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Image 1
Gustav Mahler, photographed in 1907 by
Moritz Nähr at the end of his period as director of the
Vienna Hofoper
Gustav Mahler (German:[ˈɡʊstafˈmaːlɐ]; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian
Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the
modernism of the early 20th century. While in his lifetime his status as a conductor was established beyond question, his own music gained wide popularity only after periods of relative neglect, which included a ban on its performance in much of Europe during the
Nazi era. After 1945 his compositions were rediscovered by a new generation of listeners; Mahler then became one of the most frequently performed and recorded of all composers, a position he has sustained into the 21st century.
Born in
Bohemia (then part of the
Austrian Empire) to
Jewish parents of humble origins, the German-speaking Mahler displayed his musical gifts at an early age. After graduating from the
Vienna Conservatory in 1878, he held a succession of conducting posts of rising importance in the opera houses of Europe, culminating in his appointment in 1897 as director of the
Vienna Court Opera (Hofoper). During his ten years in Vienna, Mahler—who had converted to
Catholicism to secure the post—experienced regular opposition and hostility from the
anti-Semitic press. Nevertheless,
his innovative productions and insistence on the highest performance standards ensured his reputation as one of the greatest of opera conductors, particularly as an interpreter of the stage works of
Wagner,
Mozart, and
Tchaikovsky. Late in his life he was briefly director of New York's
Metropolitan Opera and the
New York Philharmonic. (Full article...)
A younger member of a
cadet branch of the
House of Fürstenberg, at his birth his chances of inheriting the family title of Fürst zu Fürstenberg were slight; he was prepared instead for a military career, and a tutor was hired to teach him the
military sciences. He entered the
Habsburg military in 1777, at the age of seventeen years, and was a member of the field army in the short
War of the Bavarian Succession (1778–79). His career progressed steadily during the
Habsburg War with the Ottoman Empire. In particular he distinguished himself at
Šabac in 1790, when he led his troops in storming the fortress on the
Sava river. (Full article...)
Kafka was born into a middle-class German-speaking
Czech Jewish family in Prague, the capital of the
Kingdom of Bohemia, then part of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire (today the capital of the Czech Republic). He trained as a lawyer, and after completing his legal education was employed full-time by an insurance company, forcing him to relegate writing to his spare time. Over the course of his life, Kafka wrote hundreds of letters to family and close friends, including his father, with whom he had a strained and formal relationship. He became engaged to several women but never married. He died in obscurity in 1924 at the age of 40 from
tuberculosis. (Full article...)
Image 4
Marshal Mortier at the battle of Durenstein in 1805, Auguste Sandoz
The Battle of Dürenstein (
German: Schlacht bei Dürnstein; also known as Dürrenstein, Dürnstein and Diernstein) or the Battle of Krems (
Russian: Сражение при Кремсе), on 11 November 1805, was an engagement in the
Napoleonic Wars during the
War of the Third Coalition. Dürenstein (modern
Dürnstein),
Austria, is located in the
Wachau valley, on the river
Danube, 73 kilometers (45 mi) upstream from
Vienna, Austria. The river makes a crescent-shaped curve between Dürnstein and nearby
Krems an der Donau, and the battle was fought in the flood plain between the river and the mountains.
At Dürenstein, a combined force of
Russian and
Austrian troops trapped a
French division commanded by
Théodore Maxime Gazan. The French division was part of the newly created
VIII Corps, the so-called Corps Mortier, under command of
Édouard Mortier. In pursuing the Austrian retreat from
Bavaria, Mortier had over-extended his three divisions along the north bank of the Danube.
Mikhail Kutuzov, commander of the Coalition force, enticed Mortier to send Gazan's division into a trap and French troops were caught in a valley between two Russian columns. They were rescued by the timely arrival of a second division, under command of
Pierre Dupont de l'Étang. The battle extended well into the night, after which both sides claimed victory. The French lost more than a third of their participants, and Gazan's division experienced over 40 percent losses. The Austrians and Russians also had heavy losses—close to 16 percent—but perhaps the most significant was the death in action of
Johann Heinrich von Schmitt, one of Austria's most capable chiefs of staff. (Full article...)
