Danube River Cruise #30: Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace part 1

Schönbrunn Palace

As we continue our tour of Vienna, Austria, we're going to take you to the famous Schönbrunn Palace in today's blog. In
an earlier blog (about our Viking River Cruise on the Danube) we talked about the Habsburg family who ruled Austria and the region for about 650 years. Well, The Schönbrunn Palace wound up as part of their properties. Read on!

WHAT IS THE SCHONBRUNN PALACE ? - Schönbrunn Palace was the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers, located in Hietzing, Vienna. According to Wikipedia, the 1,441-room Baroque palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historic monuments in the country. Since the mid-1950s it has been a major tourist attraction.
It's located on Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47, 1130 Wien, Austria. The Website is: https://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/

FAST FACTS:
1) It covers 186.28 hectares or 460 acres!
2) It's Baroque architecture
3) Architects: Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Nicolò Pacassi

From a Hunting Lodge to a Palace

A WORLD HERITAGE SITE -UNESCO cataloged Schönbrunn Palace on the World Heritage List in 1996, together with its gardens, as a remarkable Baroque ensemble and example of synthesis of the arts.

WHEN WAS IT BUILT? - According to the Palace Website, at the end of the seventeenth century Emperor Leopold I commissioned the Baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, who had received his training in Rome, to design an imperial hunting lodge for his son, Crown Prince Joseph, later to become Emperor Joseph I.

WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE SCHONBRUNN? - The buildings that previously stood on this site dates back to the Middle Ages. From the beginning of the fourteenth century. It was called Katterburg and belonged to the manor of the abbey at Klosterneuburg. The estate boasted a corn-mill together with an plowable (planting) farm and vineyards. In 1569 the estate came into Habsburg possession through Maximilian II.
Schombrunn replaced the château de plaisance built on this site for the dowager empress Eleonora of Gonzaga in 1642. This site grew into a palatial imperial residence over the course of the eighteenth century.

Gardens behind the palace.

HOW DID IT GET ITS NAME? Emperor Matthias used the estate for hunting, and according to a legend is supposed to have come across the Schöner Brunnen (meaning ‘fair spring’), which eventually gave the estate its name, while out hunting in 1612.


NEXT: Rooms We Experienced Hauntings in Schonbrunn

Danube River Cruise #29: Vienna's 5 Amazing Pastries, and 2 places we missed

Star Wars movie "Death Star" cake

In today's blog, we continue to walk you through some of the sights of Vienna, Austria - from our May cruise on the Danube River. In this blog, we stopped into the Sloka Vienna Coffeehouse. We learned of 5 famous Viennese pastries and found 2 amazing cakes on display. You'll also see 2 places Rob missed on the rainy visit.

Cake of St.Stephen's Church

2 AMAZING CAKES- There are a lot of bakeries in Vienna. Unfortunately, because it was pouring rain, they were all packed and we couldn't get waited on to enjoy any treats... so we took pictures of famous cakes made for a competition. One was of the local St. Stephen's church, and another of the Star Wars movie "Death Star." How they made a round cake, we have no idea. 
  The pastries for sale, however, were made from recipes, many of which date back to the Austro-Hungarian empire.

BEST APPLE STRUDEL - We DID get to enjoy Vienna's famous and highly recommended Apple Strudel later that day when we visited the Schonbrunn Palace. The Strudel was awesome!!
ABOUT THE "APFELSTRUDEL" - The apple strudel is a classic and probably the best known Viennese pastry outside of Austria. The word strudel derives from the German word meaning ‘whirlpool’ referring to the super thin layers of flaky pastry – similar to filo – which is rolled up encasing the filling. Strudel is traditionally served in thin slices revealing the swirl pattern of pastry and apple. The filling itself is made of tart cooking apples, sugar, cinnamon, raisins and breadcrumbs. The final result is a wonderful contrast between the flaky outer layers of pastry and the slightly stodgy interior, the sticky-sweet filling and the fresh bite of the thinly sliced apples. It is simple, unpretentious and delicious. (Description courtesy of the Culturetrip.com)

SOME OTHER FAMOUS LOCAL PASTRIES: 

Apple Strudel

1) Sachertorte - The cake consists of two layers of dense chocolate sponge with a thin layer of apricot jam between them, all covered in a thick layer of shiny chocolate ganache.
2) Mohnzelten - a sweet poppy seed paste encased in a potato pastry forming small domes that are then baked. The slightly salty pastry, with a texture similar to shortcrust, offsets the sweetness of the filling. Other fillings include strawberries or nuts, however, the poppy seed version is the original.

