Fin-de-siecle Vienna: Politics and Culture

Book, 1981

Premise - Fin-de-siecle Vienna, translated to "turn of the century" Vienna, refers to transition into the 20th century leading up to the first World War. This book explores and analyzes the culture of the time, as it reflects in both policy and art, also stretching across related disciplines such as architecture and psychology. The time is characterized by a struggle to reconcile the excitement for a revolutionary future and the nostalgia for a past that no longer exists.

Review - This may seem like a random read, but there was at least a little bit of logic behind it. I had this book on my shelf for years after taking a class on Fin-de-siecle Vienna in which I thought it was required reading. I was mistaken - it was optional reading - and no way was I going to get around to it on my own time. But now that I'm taking a trip to Vienna in a few weeks, now is as good a time as any to refresh myself on a lot of the course content! As a bonus, it would count for the "Read a Book About History" category at my local library's 10 to try reading challenge.

The comparative literature class that I took was essentially the 10-week-version of this book, which is probably why it wasn't assigned as additional reading. It's all about the facade that old aristocratic Vienna tried to upkeep, despite the aristocracy being no longer viable. At the same time, it's about the up and coming artists who opened the door for modernity. At the center of this push and pull is the question of art's purpose, or lack thereof. In old, aristocratic Vienna, art was more ornamental and decorative. Modern architects and the like were much more adamant about everything having a constructive use. It's kind of the opposite approach that we see aesthetes in Britain going through probably around a similar time, who also pushed the boundaries of art, but because they believed art to be useless.

In all honesty, I kind of just used this book to spark some old memories but did not read too deeply. It was a pleasant read just because the language was so flowery. Reading the words just makes the English language sound so pleasant, which is ironic given that this is a book about a non-English speaking country. But I loved the sound of the way this book was written. The content itself was understandably dense and abstract, and therefore it was not in my best interest to become too invested in its meaning.

The parts that I found the easiest to engage with were about more objective places and events, like the chapter on politics. The chapters on artwork or music were much harder to conceptualize, especially when I didn't have a picture of the artwork as a reference. This book can get pretty abstract.

It's not a book I would normally read on my own time, but it just crosses another one off the list. I'm more excited than ever to see Vienna. (51/100)

Quote - "Poetry deals with a higher abstraction than politics: the world. And can he who is able to grasp the world be incapable of comprehending politics?" - Theodor Herzl

If you liked this book, I'd recommend reading the original writings on fin-de-siecle Vienna by Arthur Schnitzler!

Written by Charl E. Shorske
Published by Vintage Books