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Oct 6

The Holy Lance (“Spear of Destiny”) & the Power to Rule the World

The Legend of One of the Holiest, Most Fought Over, Sought After, Artifacts of Mankind

Charlemagne, Barbarossa, Hitler, Napoleon, General Patton and the quest for possession of the Holy Lance

“…whoever possesses this Holy Lance and understands the powers it serves, holds the destiny of the world in his hands for good or evil”

– Trevor Ravenscroft, The Spear of Destiny

According to legend, the lance holds sacred powers and the person who possesses it is thus invincible and capable of ruling the world.

Holy Lance

But why?

In ancient Rome, crucifixion was considered such an excruciating (from the word “crucify”) way to die that the Romans did not use it to execute their own citizens but rather reserved it as a form to torture and humiliate slaves, traitors and foreign criminals. The length of time for the condemned to die could range from hours to days depending on the condition of the person and the method of crucifixion. To hasten death and ensure that the crosses were empty by the day of the Sabbath, soldiers would often times shatter and crush the bones of the condemned with an iron club. However, when the Roman Centurion, Longinus, came upon Jesus, he noticed that he was already dead and refused to smash his bones. And to prove to all present that he had died, Longinus pierced Jesus’ side with a lance causing blood and water to flow from the wound and fulfilling the prophecy that the Messiah would die without broken bones and become resurrected.

And so the legend begins.

St. Longinus
At the time Longinus encountered Jesus on the cross, he had long been suffering from a severe eye disease that nearly blinded him. This may explain why he was assigned to oversee the crucifixions. When he stabbed Jesus, some of Jesus’ blood and water fell into the soldier’s eyes, and he was instantly healed. According to Mark 15:39 he then exclaimed, “Indeed, this was the Son of God!” He was so taken by the miracle that he left the army, converted and became a monk. Eventually, however, in 45 AD, Longinus was beheaded for his beliefs. Years later the man who was said to have held, for one brief moment, the destiny of the world in his hands, was venerated as a saint.

The Holy Cross and the Holy Lance displayed side by side in the Imperial Treasury

St. Maurice
Somewhere along the line, the lance that had touched Jesus’ body and blood was passed into the hands of Maurice, the head of the 3^rd century garrison of Roman soldiers who came from Thebes (Upper Egypt). In 287 Maximian, junior Roman Emperor, ordered Maurice and 6599 of his men to attack local Christians in a town in what is now Switzerland (today, St. Maurice-en-Valais), offer sacrifices to the pagan gods and pay homage to the emperor. Maurice and his men refused, and at first the emperor killed every 10th man to pressure the soldiers to obey. But when they still refused to follow orders, he ordered them all to be killed. The bravery and martyrdom of Maurice became legendary and Maurice later became a patron saint of the Holy Roman Emperors and the patron saint of soldiers, swords smiths, armies and infantrymen. For centuries, Holy Roman Emperors were anointed at his altar in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Tip of Holy Lance said to contain Nail from the Cross

Constantine the Great
From there, the lance eventually ended up with Constantine the Great, the first Roman Emperor to embrace Christianity in the early 4^th century.

Charlemagne
Three centuries later Pope Leo III gave the lance as a gift to Charlemagne (742-814) , also known as Charles the Great, whose empire united most of Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire. Charlemagne is said to have carried the spear through 47 battles and died when he accidentally dropped it.

Henry I
German king Henry I, desperately wanted the lance as well and after doing everything in his power to get it, ended up acquiring it for a high price. On 15 March 933, on the day of St. Longinus, he conquered Hungary at the Battle of Riade with the lance and later successfully set his son, Otto I, spear in hand, to continue his reign.

Otto I
In 962, still in possession of the lance, Otto I is crowned emperor in Rome and becomes “the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy.”

Otto III
In 996, Otto III was so convinced of the lance’s sacred powers that during his march to Rome to reclaim the crown, he prominently displayed it in the front of his army.

Barbarossa
German Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick I Barbarossa, is also said to have possessed the lance and when he dropped the lance in a creek, his downfall was sealed. He’s the same king who is supposed to be sleeping in a cave in Bavaria somewhere, surrounded by his faithful knights, his red beard growing ever longer, waiting for the ravens to stop flying around the mountain so he can restore Germany to its former greatness.

Golden Sleeve added in 1350 by Charles IV with inscription “Lancea et clavus Domini” (Lance and Nail of the Lord)

Charles IV

Around 1350 Charles IV had a golden sleeve put over the silver one and inscribed the words “Lancea et clavus Domini” (Lance and nail of the Lord).

