Vienna, the past in the present

The best access to Vienna is through its history. This chronologically organized survey of Vienna from its origins to the present does not presuppose any detailed knowledge of Central European history. Accenting cultural, political and social influences, this book covers the following periods of development: the Roman settlement; the medieval residence of the Babenbergers and the early Habsburgs; the Turkish sieges, Reformation and Counter Reformation; the culture of the Baroque court; reforms of the Enlightenment; the lifestyle of Viennese Biedermeier; political and cultural transformations in the age of Francis Joseph; interwar Vienna; the Nazi occupation; post-World War II four power occupation; and the development of the city from 1955 until today. Vienna: The Past in the Present is not merely a narrative of the past. The authors have attempted to show how certain historical events and developments still influence the city today. Special attention has been paid to describing traditions and attitudes which are peculiar to Vienna and the Viennese.