So...a group from my old dorm in Berlin came down to visit Vienna and so I hung out with them during a tour of the 'Central Cemetery' of Vienna. It's where the 'who's who' of Vienna are buried and given my affinity for cemeteries, I went....
What a pic! The woman taking a picture in my direction is Petra - the woman who runs the dorm in Berlin.
So, sadly enough, when Mozart died there was an imperial decree that people be buried in communal graves. Point is, no one really knows WHERE Mozart is buried (he is in the Marxer Cemetery, but no one knows exactly where), so here is a monument to him....
Oh Mozart you genius you....I wonder if he really was anything like the guy in 'Amadeus' (I just heard him 'laugh' like in the movie - hilarious)...
So, apparently, in order to get people to want to get buried in the Central Cemetery, they went and dug up famous people and then reburied them here! (I know....a bit strange, eh? But apparently the Viennese have a 'love affair' with death and celebrate it, etc....so I guess in their standards it wasn't too strange/macabre.)
Point is - the dug up and then reburied Beethoven here! So there you are...THE famous Beethoven is right there....'hello'....
This is Schubert's grave.....I recently learned that my 'favorite' song 'Schubert's 'Ave Maria'' is actually not an 'Ave Maria'...hmmm....
But still what pretty music....
He was dug up from another cemetery and brought here as well....
Here is Mr. Vienna himself, Johann Strauss II (he was the son - his father was also famous (didn't realize there was more than one!)
If you look closer you can see a 'bat' by his head in honor of 'Die Fledermaus' (Fledermaus is 'bat' in German)....buried here with his wife Adele...
Here is Brahms...also resident and then passing away in Vienna....talk about a 'center point for talent', eh? (meaning, all of these wonderful musicians came to Vienna....wow!)
This man invented something having to do with the railroad....I just thought his coffin was quite 'the show', ya know?....
This is the grave of the man who 'designed'/built the Suez Canal....interesting, cuz I would've thought a Brit would have done that...
This is the Thonet family crypt. The Thonet family invented a special kind of furniture that was popular all over the world in the early 1900's. The people I stayed with (went skiing with) last Feb are descendants of this family....
Another 'Jugendstil' or art nouveau church - very impressive!
And in front of the church is the 'Tomb of the Presidents of Austria'. The people who served as presidents of Austria are buried here...even Kurt Waldheim (see Wikipedia why he is controversial)...
impressive!
To the right...
To the left....
Another view....love the design...
I thought this was an interesting holy water 'holder'....never saw that before...
Inside was 'plain'-ish, considering the impressive 'monumental' outside....but then
you look up and....WOW!
Beautiful! Beautiful!
Blue and gold together are so beautiful!
Again, interesting, but kind of 'plain' looking....
My Berlin dorm group listening to the tour guide tell us about the church....
I thought these were 'different' and interesting images of 'the Evangelists'....
'Other-worldly', eh? Maybe the aliens inspired the whole art nouveau design...
and now back to my favorite...
I'm just staring at it right now....so beautiful...
so beautiful....
View of the cemetery (honestly it's HUGE!) from the church doorsteps....
Again...what a view! What a good-looking place! Graveyards are wonderful, beautiful peaceful places....
At least I think so ;)
