Cemetery Visit I (St Marx)

(If you are FB friends you have seen the pics, but haven't gotten some of the background.)

On Thursday we went to visit two cemeteries in Vienna. The first one, the St. Marx cemetery, is not often visited by tourists, or even many Viennese. It is no longer used, and was "open for business" only from 1784 to 1874. The reason for our visit is that Mozart is there. Somewhere. How about a little history.?..

Mozart is often thought to have been buried in a "pauper's" grave, unmarked and forgotten. That is only partially true. Mozart received the same treatment that everyone received during the late 18th century. Joseph II, the "liberal" Emperor who is featured in "Amadeus" as bit of a simpleton ("Well, that's it, then!"), was known as a reformer. Many important social changes took place during his reign; less artistic censorship, religious tolerance, right of association, improved social conditions for Jews - all due do Joseph. One of his less popular reforms had to do with the traditions of funerals. He thought it wasteful to make a coffin for every person - all that good wood being wasted. In a "it's good to be the king" spirit, he up and decided that coffins should be reusable. So, he invented a "trapdoor coffin", that could be used over and over,and over.... That also meant that no longer would people get their own grave. Rather, after the ceremony at the church, you would be taken to St. Marx (a new cemetery - Vienna had troubles with overcrowding of graveyards for many years) and dumped through the trap door with anyone else until the hole is filled.... and so on and so on.

Eventually the Viennese protested loudly enough that his successor, Leopold II gave in. But that didn't help with Mozart. He lies there still, among thousands.

Vienna has attempted to determine, more or less, where in the large mass grave area he might have been buried (dumped is the better word, just a bit harsh...), and have placed a sad, little memorial to him. All over Vienna there are huge sculptures and memorials to him. This one feels more personal and poignant.

Elsewhere is the same mass grave area there is a little "gravesite" for Albrechtsberger, who taught Beethoven and also wrote a great little trombone concerto.

Lastly, on our visit the boys got a kick out their first visit to a "pissoir", which is exactly what you think it is... a trough. No fuss, no muss..!

The next post will deal with the larger Central Cemetery, which isn't "central" at all, but way our of town...

Thanks.

Pics:

1, The gate of the St. Marx. The last line states, "resting place of Mozart."

2. The Mozart "grave".

2. A lonelier view.

4. The boys toilet! No. 1 only!

5. Albrechtsberger.