Dunkin Donuts, Vienna

3) Kardinalschnitte - This pastry consists of wrapping layers of soft meringue and genoise sponge around a thick cylinder of cream. The resulting oblong-shaped sausages are then sliced up into their final schnitten (slices). The alternating yellow of the sponge and white of the meringue are supposed to resemble the pope’s robe (hence the name: ‘Cardinal’s slice’). The cream can be flavoured with coffee, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry
4) Punschkrapfen - also known as 'punch-cake’, has a hot-pink icing and glacée cherry or fancy chocolate piping. The small squares are made up of layers of cake crumbs, nougat, chocolate and apricot jam. The whole beautiful thing is soaked in rum!


TWO PLACES WE MISSED - Rob found Dunkin' Donuts and a comic book store on our mad dash for the tour bus, so we couldn't enjoy either one.. and we didn't see any others throughout the entire trip. But it's good to know they exist there!

A Comic Book Shop we didn't have time to visit

NEXT: Schonbrunn Palace

Book Review- Becoming by Michelle Obama

I just finished reading Michelle Obama's memoir "Becoming." Everyone who wants to know about this inspirational, intelligent woman should read this book.
   The book provided a great insight into who she is and how she came to be, starting from her childhood on the South side of Chicago, and her life with her parents and brother Craig.
   Her dad passed in his 50s, but left her and her brother with an amazing work ethic, reinforced by her mother who never stopped working. Michelle's book is very candid and takes you through her career choices, meeting with Barack, the 2 terms in the White House. She's lost a number of friends and family along the way, as we all do, but she keeps them in her heart.


 It's a fascinating look behind the scenes with a truly classy, inspiring, beautiful and brilliant first lady (totally opposite of what we have today, and yes, I had to say that).
 
ABOUT THE BOOK: Becoming is the memoir of former United States First Lady Michelle Obama published in 2018. Described by the author as a deeply personal experience, the book talks about her roots and how she found her voice, as well as her time in the White House, her public health campaign, and her role as a mother

Idiots of the Week: 7 motorcyclists arrested after driving 125 mph in New Hampshire,

Idiot of the Week: 125 mph on the highway

Excessive speed is not only reckless to self, but for everyone else on the road. In June, the Boston Globe reported that 7 twenty and thirty-something year olds were going almost TWICE the speed limit, and on MOTORCYCLES!! - What's more, some of these idiots had passengers. Here's the story.

7 Massachusetts motorcyclists arrested after driving 125 mph in New Hampshire

ByChristopher Gavin, Boston.com 

June 10, 2019

Seven Massachusetts men were arrested Saturday in New Hampshire after authorities caught the motorcyclists traveling at a speed of 125 miles per hour, police said.
Around 12:21 p.m., a New Hampshire State Police Special Enforcement Unit trooper was monitoring eastbound traffic in police aircraft over Route 101 near Raymond when troopers were notified a group of motorcycles were weaving in and out of traffic, officials said in a statement.

The LIKELY END to Speeding

The motorcyclists were clocked traveling at 125 miles per hour — significantly above the 65-mile-per-hour limit, according to authorities. Two of the motorcycles were reportedly riding with passengers, police said.
Troopers on the ground were able to slow traffic near Exit 4 and take the drivers into custody.

All seven men were charged with reckless operation. They are Emoni Vicente, 24, of Quincy; Anthony Walsh, 26, of Dedham; Orlando Rosario, 31, of Worcester; Sean Burr, 25, of Quincy; Dallas Rogers, 36, of Marlborough; James Vo, 30, of Braintree; and Phi Tran, 30, of Dorchester, police said.

