Vienna Past and Present

• Vienna’s Snow Palace: Soap, Sawdust, and a Ski Jump

  Long before Dubai put ski slopes in the desert, Vienna had its own indoor skiing dream: the Schneepalast (Snow Palace). Opened in 1927 as the world’s first permanent hall for year-round skiing, it was the brainchild of Dagfinn Carlsen—a man who clearly thought no idea was too ambitious. With two ski slopes, a toboggan run, and even a ski jump, Carlsen envisioned competitions, lessons, and endless winter fun... all under one roof. The only problem? The "snow substitute" was a slippery mix of soap and sawdust that behaved nothing like actual snow. Unsurprisingly, things went downhill fast. Oh, and did we mention there's also an assassination attempt in this story? Join us for a deep dive into one of Vienna’s strangest and most forgotten experiments in winter sports history. For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke! Links https://magazin.wienmuseum.at/der-schneepalast-1927 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagfin_Carlsen https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/Nordwestbahnhof https://finanzbildung.oenb.at/docroot/waehrungsrechner/#/  

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• Zeitgeist: Sausage stands and Football

  In this Zeitgeist episode, we’re sticking our heads in the sand and focusing on the real hard-hitting topics: sausage stands and football. It’s the zeitgeist we want to be living in. We explore the Würstelstand as a cornerstone of Viennese cultural heritage, and Stephen quizzes Carmen on Viennese expressions—only to question her credentials when she doesn’t quite pass the test (but at least she's impressed by his pronunciation). Then, we shift gears to American football and why it’s suddenly gaining traction in Austria. Sausage, slang, and sports—what more could you ask for? For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke! Links https://www.patriots.com/news/austrian-football-association-announces-partnership-with-the-new-england-patriots https://viennavikings.com/wordpress/2022/09/american-sports-studie-football-immer-popularer-jeder-2-osterreicher-kennt-vikings/ https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000235661/football-214sterreich-ist-europas-f252hrende-kraft-rund-ums-laberl https://viennavikings.com/ https://apnews.com/video/vienna-united-kingdom-unesco-food-and-drink-4627d1ebef3d4341b651a3017830cfc7 Vienna’s much-loved Würstelstand gets UNESCO recognition | Euronews Celebrations around the big event - The best Super Bowl parties - from free to deluxe - Vienna | Heute.at Super Bowl Parties 2025 - the coolest in Vienna and all of Austria https://www.stadt-wien.at/veranstaltungen/sportevents/superbowl.html#google_vignette  

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• Vienna: The Spy Capital of the World

  Why is Vienna considered the ultimate playground for spies? We start with the Habsburgs' surprising innovations in spycraft and how Metternich made “the walls listen” with his sophisticated network of informants. From there, we uncover how the city evolved into the espionage capital of the world, from its Cold War heyday to modern cloak-and-dagger operations.  And for those with espionage aspirations, we wrap up with some tips and tricks—just in case you’re looking to trade in your day job for a double life. For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke! Links https://unipub.uni-graz.at/obvugrhs/content/titleinfo/213364/full.pdf https://greydynamics.com/vienna-a-city-of-spies-a-history-of-espionage/ https://www.thecipherbrief.com/book-review/viennas-history-of-espionage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria_and_Russian_intelligence  https://secretvienna.org/the-city-of-spies-about-viennas-history-of-espionage/ https://www.bmi.gv.at/104/Wissenschaft_und_Forschung/SIAK-Journal/SIAK-Journal-Ausgaben/Jahrgang_2007/files/Beer_3_2007.pdf https://www.derpragmaticus.com/r/spionage#:~:text=Spionage%20und%20ihre%20Technologien&text=Die%20Spionage%20richtete%20sich%20als,ge%C3%B6ffnet%20und%20wieder%20verschlossen%20wurden. https://www.bbc.com/news/10564994 https://www.wienmalanders.at/blog/unterwelt-wien  

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• Zeitgeist Episode: Christkind, Krampus, and Christmas Around the World

  In this Zeitgeist episode, we’re feeling festive as we dive into holiday traditions from around the world. Carmen and Stephen compare the Christkind to Santa Claus and explore the wild world of St. Nicholas and Krampus—because what’s Christmas without a satanic helper? But we don’t stop at Austria and the U.S.; there’s a delightful sidebar about how Christmas is celebrated in Japan, from fried chicken to commitment to kitsch. Whether you’re team Christkind, Santa, or Colonel Sanders, this episode has something for everyone who loves a good holiday tradition. For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke!  

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• Jörg Haider Part 2

  In the second and final part of our deep dive into Jörg Haider, we explore his fall from grace and untimely death. Along the way, we consider whether Carinthia might just be the Texas of Austria, discuss the correct pronunciation of Phaeton, and dissect the many rumors that swirled around his tragic end. We also examine Haider’s lasting legacy, unpacking the cult of personality that mythologizes his life while conveniently overlooking his corruption and greed. It’s a roller-coaster episode—much like Haider’s life itself. For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke! Links https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/jorg-haiders-fatale-erbschaft-7060375.html https://time.com/archive/6944641/joerg-haiders-troubled-legacy/ https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B6rg_Haider The FPÖ of Jörg Haider - Populist or Extreme Right-Winger? (archive.org) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/feb/04/austria.ianblack https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/der-lange-schatten-100.html https://www.dermaerz.at/kaernten-ein-politischer-sonderfall-in-oesterreich-2/ https://www.diepresse.com/layout/diepresse/files/dossiers/hypo/index.html Jorg Haider successor tells of their 'relationship' (telegraph.co.uk)

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