The terrain complicated battle tactics for both sides, but the Russians and the Austrians, having arrived in the area first, were able to overcome many of its difficulties by strengthening a causeway between two small ponds. They had also devised a solution to Frederick's deadly modus operandi, the
oblique order. Although Frederick's troops initially gained the upper hand in the battle, his limited scouting, combined with the strong defensive preparations of the Allied troops, gave the Russians and Austrians an advantage. By afternoon, when the combatants were exhausted, fresh Austrian troops thrown into the fray secured the Allied victory. (Full article...)
Image 6
Friedrich der Grosse und der Feldscher,
Bernhard Rode
The War of the Bavarian Succession (
German: Bayerischer Erbfolgekrieg; 3 July 1778 – 13 May 1779) was a dispute between the Austrian
Habsburg monarchy and an alliance of
Saxony and
Prussia over succession to the
Electorate of Bavaria after the extinction of the Bavarian branch of the
House of Wittelsbach. The Habsburgs sought to acquire Bavaria, and the alliance opposed them, favoring another branch of the Wittelsbachs. Both sides mobilized large armies, but the only fighting in the war was a few minor skirmishes. However, thousands of soldiers died from disease and starvation, earning the conflict the name Kartoffelkrieg (Potato War) in Prussia and Saxony; in Habsburg Austria, it was sometimes called the Zwetschgenrummel (Plum Fuss).
On 30 December 1777,
Maximilian III Joseph, the last of the
junior Wittelsbach line, died of
smallpox, leaving no children.
Charles Theodore, a scion of a senior branch of the House of Wittelsbach, held the closest claim of kinship, but he also had no legitimate children to succeed him. His cousin,
Charles II August, Duke of Zweibrücken, therefore had a legitimate legal claim as Charles Theodore's
heir presumptive. Across Bavaria's southern border,
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor coveted the Bavarian territory and had married Maximilian Joseph's sister
Maria Josepha in 1765 to strengthen any claim he could extend. His agreement with the heir, Charles Theodore, to partition the territory neglected any claims of the heir presumptive, Charles August. (Full article...)
Image 7
Topographic map of the battle
The Battle of Winterthur (27 May 1799) was an important action between elements of the
Army of the Danube and elements of the
Habsburg army, commanded by
Friedrich Freiherr von Hotze, during the
War of the Second Coalition, part of the
French Revolutionary Wars. The small town of
Winterthur lies 18 kilometers (11 mi) northeast of
Zürich, in Switzerland. Because of its position at the junction of seven roads, the army that held the town controlled access to most of Switzerland and points crossing the Rhine into southern Germany. Although the forces involved were small, the ability of the Austrians to sustain their 11-hour assault on the French line resulted in the consolidation of three Austrian forces on the plateau north of Zürich, leading to the French
defeat a few days later.
Meyszner began his career as an officer in the Gendarmerie, served on the
Italian Front during
World War I and reached the rank of Major der Polizei by 1921. He joined the
Austrian Nazi Party in September 1925 and became a right-wing parliamentary
deputy and provincial minister in the Austrian province of
Styria in 1930. Due to his involvement with the Nazis, Meyszner was forcibly retired in 1933 and arrested in February 1934, but released after three months at the
Wöllersdorfconcentration camp. That July, he was rearrested following an attempted
coup, but escaped police custody and fled to
Nazi Germany, where he joined the Ordnungspolizei (Orpo) and then the Allgemeine SS. After police postings in Austria, Germany and
occupied Norway, Himmler appointed Meyszner as Higher SS and Police Leader in Serbia in early 1942. He was one of few Orpo officers to be appointed to such a role. (Full article...)
The U-1 class (also called the Lake-type) was a
class of two
submarines or
U-boats built for and operated by the
Austro-Hungarian Navy (
German: kaiserliche und königliche Kriegsmarine). The class comprised
U-1 and
U-2. The boats were built to an American design at the
Pola Navy Yard after domestic design proposals failed to impress the Navy. Constructed between 1907 and 1909, the class was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Navy's efforts to competitively evaluate three foreign submarine designs.