All are due to appear in Candia Circuit Court on Oct. 16.

Republicans: Moving Medical Science BACKWARDS again: White House ends fetal tissue research by federal scientists

Source; Nature Magazine

When you have Republicans in control of government, you can be assured that there will be ZERO Progress in medical science. After all, it was the Bush Administration that blocked Stem Cell research, and that's the SAME stem cell research that was cleared later by the Obama Administration that ALLOWED MY SHOULDER TO HEAL.
Now, the current Republican Administration is back to the stupidity. 
  This is a HUGE BLOW in the fight against CANCER, BIRTH DEFECTS, HIV and the ZIKA VIRUS.
  If you want to make medical advancements, you need to vote for Democrats, pure and simple.

Here's an article from the Associated Press:

White House ends fetal tissue research by federal scientists
By The Associated Press June 5, 2019 1:15 pm


Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, at NIH headquarters in Bethesda, Md. The Trump administration is ending the medical research by government scientists using human fetal tissue...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said Wednesday it is ending medical research by government scientists using human fetal tissue, overriding the advice of scientists that there’s no other way to tackle some health problems and handing abortion opponents a major victory.

The Health and Human Services Department said in a statement that government-funded research by universities that involves fetal tissue can continue, subject to additional scrutiny.

The policy changes will not affect privately funded research, officials said.

WHAT IS IT USED FOR? 
Fetal tissue is used in research on HIV and childhood cancers, treatments that enlist the body’s immune system to battle cancer, and the hunt for a vaccine against the Zika virus, a cause of birth defects. 

NOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FETAL TISSUES? - IT GOES IN THE TRASH.
The tissue from elective abortions would otherwise be discarded. Scientists use it to produce mice that model how the human immune system works.


THE DANGER OF THESE RIGHT-WING, ANTI-ABORTION IDIOTS
Ending the use of fetal tissue by the National Institutes of Health has been a priority for anti-abortion activists, a core element of President Donald Trump’s political base.

The government’s top medical scientist, NIH Director Francis Collins, said as recently as last December that he believes “there’s strong evidence that scientific benefits come from fetal tissue research.”

A senior administration official said the decision announced Wednesday was the president’s call and not Collins’. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The government has funded research using fetal tissue for decades, under administrations of both political parties.

The government said there are currently at least three active federal research projects that involve human fetal tissue, and possibly as many as 12. Among university research projects funded by the government, officials said fewer than 200 of 50,000 rely on human fetal tissue.

No university-led programs will be affected for the time being, the administration said. New projects that propose to use fetal tissue and current projects up for renewal will be subject to additional reviews.

Last year, the administration announced a review of whether taxpayer dollars were being properly spent on fetal tissue research. As a result, NIH froze procurement of new tissue. On Wednesday, the administration also said it is not renewing an expiring contract with the University of California, San Francisco that involves fetal tissue research.

Although HHS said it was trying to balance “pro-life” and “pro-science” imperatives, medical investigators said they feared the government would halt important research to satisfy anti-abortion activists.

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, said in a statement that the administration has “once again done the right thing in restoring a culture of life to our government.”

The Susan B. Anthony List, a group that works to elect lawmakers opposed to abortion, said in a statement that taxpayer funding ought to go to promoting alternatives to using fetal tissue in medical research.

The groups say alternatives are available; scientific groups say that’s not the case for every disease and condition.

Trump casts himself as “strongly pro-life,” and his administration has taken many steps to restrict access to abortion, which remains a legal medical procedure. Trump has nominated federal judges who oppose abortion, attempted to cut money for Planned Parenthood, and expanded legal protection for medical providers who object to abortion.

At a House hearing on the issue last December, neuroscientist Sally Temple told lawmakers the consensus opinion in the scientific community is that there is currently no adequate substitute for fetal tissue in some research areas.

Temple explained that tissue samples from different stages of the life cycle are not interchangeable. “It is not the same material,” she said. “It is a different developmental stage. It has unique properties.” She was testifying on behalf of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

Testifying on behalf of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, which opposes abortion, biochemist Tara Sander Lee said tissues from infants who have to have heart surgery are among the alternatives. But Temple said researchers would readily use alternatives to fetal tissue if that was suitable.

