Vienna, Austria Today being Monday, aka laundry day, we had a limited amount of time available for sightseeing. We decided our one outing had to be to some place of great significance. So, we headed to the Austrian Parliament.
If your goal is to present yourself as a democracy, you can chose no better imagery than all things Greek. So, position Athena at the very front of your government building and surround it with statues of her relatives and contemporaries.
The Parliament offers a very strong dose of classicism, and has recently been renovated. It uses a lot of interactive media to reinforce the message that democracy is by the people and for the people and has taken a lot of stuffiness out of the marble halls.
The concept of democracy and the drive for a representative form of government had a hard row to hoe before WWI. Emperor Franz Joseph I was no fan of that approach, and had a very strong attachment to the concept of absolute monarchy, an increasingly popular idea today. But, in 1873, he allowed the Parliament to be built – as long as he could put his initials all over it, and countermand any decisions it made. World War I put an end to that pretense of democracy, and the country eventually arrived at the bi-cameral multi-party system currently in place.
As with all such buildings, the design and ornamentation are used to reinforce the underlying principles of the state, in rather glorious form, intended to remind the participants of their connection to certain ideals and commitments.
The Federal Assembly Hall has a glorious glass ceiling which managed to evade destruction during the last world war. The room is breathtaking and properly solemn in its décor. One sits in here and formulates noble laws to advance the will of the people.
The Federal Council Chamber is a meeting room of a much smaller group, with representatives from each Austrian federal state voting on issues of the larger federal assembly. (Don’t quiz me too closely on who does what to whom.) There is a nearby conference room used to receive visiting dignitaries, all very lovely.
The National Council Chamber was rebuilt in the mid-1950’s, to restore it following war bomb damage, and was updated during the most recent renovation. The glass dome is completely new.
There are many symbols of light coming into the chambers and letting the work of the governing bodies be transparent to the governed.
It’s not my country and it’s not my Parliament, but I was certainly convinced of the sincerity of the intentions behind this form of government. I’m well-aware Austria is no nirvana, but there is a strong focus here on engaging and educating young people to understand and avoid the mistakes of the past, about which they are very candid. We have a lot of the same architectural symbolism and solemn platitudes in America, but these words in the reception area seemed timely and sincere — and challenging:
They are looking forward, not basking in the glories of the past. I like that.
Don’s Food Corner
A slow food day today. I grabbed a falafel sandwich next door to the laundromat. Jo snuck into an American fast food joint.
But we stopped for a refreshment at the cafe in the Parliament building. We had some carbonated cold beverages, which were thoughtfully served to us in glasses filled with ice. I said to the waitress, “Oh, ice. We Americans do like our ice.” The waitress said slyly, “I know. Austrians not so much.” She knew we were Americans. (I know the Austrians will come around on the ice issue. The Brits did and now they can’t understand how they lived without it.)
We shared a sweet that was a kind of heavy cheese cake encased in filo sheets, with a little powdered sugar on top. Civilized.
Yup, Don, you made me hungry again . . .