Napoleon
During the Napoleonic Wars, the lance was transferred from Nuremberg to Vienna to protect it from Napoleon Bonaparte who supposedly tried to obtain it after the battle of Austerlitz

Hitler
During WWII, after the annexation of Austria, Hitler ordered the lance and the rest of the Hapsburg treasury, moved to his spiritual headquarters in Nuremberg.

General Patton
US troops found the lance in tunnels in an underground vault and under US General George S. Patton, the lance was returned to Vienna. According to legend, they took possession of the lance on April 30, 1945 and less than two hours later, Adolf Hitler killed himself in a bunker in Berlin.

Holy Cross and Holy Lance in the Imperial Treasury in Vienna

The Holy Cross had a secret compartment for the Holy Lance

Stats
The lance is made of iron, is 50.7 cm long and was stored in the royal cross to keep it safe. The staff of the lance was wooden but can no longer be found.

In 1914, Montan University in Leoben in Austria and in 2003, Dr. Robert Feather, an English metallurgist, both found that the holy lance probably dates back to the 7th century AD. Dr. Feather also confirms that the metal pin claimed to be the nail from the crucifixion is consistent with the length and shape with a 1st century AD Roman nail.

In an article about the holy lance posted on the University of Vienna website, Mr. Mathias Mehofer of the Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science refers to the lance “as part of the insignia of the Holy Roman Empire, [the object is] one of the most significant objects of the Imperial Treasury from a historical and cultural standpoint.” And is a “stroke of luck for archeology since no other lance from the time period has survived in such good condition.”

Engravings on the back side of the Holy Cross

Legend or not 12 centuries is a heck of a long time
And even if you don’t believe all the legends surrounding the lance, you cannot deny a sense of awe gazing upon an object that has witnessed 1200 years of history. 1200 years! And you’re looking at it. And maybe 1200 years from now, someone else, just like you, is gazing upon the exact same object. Awe-inspiring.

Where to view the Holy Lance:

You can view the holy lance at the

Imperial Treasury in the Imperial Palace in Vienna

Hofburg, Schweizerhof, subway stop: Herrengasse (U3) or tram (1,2,46,49, D @ Dr. Karl Renner Ring)

Opening Times And Entrance Fees

More sources on the legend of the Holy Lance:

Bouchal, Robert, and Gabriele Lukacs. Geheimnisvoller Da-Vinci-Code in Wien Verborgene Zeichen & Versteckte Botschaften. Wien: Pichler, 2009. Print.

Crowley, Cornelius Joseph. The Legend of the Wanderings of the Spear Of Longinus. Heartland Book, 1972.

Dreger, Ronald. “Die “Heilige Lanze” Zwischen Wissenschaft Und Legende.” Weblog post. Unviersity of Vienna Online Newspaper. University of Vienna, 4 Apr. 2005. Web. 5 Oct. 2013: http://www.dieuniversitaet-online.at/beitraege/news/die-heilige-lanze-zwischen-wissenschaft-und-legende/543/neste/75.html

Kirchweger, Franz, ed. Die Heilige Lanze in Wien. Insignie – Reliquie – Schicksalsspeer [The Holy Lance in Vienna. Insignia – Relic – Spear of Destiny]. Vienna: Kunsthistorisches Museum, 2005.

Kirchweger, Franz. “Die Geschichte der Heiligen Lanze vom späteren Mittelalter bis zum Ende des Heiligen Römischen Reiches (1806) [The History of the Holy Lance from the Later Middle Ages to the End of the Holy Roman Empire (1806)].” Die Heilige Lanze in Wien. Insignie – Reliquie – Schicksalsspeer. Vienna: Kunsthistorisches Museum, 2005, 71–110.

MacLellan, Alec. The Secret of the Spear: The Mystery of the Spear of Longinus. Souvenir Press, 2005 (Reprint).

Ravenscroft, Trevor. The Spear of Destiny. [S.l.]: Wehman, 1969. Print.

Sep 29

2 Comments

It’s Sturm Time! Mahlzeit!

This is one Sturm you don’t want to let pass you by.

Sturm is a dangerous drink. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. But don’t let that stop you.

Bottles of Sturm at Karmeliter Market in Vienna’s 2nd District

For a very brief period, usually from the end of September until mid-October is Sturmzeit, or Sturm time, the only time of year the drink called Sturm (Federweiss in Germany) is available. Because of rapid fermentation (which could cause the bottle to explode if corked), Sturm cannot be stored and must be consumed within a few days (or hours, depending on your mood and your company). However, wine farmers will often put loose foil caps on the bottles, not to prevent spillage, but rather party-happy fruit flies from having their own little get together in your drink.