Research involving fetal tissue accounted for $98 million in NIH grants and projects during the 2017 budget year, a small fraction of the agency’s overall research budget. NIH said that $98 million figure represents the entire budget for the grants at issue, even if only a smaller portion of a particular grant was devoted to fetal tissue research.

HHS said in its statement that is taking such steps through a $20 million grant program announced last December to “develop, demonstrate, and validate experimental models that do not rely on human fetal tissue from elective abortions.”

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Danube River Cruise #28: Vienna's Plaque Pillar & St.Stephen's

The Plague Pillar

In today's blog about our May vacation on a Viking River Cruise down the Danube River, we are taking you through Vienna, Austria. Today we'll tell you about a sculpture called "The Plague Pillar," located in a large public area.

WHAT IS THE PLAGUE PILLAR or COLUMN? 
This monument was erected on the Graben, a street in the downtown area of Vienna. It's also called Pestsäule in German, and is also known as the Trinity Column. It was erected after the Great Plague epidemic in 1679, the Baroque memorial is one of the most well-known and prominent sculptural pieces of art in the city.

HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? In 1679, Vienna experienced one of the last big plague epidemics. Fleeing the city, the Habsburg emperor Leopold I vowed to erect a mercy column if the epidemic would end. In the same year, a provisional wooden column made by Johann Frühwirth was inaugurated, showing the Holy Trinity on a Corinthian column together with nine sculpted angels (for the Nine Choirs of Angels).

St. Stephens

WHAT IS ON THE MONUMENT?
 In 1683, Matthias Rauchmiller was commissioned to create a general design as well as some sculptures. Rauchmiller died in 1686, but his basic conception and three of his angel figures can still be seen on the modern monument. Below the Trinity figure, Burnacini envisioned a cloud pyramid with angel sculptures as well as the kneeling emperor Leopold, praying to a sculpture of faith. Among others, the sculptors Tobias Kracker and Johann Bendel contributed to the column. The column was inaugurated in 1694

WHAT WAS ST. STEPHEN'S? - St. Stephen's Cathedral (more commonly known by its German title: Stephansdom) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, OP. The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedral, seen today in the Stephansplatz, was largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV (1339–1365) and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first a parish church consecrated in 1147. The most important religious building in Vienna, St. Stephen's Cathedral has borne witness to many important events in Habsburg and Austrian history and has, with its multi-coloured tile roof, become one of the city's most recognizable symbol

NEXT: AMAZING CAKES OF VIENNA
 

Danube River Cruise #27: Vienna's Famous Spanish Riding School

a Look at the arena

In Blog #27 of our May vacation seeing 5 countries in 7 days, we're still in Vienna. Today we'll tell you about one of the most famous horseback riding schools in the world, that has been around over 450 years! You'll learn about the horses, the superstition about them and the 3 stages of training. Read on!

IT'S IN THE WINTER PALACE! - The Spanish Riding School is located in the Winter Palace. It's dedicated to the preservation of classical dressage and the training of Lipizzaner horses, based in Vienna, Austria, whose performances in the Hofburg are also a tourist attraction. The leading horses and riders of the school also periodically tour and perform worldwide. It is one of the "Big Four", the most prestigious classical riding academies in the world, alongside the Cadre Noir, the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, and the Royal Andalusian School.

morning exercise. Credit: Musement.com

OVER 450 YEARS OLD - The riding school was first named during the Habsburg Monarchy in 1572, long before the French manege of Antoine de Pluvinel, and is the oldest of its kind in the world.[2] Records show that a wooden riding arena was first commissioned in 1565, but it wasn't until 1729 that Emperor Charles VI commissioned the architect Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach to build the white riding hall used today. Prior to that time, the School operated from a wooden arena at the Josefsplatz. For a time, the riding hall was used for various ceremonies, but it is now open to the public, who may witness the training and performances by the stallions. The Winter Riding School was built between 1729–1735


WHY NAMED SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL? - The Spanish Riding School was named for the Spanish horses that formed one of the bases of the Lipizzan breed, which is used exclusively at the school. 

