KNOWLEDGE FROM

THE EMPIRE IS BACK

TEXT: JEANNETTE GODDAR

The Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire are long gone – but in many European cities, they are still very much alive. 58 In Vienna, for example, remem- brance of the times when the city was besieged by the Turks is fostered, while the tens of thou- ment park. To put it another way: in liberation from the Turks. Today, the sands of Viennese citizens of most cases, it is not the capital of place is marked by a plaque, with the Turkish origin are ignored. At the Austria that people are shown in their following inscription in Latin: “Once, Max Planck Institute for the first encounter with this city, but the Maria came to save us from suffering Study of Religious and Ethnic hub of the Habsburg dynasty, which at the hands of the Turks. Proud stone came to an end just over a hundred figures expressed the gratitude of Diversity in Goettingen, a team years ago. However, such city tours their city.” led by Jeremy F. Walton is studying also take them past reminders – some the way in which former empires of them more visible, some less – of There is more to this story: a number of are treated today. the two sieges of Vienna by the Otto- buildings in Vienna are decorated man Empire. In 1529 and 1683, Otto- with shimmering golden “Turkish man troops stood on the outskirts of cannonballs” that symbolize the the capital of the Danube Monarchy. Ottoman bombardment of the city. Visitors to Vienna are keen to tour the They were unsuccessful in their There are stone sculptures showing city in one of the many traditional and attempts to seize the city, but to this Ottoman horsemen, a park called comfortable horse-drawn carriages day, the story is firmly anchored in “Tuerkenschanzpark” (Turkish that solicit customers all day long Austrian historiography. Even the entrenchment park), and of course, a throughout the city center. The most important church bell in the plethora of monuments showing “Fiaker” (coach drivers), some of Stephansdom – which is something of proud Habsburg victors. Even the whom still address their passengers in a sacred national symbol for the Aus- roof design of the Belvedere Palace, old-fashioned parlance like “Gnae’ trian people – was cast mostly from the construction of which began in Frau” (“Ma’am”) and “die the metal of Ottoman cannons in 1711. 1712, was inspired by the Ottoman Herrschaften” (“sirs”), take their In 1945, a fire caused the first bell to tents that were once erected there. As fares to the Stephansdom cathedral crash into the nave at the foot of the Annika Kirbis explains: “Once you and the Hofburg former imperial South Tower, coincidentally destroy- start looking for the traces of the ‘first residence, Schönbrunn and Belve- ing the “Tuerkenbefreiungsdenkmal”, and second Turkish siege’ as it is dere palaces, and the Prater amuse- the monument commemorating the known here, it soon becomes clear

Max Planck Research · 1 | 2021 PHOTO: DREAMSTIME CULTURE &SOCIETY Max PlanckResearch ·1 | 2021 World Cup 2018, in fans colors of the Croatian of Croatian colors the some parts of Croatia. of Croatia. parts some a Habsburg military military a Habsburg commander, now is A resurrected hero: A resurrected in Zagreb with the the with Zagreb in During the Soccer draped his statue statue his draped Ban Josip Jelačić,Ban revered again in in revered again coat of arms. coat

59 KNOWLEDGE FROM

that there are countless numbers of Kurds, for example – noted wryly that them! There are more than a hundred Grandchildren “It was a good thing that the Viennese sites in Vienna alone that serve as a of the Ottomans kicked them out.” The longer Kirbis reminder of these events. And there studied the issue, the more frag- are many, many more throughout the But what is it like for people whose roots mented people’s memories seemed to rest of Austria.” Kirbis, a social and lie in the former Ottoman Empire to be. At the same time, one thing cultural anthropologist from Ger- be surrounded by all this symbolism? became clear: “History continues to many, who is conducting her doctoral To find out, Annika Kirbis inter- be negotiated in debates about immi- research at the Max Planck Institute viewed Viennese citizens with Turk- gration, in speeches about integration, for the Study of Religious and Ethnic ish roots, often during walks around as well as in discriminatory remarks. Diversity in Goettingen, initially the city. Their responses to her ques- Often, it is also due to the use of a kind moved to Vienna to work on her mas- tions varied widely. Some had of siege rhetoric, which everyone ter’s thesis. Her original plan was to remained unaware of all the monu- growing up in Vienna is familiar with.” study the present-day experiences of ments over the decades, while others Turkish immigrants to the city. How- felt insulted by the images of It’s also not hard to find tangible exam- ever, initially every database and saber-wielding horsemen in harem ples of conscious efforts to keep his- Internet search yielded only events pants. A few of them told her that tory alive. For example, in September that took place hundreds of years ago, visitors from Turkey like to visit the 2020, to mark the anniversary of the even though between 200,000 and sites of decisive battles, and rather victory of the Habsburgs, the right- 300,000 people of Turkish origin have than seeing the campaigns as a failure, wing populist FPÖ party invited citi- been living in Austria for decades. they felt a certain sense of pride that zens to a “liberation celebration”, Many of them came as so-called the Ottoman forces had advanced as which in the words of the deputy “guest workers” or followed their fam- far as Vienna. Others, who are labeled mayor of Vienna was intended “to ilies to the country, and hold Austrian as being Turkish but who do not nec- demonstrate that we do not tolerate citizenship by now. essarily identify themselves as such – parallel Islamist societies (...).” On the other hand, in 2014, during a visit to Vienna just before the Turkish elec- 60 tions, the Turkish president Recep The culture of remembrance Tayyip Erdoğan appealed to his sup- th in the 19 century: people porters in the city, calling them all in Carinthia and South Tirol “grandchildren of Sultan Suleiman used to decorate their village fountains with these and Kara Mustafa,” the two men who “Turk heads”. Today, these had led the first and second Turkish heads are displayed in the sieges. As anthropologist Jeremy F. Austrian Museum of Folk Walton explains, this emphasis on Life and Folk Art in Vienna. collective strength and the securing of political power in the service of a national narrative are “typical moti- vations for ‘re-imperializing’ history.” However, it would be inaccurate to generalize here. Religion and aesthe- tics also play a role, as does everyday culture. “Even in the fashion world, designers are drawing inspiration from empires that have long ceased to exist.” Walton is Head of the Max Planck Research Group, “Empires of Memory. The Cultural Politics of Historicity in Former Habsburg and Ottoman Cities”, in which Kirbis conducts her doctoral research.