But what is Sturm? Sturm is a young wine that is basically fermented freshly pressed grape juice. And that’s exactly what it tastes and feels like you’re drinking – carbonated grape juice. So even though the alcohol content tends to be rather low, (beginning at 1%), you tend to drink more than you would a wine (or maybe you drink more because it is often served in a glass with a handle rather than a stem). Whatever the reason, you really do tend to drink more.

Viennese grapes at the Market

And the ultimate way to enjoy Sturm?

Collect a few of your favorite most-trustworthy people in this world (folks who won’t hold it against you if you succumb to a Sturm-induced euphoria involving Austrian folk songs and dance), don your Dirndl or Lederhosen, then head to the outskirts of town, to Neustift am Walde, Salmannsdorf, Nussdorf, Grinzing, Strebersdorf or Stammersdorf. Next take a leisurely stroll through the vineyards, on a route that will land you at a table of your favorite Heuriger (winery) where you can enjoy the house’s own homemade Sturms. Then eat, drink and merry.

A bottle of red and a bottle of white, Billy Joel style

Sturm freshly served and still bubbling

Some insider tips: Try not to be too loud until the Viennese start singing and then it’s okay. All cultural barriers tend to break down about that point and you would be amazed how fluent your German becomes. Regardless of the level of euphoric, avoid the temptation to break out in Sound of Music medleys. The Austrians won’t know them and aren’t bound to be too impressed. But if you want to show how culturally adept you are, rather than saying “Prost” when toasting, say “Mahlzeit” (like “Guten Appetit”). And of course, an offer to buy the next round, never hurt international relations.

Oh yeah, and look for the wine branch hanging over the door of the entrance of the winery – this means they are open for business.

How I love a good Sturm.

And you will too.

Hiking through Vienna’s vineyards with view of city in background

In Vienna October 8, 2016: 14h – 23h? Hop into those Lederhosen and don’t miss and authentic Sturm Street Festival – the Stürmische Tage in Stammersdorf

Some Heurige I can recommend – but there are so many good ones don’t limit yourself to this list. Be adventurous:

Weinhof Zimmermann

Buschenschank Wolff

Wiener Heurige Buschenschank Friseurmüller (highly recommend the homemade Schaumrollen here (lady fingers we called them in PA).

Mayer am Pfarrplatz for some wine, a little Beethoven and some real Viennese Heuriger folk music from a charming accordion player who’s been serenading Heurigen guests for over forty years (just be sure to phone ahead and reserve yourselves a table for the evening). Food here is buffet or à la carte.

Schaumrollen

Top 5 Heuriger according to from Austrian newspaper, Kurier, in form of slideshow – just click on button marked “weiter” to see all five, address and contact info below slide: Kurier’s Top Heurige in 2013 –

Here are the ones they selected: (1) Kierlinger, (2) Zawodsky, (3) Stift St. Peter, (4) Göbel, (5) Mayer am Pfarrplatz in Beethoven House

Some lovely walks through the vineyards:

Two maps of lovely vineyard walks from the Vienna city government (with some English translations I’ve added).

Slow down, you crazy child, you can afford to lose a day or two. You need to realize, Vienna (and Sturm) waits for you…

Vienna Vineyard

Vienna Neustift am Walde and Nussdorf Vineyard Hiking Map courtesy of the City of Vienna with Eng. translations courtesy of me

Vienna Strebersdorf-Stammersdorf Vineyard Hiking Map courtesy of the City of Vienna with Eng. translations courtesy of me

Sep 14

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The Writing on the Wall

Secret Code of Resistance Fighters on St. Stephan’s Cathedral

“Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.”

When you stand at the very heart of Vienna – on St. Stephan’s Square — look closely at the wall on the right side of the front entrance portal.

“Strange. Not only do the Viennese have graffiti on their church,” you might think. “Those crazy Austrians put up a glass case to preserve it.”

And thinking that the O5 had something to do with preservation and Austrians you would already be a bit into the story behind the writing on the wall.

The “O” is the first letter of the German name for Austria: “Österreich”

And because the “Ö” is equivalent to “OE” the first two letters for the name Austria would be “OE.” Since the letter “E” is the fifth letter of the alphabet, the symbol “O5” was a secret code for “OESTERREICH” – “Austria.” Of course, some might even say the 5 stands for the five letters of “AEIOU” which was a Habsburg campaign slogan from Emperor Friedrich III (1415 -1493), first inscribed into his coat of arms and then added onto many buildings and works of art throughout the empire. Sources vary about the exact meaning of the letters and historians still can’t agree but one of the many possibilities is: Austria erit in orbe ultima, Austria will last forever.