HORSE FACT- There are 72 horses. 70 White, 2 Brown. 

SUPERSTITION - As long as there is 1 brown horse in the school, the school will remain lucrative and stay open.

STALLIONS TRAINED IN 3 STAGES

Crest for the school

1) Remontenschule: ("forward riding") This stage begins when the horse is first brought to the Spanish Riding School as a 4-year-old. The stallion is taught to be saddled and bridled, and is started on the longe to teach him the aids, to improve his obedience, and to strengthen his muscles in preparation for a rider.
2) Campagneschule: ("campaign school") The horse is usually ready for the second stage after a year of riding in the first stage, although this time-frame is always adjusted to the individual horse.
3) Hohe Schule: ("high school" or Haute Ecole) In this stage, the rider will gradually push the horse to perfection in straightness, contact, suppleness, collection, and impulsion, to produce improved gaits.

NEXT: ST. PETERS AND THE "PLAGUE PILLAR" 

Blog 1 - Don't put Trash in Recycling! (Idiots) - Here's what is NOT recyclable

This morning while walking the dogs, I found a newspaper on the street and went to put it into someone's recycle bin. Fortunately, today is recycling day. So, being a good citizen, I opened the nearest bin to toss in the newspaper. Inside it was filled with FOOD WASTE, PLASTIC BAGS and STYROFOAM EGG CARTONS. All things that should NEVER go in recyclables.  
    Is it any wonder that the recycle industry is having difficulty with people who can't follow SIMPLE instructions?  
    Damn, There's even a HUGE label on top of the large blue bin that says "THESE ARE NOT RECYCLABLE" and "NO FOOD WASTE" . 
   WHAT DID I DO?  After returning home with the dogs, I wrote the resident a note that those things are NOT recyclable and drove back to their house and left the note. I also affixed a HUGE Sign on the bin that said "THIS IS TRASH" to prevent the recycle folks from picking it up. 
   I'm tired of stupid people.

Danube River Cruise #26: Vienna's Winter Palace,Greek Gods, Moat, Roman Ruins

Hercules and Antaeust

Aeneas saving his father Anchises

Hercules ficaptures Cerberus

We love mythology and especially statues of the muscular, hunky Greek Gods... and there
were several of them around Austria's Winter Palace in Vienna. We'll tell you about them and show them to you in today's blog. You'll also see the oldest door and moat. Read on.

STATUES OF THE GODS - Fischer von Erlach designed bas-reliefs depicting military scenes from ancient Greek mythology—Hercules fighting the giant Antaeust, and Aeneas saving his father Anchises from burning Troy. 

PURPOSE - These images from the classical world are meant to invoke Prince Eugene's glorious military accomplishments.

HERCULES AND ANTAEUST- Antaeus was the half-giant son of Poseidon and Gaia. His wife was the goddess Tinge, and he had a daughter named Alceis or Barce. He was famed for his loss to Heracles as part of his twelve Labors.

AENEAS AND ANCHISES - During the fall of Troy, Aeneas makes his way home to save Anchises, his wife Creusa, and his son Ascanius. ... Aeneas carries Anchises on his back, Anchises carries their household gods, and Ascanius walks beside his father as they all flee Troy. Creusa was following behind them but is killed during the escape

HERCULES AND CEREBRUS - Hercules final labor was to capture Cerberus, the three headed dog that guarded the underworld. Hercules got permission to take Cerberus from Hades, but Hades told him he could only have him if Hercules subdued him without using any weapons

The porte cochere of Winter Palace, Vienna.

Horse and Carriage at The porte cochere

THE PORTE COCERE - The area where horse drawn carriages dropped off passengers was ornate, tall and beautiful. It was topped by a dome.  Outside of this area were the Greek statutes you just read about! 

ROMAN RUINS DISCOVERED - Just outside of the Porte Cocere was an excavation in progress where ruins from an ancient Roman settlement were unearthed.

