Greetings from Austria! Today my friend and I went to the city museum.We visited this impressive museum that tells the story of Vienna's life. A friend of ours recommended this museum to us, so we set out wondering what interesting things awaited us there.
The museum entrance was free. Permanent exhibitions were located on the first and second floors. After wandering around a bit, we went up to the third floor, had some coffee and enjoyed the beautiful view from the terrace. The fourth floor mostly housed paid exhibitions. The museum was established in 1887 and opened in its current location in 1959. It had been closed for renovations since 2019 and reopened recently.
We were curious about what was sold in the museum shop at the entrance. There were many different books, souvenirs, chocolates... We especially liked these original socks.
Then we started exploring the museum's halls. On the first floor, there are exhibits from the Paleolithic period in the region where Austria is located, traces of settlements from the ancient Roman period, projects of the 1st and 2nd St. Stephen's Cathedrals and historical events such as the sieges of Vienna by the Ottomans in 1529 and 1683. In the first hall, we encountered this map of Vienna. It was really interesting to see how this city has changed over time.
The roof tile from the Roman period dating back to 1800 was also one of the interesting artifacts. Upon closer inspection, animal paw prints could be seen on it. Each of them offered a clue to recreate life in the streets of ancient Rome.
Next to it, there was an inscription from the 15th century. Upon careful examination, we could read the writing from the 15th century at the bottom.
Then we examined with interest the exhibits related to old Vienna until the 1900s.
The modern Vienna section, which tells the story after 1850, is also worth seeing. I think one day is not enough to see and examine this exhibition. Many beautiful works are exhibited.
This whale has a really interesting story. With its nine-meter length, it's a striking piece. Its story is as impressive as its appearance. The whale has been standing at the entrance of the "Zum Walfisch" restaurant since the early 1950s. Unfortunately, that restaurant had to close in 2013. But the whale was saved from being scrapped with the support of a construction company and, after being restored, has been hanging in the Vienna Museum as part of a permanent exhibition.
In addition to the whale, there was a fascinating model of St. Stephen's Cathedral on the second floor that truly enchanted us. A horse-drawn carriage hanging from the ceiling couldn't go unnoticed and there was even a sign on the wall saying "Südbahnhof". It's a piece of the real South Train Station of Vienna. Here, we embarked on a journey through the Holy Roman Empire period ruled by Maria Theresa from 1736 to the 20th century. Maria Theresa was truly a hero for Austria. For example, she provided educational opportunities for the people.
I want to emphasize the impressive interactive features of the museum. There's an area where the exhibited models are touchable, scales from the Middle Ages where you can weigh your virtues (are you going to heaven or hell) and even a space where you can smell the scents experienced by people living in the Middle Ages (especially the realism of the rose scent was impressive).
On the third floor, works of 20th-century artists are exhibited: Klimt, Schiele and other Vienna Secession artists' works.
Also, one of the most impressive sections of the museum was about Hitler's rise to power and the spread of fascism. In the museum, there's an example of Hitler's book "Mein Kampf" which was distributed for free to people on Christmas. There have even been cases where this book was given as a wedding gift to the bride and groom. This is an undeniable and unashamed, but rather remembered part of Vienna's history. Those who lost their lives in the Jewish genocide are commemorated every year in schools for a week during the educational period; during this week, students research the history of a family or person who lived in Vienna and faced oppression and prepare projects about them.
After visiting the exhibition halls, we went up to the terrace to watch the view. We learned a lot about the history of Vienna, the beautiful capital of Austria. We spent about an hour in the museum. I recommend this place to everyone. If you are nearby, be sure to visit. You will enjoy it and learn a lot about the history of Vienna.