On 12 March 1938, Hitler annexed Austria into the German Third Reich and Austria ceased to exist. Three days later, from a balcony overlooking the Heldenplatz in Vienna, Hitler announced, “As leader and chancellor of the German nation and Reich, I announce to German history now the entry of my homeland into the German Reich.”

Good-bye Austria.

But not everyone was waltzing for joy alongside Hitler. Sometime in 1944, a symbol began appearing throughout the streets of Vienna – hurriedly scribbled on house and church walls – the symbol was O5 and originated from a medical student, Jörg Unterreiner, who was part of an underground group fighting to resist the Nazis and restore Austria.

So the writing on the wall of St. Stephan’s Cathedral is not a case of an errant graffiti artist who strayed from the banks of the Danube Canal or an elementary school’s teacher demonstration that this country should finally dump the chalk and invest in some white boards for the classrooms, it is rather a powerful reminder for all who walk through the heart of the city that, “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.”

For more information about the resistance, visit the online pages of the Document Archive of the Austrian Resistance.

Sep 1

1 Comment

Vienna and her Coffeehouses – Sit Back and Smell the Coffee

Einspänner (small mocca with whipped cream) at Cafe Museum

“The Viennese go to coffeehouses, because they do not want to stay at home but also don’t want to be outside, because they want to be alone, but in the company of others.”
– Jörg Mauthe

Vienna and her coffeehouses are inseparable and it’s one of the things I love most about this city.

At the turn of the century Vienna boasted over 600 coffeehouses. Today many of these traditional places still thrive and provide a living room away from home for Vienna’s business people, students, artists, intellectuals and international guests in the same way they did over one hundred years ago. Many Viennese then and now, have one particular coffeehouse they like to frequent, their so-called Stammcafé and sometimes even a particular table where they like to sit, their Stammtisch.

Not only do the waiters, dressed in a black coat and tails, even today, look the picture of etiquette and grace of a bygone age, they still act it too. If you want a quick coffee and to get on your way again, be sure to ask for the tab once the coffee is brought, otherwise you might wait a while because in a Vienna coffeehouse, no one expects you to drink and run.

In today’s world of multitasking, fast food, speedy service, instant delivery, finding a retreat in the middle of the city that not only allows you but expects you (!) to take a few hours to sit back and smell the coffee is balsam to the soul.

Some of my favorite coffeehouses:

Bräunerhof: especially on a Sunday afternoon when they often host musicians around 4 pm. I love it here because you walk in and feel like you have stepped back in time and could look over at the neighbor table and see Thomas Bernhard scribbling notes for his next novel in his beloved Stammcafé . You can sit in Bräunerhof for hours reading the papers, a book or writing and no one would ever dream of hurrying you along.

Palais Ferstel, Home of Cafe Central

Café Central: for a lunch menu during the week (the food is wonderful) or for a late afternoon dessert. The Klimt Torte is particularly decadent. And I love bringing out-of-town guests here and watching their faces light up in tormented indecision as they study the savory contents of the dessert vitrine. Usually I end up suggesting desserts for the table so everyone can try a bit of everything. Café Central can get crowded especially at lunchtime so reservations are recommended. But once you are seated, you no longer notice the hustle and bustle. In fact, it adds to the experience.

Don’t overlook Peter Altenberg who keeps vigilant watch by the door. When my book finally gets out, English-speaking readers will learn more about the beloved poet who used Café Central as his home address.

If walls could speak!

Café Central has been host and Stammcafé to so many philosophers, writers, poets, politicians and artists over the years that it is almost impossible to list them all. A few: Adolf Loos, Sigmund Freud, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Hugo von Hofmannsthal…And the list goes on and on.

Once when a coffeehouse waiter asked Peter Altenberg if he knew who died, Herr Altenberg responded, “Everyone is fine by me.”

Café Diglas: Years ago, I used to frequent Café Diglas rather often. Nowadays less so but it hasn’t lost any of its ambiance or charm and has a great location right across from the book store Morowa on Wollzeile. It is open 365 days a year, from 7 am till midnight. Now the place is famous for its funky toilet doors. They are transparent until you close them, then they cloud over. Don’t take my word for it, see the youtube video here: Cafe Diglas’ Magical Doors

Café Landtmann: Now a place for politicians and business people have meetings, they have a wonderful breakfast selection and you might be interested in knowing that this was once Sigmund Freud’s Stammcafé.