Ancient Roman Ruins

Oldest palace entrance

MOAT AND OLDEST PALACE DOOR - On the other side of the Porte Cochere, close to where Hitler gave his speech annexing Austria into Germany was the oldest door of the palace and the evidence of a dried up palace moat. 

NEXT: THE SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL WITHIN THE PALACE

The Moat

Danube River Cruise #25: Vienna's Winter Palace, Hitler's Speech and Annexation of Austria

Winter Palace of Prince Eugene

Today's blog provides you with an introduction to the Habsburg Family's Winter (or City) Palace. You read about them a couple of blogs ago, and about how Mozart played here. This is also the site of where Adolf Hitler made a speech. Now we'll show you and tell you about the palace.

ABOUT THE WINTER PALACE - The Winter Palace of Prince Eugene, also known as the City Palace, is a high-Baroque palace in the "Innere Stadt" district of Vienna, Austria. Located on a narrow street at Himmelpfortgasse 8, the palace was used as the winter residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy, who spent his summers at the Belvedere.
Address: Himmelpfortgasse 8, 1010 Wien, Austria 
Stats: 53 acres, 19 courtyards, 18 buildings, 2,600 rooms. 
Architects: The Winter Palace was designed and constructed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach from 1695 to 1700, and by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt from 1702 to 1724 following his predecessor's plans.
Architectural style: Baroque architecture

PALACE USE OVER TIME - The palace was acquired through auction by Empress Maria Theresa for the imperial court in 1738, along with most of the prince's other buildings. In 1752, the palace was converted by Nicolò Pacassi into the seat of various state institutions. The palace housed the Finance Ministry of the Austrian Empire from 1848 to 1918 and the dissolution of the Habsburg Empire. Since 1919, the palace has housed the Ministry of Finance. From 2007 to 2013, the palace was extensively renovated. The Winter Palace of Prince Eugene is considered "one of the most magnificent Baroque edifices in Vienna"

The Hitler Speech Balcony

HITLER ANNOUNCES AUSTRIA GETS ANNEXED TO GERMANY - Adolf Hitler's ceremonial announcement of the Austrian Anschluss  (Annexation of Austria) to Nazi Germany on March 15, 1938. 

FAST FACT- Hitler was an Austria born German.

Palace layout

SCARY ! A MAJORITY OF AUSTRIANS WELCOMED HITLER - Hitler's journey through Austria became a triumphal tour that climaxed in Vienna on 15 March 1938, when around 200,000 cheering German Austrians gathered around the Heldenplatz (Square of Heroes) to hear Hitler say that "The oldest eastern province of the German people shall be, from this point on, the newest bastion of the German Reich"

THE HORROR - NAZI ATTACKS JEWS IMMEDIATELY - The campaign against the Jews began immediately after the Anschluss (the merge of Austria with Germany) They were driven through the streets of Vienna, their homes and shops were plundered. November  9–10 , 1938 all synagogues and prayer houses in Vienna were destroyed, as well as in other Austrian cities such as Salzburg. Most Jewish shops were plundered and closed. Over 6,000 Jews were arrested overnight, the majority deported to Dachau concentration camp in the following days..


NEXT - GREEK STATUES ON THE PALACE

Danube River Cruise #24: Vienna's Opera House and 2 Odd Deaths

Inside the Opera House

In today's blog, we'll show you and tell you about the famous state Opera House. We drove by it in the bus because it was pouring rain! Regardless, it's an amazing building and we'll show you some pictures of it (thanks to the Internet), and tell you a story about 2 mysterious deaths associated with the building. Read on!


ABOUT THE OPERA HOUSE - The Vienna State Opera is an Austrian opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera. In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian Republic, it was renamed the Vienna State Opera.

