt, population 900, certainly deserves its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The video below shows popular travel writer Rick Steves‘ trip from Salzburg to Hallstatt to give you some travel tips.
This tiny village offers so many breathtaking views.
Now compare the image above to the video below. What changed?
A Chinese mining company actually created a replica of Hallstatt. Opened in 2012 in the Guangdong province of China, this high-end residential project cost a little under $1 billion.
The project initially caused controversy among Hallstatt’s residents, who were not aware of the project. However, Hallstatt’s Director of Tourism Pamela Binder told Reuters that the Austrian town eventually found pride in its Chinese replica.
Indeed, some Hallstatt residents visited the replica’s opening ceremony. Similarly, the amount of Chinese tourists annually visiting Hallstatt in Austria has drastically increased, from fewer than 50 to thousands.
It just means they’re from Vienna, which means Wien in German. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of: for the ninth year in a row, Vienna has been named the best city in the world for quality of living. As someone who visited Vienna many times during my two years in Austria, I definitely agree.
Bonus: if you like astrology, Cancers should definitely consider visiting Vienna.
Below, marvel at one of many beautiful buildings you can see in the capital city, which has a population of just under two million.
Speaking of wieners, if you’ve visited Germany and eaten a Wiener Würstchen (a type of thin, parboiled sausage), know this: Austrians usually call them Frankfurter. Austrian German can differ wildly from German German, especially when it comes to food.
The city of Salzburg has not one, but two Mozart museums: his birthplace where he also lived for much of his youth (the “Mozarts Geburtshaus“) and the house where he moved his family to in 1773 (the “Mozart-Wohnhaus“).
However, super-fans of the composer will have to travel to the St. Marx cemetery in Vienna to find the approximate location of his final resting place. Many people believe that Mozart’s family buried him in a pauper’s grave, but the following Austria facts will set the record straight.
In fact, he was actually buried in an unmarked simple grave, the standard for Vienna’s middle class at the time. That’s due to a 1784 decree which called for simple burials in the interest of hygiene and economy. Although we still don’t know exactly where to find his body, visitors can pay their respects at a memorial.
If those Austria facts depress you, pick up some Mozartkugeln to cheer you up. Poorly yet hilariously translated as “Mozart balls,” these small, round sugar confections consist of a few delicious ingredients: dark chocolate, pistachio marzipan and nougat.
Pro tip: they’re cheaper at a grocery store rather than a souvenir shop. Most Austrians consider them touristy, but my students still bought me a package, because they insisted I had to try them at least once. Sweet!
That’s because Sachertorte, one of the most famous Viennese culinary specialties, is the opposite of that controversial word.
While you can buy and eat Sachertorte all over Austria (or make a version of it yourself), the “Original Sachertorte” is allegedly only made by Hotel Sacher. They claim that this is the only cake that follows Franz Sacher’s original and secret recipe, which was created in 1832 for Prince Wenzel von Metternich.
It’s a chocolate cake with a layer of apricot jam in the middle and dark chocolate ganache icing all around. The unsweetened whipped cream on the side, as seen in the picture above, is a mandatory addition to balance out the cake’s texture. The video below shows the cake’s structure and iconic packaging. I guarantee you’ll be salivating by the time you finish watching it.
Now that you know seven Austria facts beyond “The Sound of Music,” you can go forth with more confidence in your knowledge of Austria’s cuisine, politics and culture. As for what to do with this knowledge: travel to Austria and eat (or sing) your heart out.
