THE CURIOSITIES OF VIENNA (Osobliwosci Wiednia. Opowiesc historyczno-antropologiczna)

In his 'Eine Reise in das Innere von Wien', Gerhard Roth accepted a historical perspective and combined two types of reflectiveness. By focusing on symbols, values and ideas, he filled his essays with a concentrated mixture of data, dates, figures and statistics. At the same time, he proposed a rather untypical journey to the innermost recesses of the Austrian capital. In its course, Roth reaches out for that which is concealed (in the subconscious) and thus creates a 'different' portrait of the city as a silent (although by no means mute) witness of tumultuous history. The past and the present assume the form of quarters, streets, squares and assorted buildings that house institutions, brimming with law and violence, war and festivities, amusement and malady. At the same time, Roth does not shy from maligning the history of the state, the authorities, the Church, etc. An in-depth reflection on history and culture is accompanied by demystification tendencies not devoid of political demonstration.