Both U-1-class submarines were
launched in 1909. An experimental design, the submarines included unique features such as a
diving chamber and wheels for traveling along the
seabed. Extensive
sea trials were conducted in 1909 and 1910 to test these features as well as other components of the boats, including the
diving tanks and engines for each boat. Safety and efficiency problems related to the
gasoline engines of both submarines led the Navy to purchase new propulsion systems prior to
World War I. The design of the U-1 class has been described by naval historians as a failure, being rendered obsolete by the time both submarines were
commissioned into the Austro-Hungarian Navy in 1911. Despite this, tests of their design provided information that the Navy used to construct subsequent submarines. Both submarines of the U-1 class served as training boats through 1914, though they were
mobilized briefly during the
Balkan Wars. (Full article...)
The Third Silesian War (German: Dritter Schlesischer Krieg) was a war between
Prussia and
Austria (together with its allies) that lasted from 1756 to 1763 and confirmed Prussia's control of the region of
Silesia (now in south-western Poland). The war was fought mainly in Silesia,
Bohemia and
Upper Saxony and formed one
theatre of the
Seven Years' War. It was the last of three
Silesian Wars fought between
Frederick the Great's Prussia and
Maria Theresa's Austria in the mid-18th century, all three of which ended in Prussian control of Silesia.
This conflict can be viewed as a continuation of the
First and
Second Silesian Wars of the previous decade. After the
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended the
War of the Austrian Succession, Austria enacted broad reforms and
upended its traditional diplomatic policy to prepare for renewed war with Prussia. As with the previous Silesian Wars, no particular triggering event initiated the conflict; rather, Prussia struck opportunistically to disrupt its enemies' plans. The war's cost in blood and treasure was high on both sides, and it ended inconclusively when neither of the main belligerents could sustain the conflict any longer. (Full article...)
On 10 April 1809, Austrian forces under
Archduke Charles crossed the border of
Bavaria, a French client state. The French response, under
Louis-Alexandre Berthier, was disorganised but order was imposed with the arrival of Napoleon on 17 April. Napoleon led an advance to
Landshut, hoping to cut off the Austrian line of retreat and sweep into their rear. Charles crossed the Danube at
Regensburg, which allowed him to retreat eastwards, although he failed to reach the Austrian capital,
Vienna, before the French. A French assault across the Danube was repulsed on 21–22 May at the
Battle of Aspern-Essling but a repeat attack was successful in July. Napoleon won a major victory at the 5–6 July
Battle of Wagram, which forced the Austrians to sign the
Armistice of Znaim on 12 July. Austrian invasions of the Duchy of Warsaw and
Saxony (where they fought alongside the
Black Brunswickers) were repulsed and they were driven out of their territories in Italy. British forces
landed in Walcheren, in the French client state of
Holland, but were unable to seize their objective of capturing
Antwerp and were later withdrawn. (Full article...)
Image 12
Der Überfall bei Hochkirch am 14. Oktober 1758, Hyacinthe de la Pegna
Historians generally consider the battle as among Frederick's greatest blunders. Contrary to the advice of his subordinates, he refused to believe that the typically cautious Austrian commander Leopold von Daun would bring his troops into battle. The Austrian force ambushed his army in a pre-dawn attack. Over 30% of Frederick's army was defeated; five generals were killed and he lost his artillery park and a vast quantity of supplies. Although Daun had scored a complete surprise, his attempt to pursue the retreating Prussians was unsuccessful. The escaped force united with another corps in the vicinity, and regained momentum over the winter. (Full article...)
No particular triggering event started the war. Prussia cited its centuries-old dynastic claims on parts of Silesia as a casus belli, but Realpolitik and
geostrategic factors also played a role in provoking the conflict. Maria Theresa's contested succession to the
Habsburg monarchy provided an opportunity for Prussia to strengthen itself relative to regional rivals such as
Saxony and
Bavaria. (Full article...)
