Wystan Hugh Auden – Coziness

One could categorize him in many ways: important poet of the 20th century, fictitious husband of Erika Mann, took part in the Spanish Civil War, liberettist (among others for Strawinsky), professor in Oxford, constant traveller. But cosiness? And yet it might have been the „cosiness“ in Austria that brought him in 1957 to Kirchstetten (Lower Austria). „Still it’s a cosy country, / unracked by riots or strikes / and backward at drug-taking.“ he writes in the poem „Stark bewölkt“ in 1971 dealing with Vienna and the Staatsoper.
Auden spent the winter from 1948 to 1972 in the States and the summer in Europe. In Kirchstetten he lived during the summer from 1957 to 1973. He bought is house there, today a museum, with the money of an Italian literature prize.

At the 28th September 1973 he spent the night after a lecture at the „Austrian Society for Literature“ in the Walfischgasse 5 in Vienna and died there (29.9.1973).

More Auden?
Interesting to read „In Memory of Sigmund Freud“.
One of his most popular „film“-poems „Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone“ (”Funeral Blues“).
And a book review („The Hero Is a Hobbit“).

Stefan Zweig – School

The setting is still there. In Vienna one quite often has the feeling that it is possible to step into the past. To see what people hundred years before saw there.

For example their way to school and the school itself. From 1892 till 1900 Stefan Zweig went to the school „Wasa-Gymnasium“, the former „Maximilian-Gymnasium“, in the Wasagasse 10. A poem by Zweig in the Festschrift of the school in 1922 describes his feelings at school, his hopes for life and his insights later:

“Wir sagten „Schule“ und wir meinten „Lernen,
Angst, Strenge, Qual, Zwang und Gefangensein“,
Grau schien die Welt und wie nach lichten Sternen
So blickten wir der Freiheit zu. Allein
Je mehr wir uns von jener Zeit entfernen,
Scheint uns der schöne Übergang nur Schein
Und kaum erlöst aus jenen engen Mauern,
Schwand das Gefühl und wurde fast Bedauern.
…”

„We said „school“ and we meant „learning,
angst, severity, pain, constrain and imprisonment“,
The world seemed to be gray and like towards bright stars
We looked towards freedom. Only
The more we move away from that time
That wonderful transfer seems to be only illusion
And just escpaed from these close walls
The feeling vanishes and turns into almost regret
…“ (Content summary in English by me)

More famous pupils of that school? In German.

A glance at the shool? (Picture Galerie, click on Bildergalerie

Josef Madersperger – Sewing Machine

Do inventions make their creators happy?

Josef Madersperger a tailor from Kufstein arrives in Vienna in 1780. Here he invents the sewing machine in 1814. In 1815 he obtains an „Austrian Privilege“ for that machine. Franz II. introduced the Privilege Acts in Austria. They should protect inventions of „useful machines“. Privileges were the predecessors of patents. But protection was only the first step to commercial success as Madersperger had to see. He lacked the money to produce his machine and could not maintain the Privilege. He died impoverished in Vienna in 1850 buried at the cemetry St. Marx not far from Mozart. The Viennese tailor guild raised the cross on his grave.

Many inventors later the sewing machine made one of them happy. And besides the improved technology marketing skills were crucial for the success.

Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach – Watches

„How many are happy and can agree: I have the life I need! Returning to her old work brought her happiness every day and peace, cheerfulness and independence.“

The writer Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach knows about the happiness that working with watches and clocks can evoke. In 1880 she writes a novel about “Lotti, the clockmaker”. Ebner-Eschenbach has finished her clockmaker apprenticeship a year before. Collects, cares for and repairs pocket watches from the 18^th and 19^th century. Maybe pocket watches are kitsch but the collection of Ebner-Eschenbach is fascinating. A mosaic of watches in many forms and colours made of precious material is on display in the Viennese Clock Museum. The wonderful old building of the museum and the old houses and small lanes around give the feeling that one entered the story of Lotti and Gottfried and the clocks.

“Do not call yourself poor when your dreams did not come true. Poor is only he who have never dreamed any dreams.” M. v. E.-E.

“Lotti, the clockmaker” in German

Clock Museum of the Wien Museum