FAST FACTS - It seats 1,709 people. It offers nearly 300 performances each year.
OPENED- May 25, 1869
STYLE - Renaissance Revival architecture

Outside of the Opera House

FIRST PUBLIC BUILDING - The Opera House was built as the first public building along the Vienna Ringstrasse.
ARCHITECTS - Eduard van der Nüll, August Sicard von Sicardsburg, Josef Hlávka, Erich Boltenstern


THE TWO ODD DEATHS- In 1860, the project had been submitted to competition and won by the two architects: Eduard van der Nüll, and August Sicard von Sicardsburg.
   Their design failed to match the monumentality of the Heinrichshof  building - another building that was highly regarded. (The Heinrichshof was Built in 1860 and encompassed three building lots and was comprised of several apartment buildings) - The Heinrichschof  was destroyed in World War II. 
   Some people were have said to call this new Opera House a "train station."
"HATED IT" - Criticism from both the Emperor and a press campaign against the pair of architects described the disappointment of the Viennese public and suggested that the building was merely a half-success. After the street level in front of the opera house was raised by a meter, (3 feet) the opera was described as the "sunken chest" and - in analogy to the military disaster of 1866 - "the Königgratz of Construction."

Eduard van der Nüll

1)  Eduard van der Nüll was deeply troubled by the criticism and hanged himself on April 4, 1868. 
2)  His partner Sicardsburg died nearly 10 weeks later, diagnosed with tuberculosis. 
IDIOT ALERT - It was said that the Emperor had been so shocked by the suicide of Eduard van der Nüll, that from then on he responded to all new art phenomena with the standard phrase, "It was very beautiful, I liked it a lot."

Eduard van der Nüll was buried in an honorary grave in Vienna's Central Cemeter.  In 1875, the Van-der-Nüll street in the Favoriten District of Vienna was named after him. 

NEXT: Marching to the Imperial Palace in the Rain

Idiot of the Week: Fox News Host Tucker Carlson: Promotes White Nationalist Theory

Fox Network News is the channel for you if you're a White nationalist, bigot, racist, homophobic, a misogynist, or sexist, or if  you just like stupid conspiracy theories. Tucker Carlson, one of the hosts that embodies those qualities was at it again spouting White Nationalism. So, he''s the Idiot of the Week! (really, idiot of the year).

FOX NEWS HOST PROMOTES WHITE NATIONALIST THEORY 
June 4, 2019 - Huff post 

 Fox News Tucker Carlson< continues to tout a conspiracy theory popular with neo-Nazis about South Africa’s post-apartheid land reform plans and their links to an alleged ― and unproved — “genocide” against white farmers. Despite evidence to the contrary, Fox News host Tucker Carlson continues to tout a conspiracy theory popular with neo-Nazis about South Africa’s post-apartheid land reform plans and their links to an alleged ― and unproved — “genocide” against white farmers. Carlson caused a furor last year when he suggested — and President Donald Trump later parroted — that South Africa’s land expropriation proposal was tantamount to the government stealing “land from people because they are the wrong skin color.” Experts lambasted Carlson’s segments on the issue, telling the Daily Beast they were “filled with factual errors” and noting that the land reform plan would not target landowners based on race. Carlson’s suggestion that white South African farmers were facing a disproportionate level of violence was also roundly debunked.  

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Tucker Carlson is reviving his white genocide conspiracy theory that is popular with white supremacists. Just outright white supremacy on Fox News every single night pic.twitter.com/oTZZxsQxby
— Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) June 4, 2019

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On Monday, however, Carlson doubled down on these white nationalist talking points on his show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”

He told his viewers about “the plight of farmers in South Africa,” claiming that “hundreds” of them had been killed in recent years in a spate of “racist” violence.

“Instead of protecting the farmers, the government of South Africa has worked to change its country’s laws in order to seize their land without compensation,” Carlson asserted. “Skin color is a central motivation here. Nobody denies that.”

“This is racist violence as brutal and horrifying and indefensible as anything that happened under apartheid ― the difference is this time the Western media is cheering it on,” Carlson added, going so far as to accuse The New York Times of suggesting that white farmers “deserve” to be murdered because the paper did not say whether the recent killing of a white farmer was definitively related to a land dispute.

An analysis by The Washington Post last month found that South African farmers are far less likely to be the targets of violent crime than the country’s general population.

“No evidence exists that white South Africans are indeed targeted by excess violence. Rather, [South African white rights groups] use the fear of targeted racial violence to find sympathetic audiences to pressure their government into action,” the Post said.