In the thirteenth and final chapter of Democracy: The God That Failed (which I just finished reading–excellent book!), Hans Hermann Hoppe states that
He goes on to talk about the U.S. since it’s actually relevant to his book, but like the author himself, I find the fact that the Austrians were second fascinating. I would have sooner expected a nation like France to claim second. So, my question is this: does anyone know why the men and women of Austria are so proud of their nation?
Haydn, Mozart, Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Strauss, Schubert, Mahler, Bruckner, Kafka, Steiner, Trakl, Wittgenstein, Buber, Hayek, Mises, Freud among others maybe part of it. Vienna may also be one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the Alps may be one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world.
Ah. Makes sense, now that I think about it.
Also, despite similiar cultural eminence in the 19th century they don’t share the baggage of the germans from the 1930s and 2nd world war.
Don’t forget Godel!
Clayton -
Loos, Schopenhauer, Kokoschka, Musil, Kraus come to mind too. Read Janik and Toulmin’s Wittgenstein’s Vienna for an idea what life was like there at the turn of the century. Schorske’s Fin-de-Siecle Vienna isn’t bad as well. I think Hoppe cites both of these at the beginning of his work.
Cool, thanks for the suggestion, sounds like a good read. Also, I am not really a guy to know names of architects, but I have hunch Austria has had some top notch names in architecture. Any architect buffs out there know of any austrians?
Loos helped Wittgenstein build a house. pic
This type of design was a response to the gaudy ornamental style of home furnishing that was the rage then. The whole concept of “form vs. function” came out of this period. I don’t remember any architects mentioned besides Loos offhand.
That was essentially a decade ago. I believe Australia is actually near the top atm.
Because they are chest-thumpers?
I didn’t think you needed a reason for that. It’s a matter of culture.
Other than that Adolf Hitler was from Linz and that they had a war criminal for president [Kurt Waldheim] you mean?