It is striking that, like Annika Kirbis, Walton more or less stumbled into this area of research. Walton is a U.S. citizen who moved to Turkey around fifteen years ago to write his doctoral PHOTO: ANNIKA KIRBIS/MPI FOR THE STUDY RELIGIOUS OF AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY thesis on Muslim civil society. “At

Max Planck Research · 1 | 2021 CULTURE & SOCIETY PHOTO: PICHLER KLAUS / WIEN MUSEUM

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Culture of remembrance in the year 1983: contrary to what the plaque suggests, this Viennese house was not destroyed by the Ottomans, but by the Viennese themselves. They set fire to the suburbs in order to rob the enemy of the opportunity to hide within them.

first, the Ottoman Empire was not on the Habsburg Monarchy and/or the tion from Turkish soil in the early 20th my radar. But everywhere I went, it Ottoman Empire, and are now located century have left deep scars, and Italy, was being re-negotiated and brought in eight different countries. Walton which very consciously insists that to people’s attention. In some cases, loosely divides the cities into pairs. the South Tirol and Trentino regions, smaller Islamic organizations were First, there are Vienna and Istanbul, along with the strips of land along the even paying for monuments to be ren- the former centers of the empires, north-eastern Adriatic coast, are ovated,” he explains. To recap: at that then Budapest and Sarajevo, which incontestably Italian territory. Walton time, Erdoğan, who has been posing came under both Habsburg and Otto- himself has his research base in the as a post-modern sultan for several man rule, and where the two empires former Habsburg city of Zagreb, now years now, had just entered office, and still exert an influence over public life in Croatia, which forms the fourth Turkey as a secular state was still far and political debate. Third, there are pair, together with Belgrade, formerly more focused on the founder of the Thessaloniki and Trieste, which used a part of the Ottoman Empire and Republic, Kemal Atatürk than it is to be important port cities, and which now in Serbia. “Observing how today. are both located in countries that cer- the recent socialist past is dealt with tainly do not regard themselves as in these two cities as well as Sarajevo, This is, in short, what led to the creation successors to the empire of which in tandem with their imperial past, of the research group, which exam- they were once part: Greece, where adds another fascinating layer to our ines eight cities that once belonged to the expulsions of the Greek popula- research,” he explains. The questions

Max Planck Research · 1 | 2021 KNOWLEDGE FROM PHOTO: PICHLER KLAUS / WIEN MUSEUM

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“Even in the that interest the interdisciplinary torical events have become a part of Research Group vary widely, as do people’s collective memory, and how fashion world, the approaches and methods used to they become incorporated into the study monuments, urban planning, overall narrative of a society as a designers draw cultural artifacts, discussions and result. collective memories. What binds inspiration from them together is “Empires of Mem- To examine how the narrative of the ory”. The name is a reference to sieges influences the memory of empires that memory studies, an approach that today’s migration society, Annika has become established in recent Kirbis combines memory research have long ceased decades among German Holocaust with approaches used in anthropo- researchers in particular. Rather logy, as well as in literature and to exist.” than viewing history through the museum studies. One focus of her prism of official documents, this research is the Wien Museum, which research approach looks at how his- houses the “History and City Life JEREMY F. WALTON

Max Planck Research · 1 | 2021 CULTURE & SOCIETY

Divided memory: three the acquisition of items and photo- Similarly, the question arises as to how a years ago, the Wien graphs belonging to Viennese citizens narrative with a broader range of per- Museum opened up a of Turkish and Yugoslav origin, often spectives can be created about the different perspective on Austrian history with the support of migrant organiza- siege of Vienna, for example. “First, it with an exhibition tions. The collection was exhibited would be important to step back and about the lives of “guest under the title “Moving History. take a critical look at the issue; to ask workers”, many of Viyana – Beć – Vienna”. And then, ourselves what memory this city is whom come from Turkey. Kirbis explains, “On the first floor of trying to preserve and whether it the museum there was an exhibition reflects today’s society,” she explains. about migration, to the right of the As a next step, the existing monu- staircase, while to the left, there was ments to the siege could be contextu- the permanent exhibition, large parts of which were dedicated to the Turk- ish siege.”

