The Determining Factors in the Establishment of the Museum

CHAPTER 4 The Determining Factors in the Establishment of the Museum 1 The Socio-Cultural Environment in Vienna Austriain the late nineteenth century was a land of contrasts. Unlike other European countries in which state and nationality were virtually synony- mous, Austria was a multi-ethnic place in which the only unifying force was the Habsburg dynasty. German was the official language, but on the streets of Vienna, one would hear a mixture of Czech, Hungarian, Yiddish, and Romanian. The contrasts between the various sectors of society were palpable in every realm, be it social, ethical, economic, or behavioral. In those days, Vienna was witnessing a rapid burst of construction and de- velopment. The old city walls were torn down, and in their place a new boulevard known as the “Ring” (or Ringstrasse) was paved. This boulevard developed into one of the most elegant thorough fares of its kind in all of Europe. It was lined with a number of distinguished institutions—including an opera, a university, a theater, and museums of both art and natural history—as well as with the homes of the some of the city’s wealthiest inhabitants. But these appearances were somewhat deceiving. Despite the modern look, late nineteenth century Vienna was in fact a very conservative city. The “Ring” was cre- ated by the new bourgeoisie in an effort to present itself as the rightful heir to the past, and as the real force behind the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which, up until then, had been controlled by the aristocracy. The new buildings—espe- cially the public ones—were constructed in historicist or “retro” neo-Gothic or Neoclassical styles. They were architectural throwbacks to a glorious past, and through them the builders were trying to impart a sense of authority and power, firmly rooted in an indomitable tradition. The Neoclassical style was also the dominant force in sculpture in those days, and this, too, was a mani- festation of the conservative zeitgeist.1 With respect to design, the reactionary atmosphere of mid nineteenth century Austria was dominated by the Biedermeier style, which found favor with the bourgeoisie at a time when all forms of liberal expression were sup- pressed. In their attempts to stake a claim to traditional lifestyles, the Austrian 1 Rolf Toman, Vienna, Art and Architecture, Konemann, Cologne, 1999, 160. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ��8 | doi ��.��63/9789004353886_006 The Determining Factors in the Establishment of the Museum 101 bourgeoisie and nouveau riches began to hoard collections of furniture, objets d’art, and works of art, all in a random mixture of styles. In the Biedermeier style they found something of a reconciliation, in the political sense, with an aesthetic of hedonism, lacking in sensuality, and uncritical. Another characteristic trait of the Biedermeier culture was an affinity to the past, expressed through the establishment of archives and museums in which various items were collected. Such institutions were meant to nurture and pre- serve the local tradition and provide the focus for a shared sense of identity and pride. With respect to the plastic arts, this affinity was expressed in an eagerness to perpetuate the existence of the family circle in its natural setting. This trend was discernible in landscape paintings, portraits, and depictions of daily life. The bourgeoisie rejected modernist abstract art and adhered to a Realism that could adequately portray their beautiful homes and families. In their desire to imitate the aristocracy, the members of this new social class also became patrons of the arts. Because the Jewish bourgeoisie endeavored to blend as best as possible into Viennese society, they avidly adopted most of these tendencies, and this included the aspiration to document the past. This was indeed one of the main reasons for the establishment of a Jewish museum in Vienna. 2 Enlightenment and Emancipation Jews began living in Austria as early as the tenth century CE. But more than any- thing else, the fate of the Jews was linked inextricably to the Habsburg dynasty, which ruled over Austria from 1273 to 1918 and also over Hungary, Bohemia, and Moravia from 1526 to 1918. Following the partition of Poland and the Habsburg annexation of Galicia in 1772 and Bukovina in 1775, Austria-Hungary could boast the largest Jewish population of any country west of Russia. Austria was swept up in a modernizing wave in the years 1781–89. This was a decade of far-reaching educational and industrial reforms. Nevertheless, full formal, legal emancipation was achieved only with the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy in 1867. Emperor Joseph II, who reigned as the sole ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1780 to 1790, decided to transform his realm into a centralized state with an industrial economic base. Included among the amendments he intro- duced were measures aimed at improving conditions for the Jews. The Edict of Tolerance issued in the years 1781–89 eliminated the requirement for Jews to bear identifying badges, and rendered the schools and universities acces- sible to them. Joseph II’s main goal was to abolish traditional social privileges, .

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