Image 14
The Central European borders of Brandenburg–Prussia (blue-green) and the Habsburg monarchy (red) in 1756, after Prussia's seizure of Silesia in the
First Silesian War
No particular event triggered the wars. Prussia cited its centuries-old dynastic claims on parts of Silesia as a casus belli, but Realpolitik and
geostrategic factors also played a role in provoking the conflict. Maria Theresa's contested succession to the Habsburg monarchy under the
Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 provided an opportunity for Prussia to strengthen itself relative to regional rivals such as
Saxony and
Bavaria. (Full article...)
Image 15
Moser,
c. 1980s
Meinhard Michael Moser (13 March 1924 – 30 September 2002) was an Austrian
mycologist. His work principally concerned the
taxonomy, chemistry, and toxicity of the
gilledmushrooms (
Agaricales), especially those of the genus Cortinarius, and the ecology of
ectomycorrhizal relationships. His contributions to the Kleine Kryptogamenflora von Mitteleuropa series of mycological guidebooks were well regarded and widely used. In particular, his 1953 Blätter- und Bauchpilze (Agaricales und Gastromycetes) [The Gilled and Gasteroid Fungi (Agaricales and Gastromycetes)], which became known as simply "Moser", saw several editions in both the original German and in translation. Other important works included a 1960
monograph on the genus Phlegmacium (sometimes considered part of Cortinarius) and a 1975 study of members of Cortinarius, Dermocybe, and Stephanopus in South America, co-authored with the mycologist
Egon Horak.
After showing interest in natural sciences in his youth, Moser studied at the
University of Innsbruck. His university career began during
World War II however, and was soon interrupted by
military service. Stationed as a translator in eastern Europe, he was captured and placed in a
prisoner-of-war camp. He was released in 1948, subsequently returning to Innsbruck to complete his studies. After completing his doctorate in 1950, Moser worked in England for six months, researching the symbiotic relationships between plants and fungi. Upon his return to Austria, he joined the
Federal Forestry Research Institute, where he remained until 1968, conducting influential research on the use of
mycorrhizal fungi in
reforestation. He began
lecturing at the University of Innsbruck in 1956, and in 1972 became the inaugural head of the first Institute of Microbiology in Austria. He remained with the Institute until his retirement in 1991, and his scientific studies continued until his death in 2002. An influential mycologist who
described around 500 new
taxa, Moser received awards throughout his life, and numerous fungal taxa have been named in his honour. (Full article...)
... that Rockstar Vienna was the largest video game developer in Austria when it closed in 2006?
... that in the 1930s Alfred Verdross, an Austrian international lawyer and future judge of the European Court of Human Rights, sympathised with
National Socialism?
... that Austrian mountaineer Franz Oppurg was the first person to achieve a solo ascent of
Mount Everest, climbing alone from the
South Col to the summit on 14 May 1978?
General images
The following are images from various Austria-related articles on Wikipedia.
![Image 1 Gustav Mahler, photographed in 1907 by Moritz Nähr at the end of his period as director of the Vienna Hofoper Gustav Mahler (German: [ˈɡʊstaf ˈmaːlɐ]; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism of the early 20th century. While in his lifetime his status as a conductor was established beyond question, his own music gained wide popularity only after periods of relative neglect, which included a ban on its performance in much of Europe during the Nazi era. After 1945 his compositions were rediscovered by a new generation of listeners; Mahler then became one of the most frequently performed and recorded of all composers, a position he has sustained into the 21st century. Born in Bohemia (then part of the Austrian Empire) to Jewish parents of humble origins, the German-speaking Mahler displayed his musical gifts at an early age. After graduating from the Vienna Conservatory in 1878, he held a succession of conducting posts of rising importance in the opera houses of Europe, culminating in his appointment in 1897 as director of the Vienna Court Opera (Hofoper). During his ten years in Vienna, Mahler—who had converted to Catholicism to secure the post—experienced regular opposition and hostility from the anti-Semitic press. Nevertheless, his innovative productions and insistence on the highest performance standards ensured his reputation as one of the greatest of opera conductors, particularly as an interpreter of the stage works of Wagner, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky. Late in his life he was briefly director of New York's Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic. (Full article...)](/info/en/?search=File:Blank.png)
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