A new context SUMMARY

for old monuments Empires like the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire are alive and well Annika Kirbis is interested in one parti- in the collective memory, cular question: “Is it possible to nar- and the myths surrounding rate history in this way?” Basically, them are often consciously she already gives the answer in the cultivated. working title of her doctoral thesis: 63 In Vienna, there are a large “Weltstadt without migrants? Trans- number of monuments national memories and post-imperial dedicated to the Turkish nostalgia in Vienna’s urban heritage”. sieges of 1529 and 1683. Kirbis argues that the history of They contribute to the migration should not simply be preservation of the image understood as a “gap to be filled in the of the ‘Turk’ as the enemy, and marginalize Turkish city’s memory”, but that collective immigrants as a result. memory needs to allow for different perspectives. “Many migrants feel Research into this area is that they do not really belong, that just beginning to examine they are regarded as being different the influence that former and are therefore excluded, despite great empires have on present-day societies. being Austrian citizens. This is exac- Researchers recommend erbated by historical narratives that taking a critical approach only reflect the perspective of the to a country’s imperial past. Collection”. “The collection on the so-called majority society.” She Turkish Wars – or ‘Turkish spoils’ – points to a parallel issue that is formed the basis upon which the debated in Germany: the way in museum was founded,” she says. which pupils are taught to remember Today, the museum describes itself as the Holocaust in schools. “How alized: “Why not also tell people an “urban universal museum.” Cur- should this topic be introduced to about the period in which they were rently, it is closed for renovation. young people whose families had no erected, and what collective percep- However, what Kirbis describes from ties to Germany previous to the Se- tions were prevalent at the time?” the time prior to its closure is not cond World War? Even if it’s meant This would entail questions as to how exactly what you would call “univer- well, telling these pupils ‘your grand- the sieges were differently commem- sal”. She followed the “Migration parents weren’t involved’ excludes orated in 1933, then later on in 1983 to Sammeln” (“Collecting Migration”) them from the process, and prevents mark the 300th anniversary of the project, which was commissioned by remembrance of the Holocaust from second siege. At the same time, this the City of Vienna along with the being kept alive in an immigration would create an opportunity to ask Wien Museum, and which involved society.” which images are still being uncriti-

Max Planck Research · 1 | 2021 KNOWLEDGE FROM

cally reproduced today and which The challenge for the Research Group is Ottoman Empire. After the Research ones tend to be excluded from the not only describing which images and Group at the Max Planck Institute in collective memory. For example, it symbols are kept alive and thereby Goettingen has completed its project, was the Ottomans who brought coffee frequently adapted to suit the era in Walton plans to move to the Univer- to Vienna, which in turn led to the question. “Often, the most interesting sity of Rijeka in Croatia to pursue a establishment of the famous Viennese aspect is what is not shown, since this grant from the European Research coffee houses. Also, legend has it that reveals what is allowed to be shown Council. The name of the planned the crescent-shaped “Vanillekipferl” and what must be kept hidden,” research group borrows from the cookie was inspired by the Islamic Jeremy F. Walton explains. However, word for one who has returned from half-moon. As Kirbis says, “Most this is where memory studies run into the realm of the dead – or those who Viennese are aware of these influences. their biggest problem: things that are thought to have died. “REV- But to date, they have still not les- have not been preserved cannot enter ENANT: Revivals of Empire – Nos- sened the impact of all those images collective memory. “How can we find talgia, Amnesia, Tribulation”. The that convey the concept of ‘the Turk out what was suppressed in the past?” empire is back, at least as a revenant. as the enemy’ to this day.” Overall, Walton asks. “Whenever this is not she concludes that simply adding a possible, we must at least be aware of few new memories here and there is the fact that there are gaps.” Steps not enough: “Migration history have been taken to ensure that demands that we question and rethink answers continue to be found to these Glorification of the past: during existing narratives such as the one questions, as well as others relating to the 1990s, the Turkish relating to the siege.” the Habsburg Monarchy and the government arranged for the monstrous busts of the Ottoman sultan Suleiman (right) and his opponent, the commander Miklós Zrínyi, to be erected at the site of a historic battle 64 in Szigetvár in Hungary. PHOTO: JEREMY F. WALTON/MPI FOR THE STUDY RELIGIOUS OF PHOTO: AND JEREMY WALTON/MPI ETHNIC DIVERSITY F.

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