Peter Altenberg and Lina Loos adorn the frontpage of Cafe Museum’s Cake for the Ball of the Coffeehouseowners

Café Museum: Last time I stopped by for an in-between hour at Café Museum, when I asked the waiter for the bill, he started reciting the damage: “a bottle of champagne, a serving of caviar” and he stopped and I smiled. “Just a mélange” I replied. And he raised his eyebrows as if sharing a secret. “Ahh yes. Perhaps we’ll save another day for the rest then.” I love Café Museum and not just because it was once designed by one of the main characters of one of my books – Adolf Loos.

I love it because you come here and feel relaxed and welcome. As soon as you take your seat, you feel a integral part of the place rich with history and culture and you know you can sit for hours without a hurry or worry.

Table free outside of Cafe Hawelka

Hawelka: Right off of Graben is where all the actors and artists loved to hang out. Amazing Austrian authors like Friedrich Torberg, HC Artmann and Hans Weigel liked to come here. Famous for its legendary Buchteln (sweet pull apart rolls often filled with jam and served with vanilla sauce), they are still made fresh in-house. The tables are situated in such a way that you feel like you are being discreet when you come here.

A Cappuccino at Kleines Cafe at Franziskanersplatz

I had the good fortune one day several years ago of spending a few hours with Leopold Hawelka, who opened the coffeehouse in 1939 with his wife, Josefine. I walked over to his Stammplatz, situated by the entrance where many an out-of-town visitor moseyed on by him unaware of who had just welcomed them in and I asked if he would mind if I asked him some questions about the Café Hawelka. I think I made his day. He clambered his 93-year old body down from his stool and fetched some books and photo albums and joined us at our table. As his wife, Josefine, buzzed around their guests, still directing the workings of the coffeehouse at age 91, Herr Hawelka proudly shared with us pages upon pages of newspaper clippings, photos and articles about their coffeehouse. And every few minutes, his stories would revert back to tales of his wife as he lovingly looked up at her who had no time to waste for such idle talk. Though both Josefine and Leopold have since passed away, their son has taken over the coffeehouse and still makes the Buchteln according to his mom’s famous recipe.

Kleines Cafe at Franizskanersplatz

Kleines Café: What’s not to love about Franziskanerplatz? In summer, Kleines Café moves its table onto the square and though you are just steps from the busy Kärntnerstrasse you feel like you are in another world. “Kleines Café” means “Little Café” and the place is indeed small. Fans of the Ethan Hawk and Julie Delpy film “Before Sunrise” (which I definitely recommend) will be happy to know that this is the place Jesse and Celine were having a coffee when a gypsy woman came along and read Celine’s palm and then told them not to forget that they are both stars.

Coffeehouse quotes:

The Viennese go to coffeehouses, because they do not want to stay at home but also don’t want to be outside, because they want to be alone, but in the company of others.
– Jörg Mauthe

People go to the coffeehouse to rest, to read newspapers, to work, to speak about important things, to see friends, to finish correspondences, to be close to beloved beings and those who should become such, people go for these and countless other reasons and go above all quite mechanically, out of habit, as a constitutional condition, as a reflex, without a particular occasion (which according to Karl Kraus proves signs of “nomadic domesticity”), occasionally people even drink a coffee in a coffeehouse, but that’s not the reason one goes there.
– Hans Weigel

The coffeehouse is a home with all the advantages and none of the disadvantages. You can leave it anytime. That is why you like to go there and hate to leave it. You have social possibility, so many, that you do not need to engage in them all. Company is available, talk, and you are a poised gentleman over chance. If you get bored, you can pay and leave –try doing that once when you are a guest or host in a home.
– Hans Weigel

If you are Viennese and want to share the coffeehouse experience with a guest to the city, sign up to participate in the Vienna Coffeehouse Conversations from the end of September 2013 until the end of November 2013.

Check out this cool post on the Vienna coffeehouse from Nicholas Parsons, October 2012, “The Ballad of the Wiener Kaffeehaus” as an ode to Vienna’s cafe culture.

Website of Fiction Author K.C. Blau

Posts from the ‘Sites’ Category

The Holy Lance (“Spear of Destiny”) & the Power to Rule the World

It’s Sturm Time! Mahlzeit!

The Writing on the Wall

Vienna and her Coffeehouses – Sit Back and Smell the Coffee

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