Spring appears to have arrived in Vienna and to celebrate the fact, here is a pretty little flower blooming away merrily in the Alpine Garden, near the Upper Belvedere. For those who do not know this garden it is well worth visiting and quite a peaceful corner.
Best wishes to all - Duncan
14 comments:
Hello Duncan and Everyone Else:\
Wow, what a great photo-it makes me want to get on an Austrian Airlines plane and come right over.
Yes, this is a beautiful garden, have you ever been to the "Old" Art museum in the Schweizer House? Left over from the World's Fair, I believe in Brussels some years ago?The Belvedere is taking it over and it should be ready for the Spring. Also, Duncan, have you been to the Ambrosi atelier in the Auguarten, also part of the Belvedere, supposed to be quite nice.
Duncan, you get the best things of Wien, now WHAT ABOUT THOSE HEADS ABOVE THE DOORS IN THE HELDENPLATZ???
have a great night in lovely wien
svon
ps everyone is inivted to go with me to the Freud lecture on Sunday, May 6th after our Vienna movie marathon!
svk
Hello Duncan and Everyone Else:\
Wow, what a great photo-it makes me want to get on an Austrian Airlines plane and come right over.
Yes, this is a beautiful garden, have you ever been to the "Old" Art museum in the Schweizer House? Left over from the World's Fair, I believe in Brussels some years ago?The Belvedere is taking it over and it should be ready for the Spring. Also, Duncan, have you been to the Ambrosi atelier in the Auguarten, also part of the Belvedere, supposed to be quite nice.
Duncan, you get the best things of Wien, now WHAT ABOUT THOSE HEADS ABOVE THE DOORS IN THE HELDENPLATZ???
have a great night in lovely wien
svon
ps everyone is inivted to go with me to the Freud lecture on Sunday, May 6th after our Vienna movie marathon!
svk
Dear Susan
I have never heard of the "Old Art Museum" in the Schweizer House. Is this at the Prater? I have Googled it with no success. perhaps you have a few more details I could follow up. please? I know the Augarten well but have never set foot in the Atelier you mention: I should. And still no news on those Heldenplatz heads. they are haunting me!!
Best wishes - Duncan
Gross Gott Herr Duncan and Everyone Else:
The Schewizer Haus held modern art and it was in the Schweiz garden before the Arsenal, where the Military Museum, Herrensomething is. The modern art was moved to the Leopold museum but the Scheweiz Haus is still there. It was the Austrian pavillion from the Brussels World's fair. I beleive that the Belvedere is taking it over and turning it into a modern art galler. It is on the Belvedere web site. My friend, Herr Klaus Porkorny is the PR Director of the Belvedere. I have invited him to our networking party. He is a very nice gentleman and you would like him Duncan. Very interesting and knowledgeable to talk to you. I can get him to arrange a tour of the Armbros atelier if you like she is the PR person for the entire Belvedere. It is often overlooked since it is in another district.
When I come over in May, if I cant figure out about those heads, I am going to call President Fischer to find the origin.
Also, Duncan have you been to the Cemetary of the Namless?
Barbara, I was at the Austrian Embassy here in DC for an event and was told that Austria has the highest VAT tax, 20 %, but gets the least back in revenue. I thought we had it bad in the US with taxes, but you Austrians pay much more. You better all move over here to Florida with me - no state income tax!
Hope you all have a great day.
Svon
Hi Susan and everyone else,
I'm sorry I couldn't get back to you any earlier - as my exam is approaching my time gets more and more limited and in addition Idriss and I caught a really bad stomach bug (things always happen just in time don't they ;-)).
As for the taxes: The VAT is really the least of an Austrian's tax worries. To give you an idea
0-10000 Euros per year - no taxes
10000-21000 Euros per year - 10%
21000 - 50000 Euros per year - 33%
50000 and up - 50%
And in addition of course you have to pay for an insurance agency (that you are not allowed to choose) that makes another big dent in your salary. In other words if you were to earn 1000 Euros a month you end up with 8-900 if you were to earn 2000 euros a month you'll get about 1300 and if you were to make 5000 a month you'll have about 2000.
These numbers are just an approximation but I believe it's an accurate one.
You're still wondering why austrian's don't like to donate money? :-)
well I agree on the florida part - it sounds great!
Have a great remaining day and I hope to find more time soon!
Cheers,
Barbara.
All the best for the exam, Barbara, and enjoy your well-deserved break afterwards - Duncan
Hello Barbara, Duncan and Everyone Else:
Yes, Barbara best of luck on your exam but I know that you will "ace" it since you are such an organized and well prepared person.
Thanks for the info on the Austrain income taxes; wow, no wonder all of the entreprenuers (sp?) come to US and UK to make money, it seems to be discouraged in Austria. Why dont the citizens organize and lobby their Representaives for lower taxes. And the insurance, is that for the medical insurance? But Austria seems to have much better health care than here in the US. Of course, you no better than I do, but at least everyone is covered.
Does anyone on the site want the invite for the Porgy & Bess jazz club, it is free, if so, let me know and I will forward it to you.
Hey Duncan, what about the Cemetary of the Nameless, have you been there yet?
All the best to everyone.
svon
Hello Barbara, Duncan and Everone Else:
Please excuse my typo, it should be know not no. I type too fast and put the wrong "know/no" in. I do know the difference!
Regarding your taxes, I have a friend who has a translation business in Wien (she has been a great help with the Klimt atelier fundraising and she also has a blue Bentley which she drove to Klimt villa, imagine that! In any case, she always complains that Brussels hampers her making more money, too much bureaucracy in the EU, etc. But every time she feels unwell, she takes off for a spa visit and it is paid for by the Natl Health insurance. Maybe that accounts for part of the high taxes.
Another friend who is Japense married to an Austrian lady (they met in CA of all places) says that the Govt takes money out of his and her salary and gives it directly to their church. They are Lutherans, as I am, they attend the Evangelical Church on the Dorothegasse. He said that they have not choice that the money is directly taken out of his check and that is done for all Austrians by the Fed Govt and given to all churches direclty. I find that amazing 'cause that would never happen here in the US. Not sure about the UK though.
Finally, I watched the EU Celebrations last week on CNN; being German American I had to watch. It is amazing to think the EU is 50 years old! Wow. Also, I think it is great for Germany that "Ode to Joy" is the theme song, even though Beethoven is not thought of as Austrian.
Again, I hope you all have a great day/night and Best of Luck Barbara.
svon
Just a very quick post today, Susan:
1) Yes, Roswitha has the so-called "Church Tax" lifted directly out of her pay packet. You must make quite a fuss to stop i happening...and they remember that for the future!
2) I wrote an article about the "Friedhof der Namenlosen" (Cemetery of the Nameless") and received more emails about it than anything else! It appears there are many fans of the film "Before Sunrise" out there! I am not one, I hasten to add, although I enjoyed spotting the locations. Did you see it?
Best wishes - Duncan
Hello Duncan, Barbara and Everyone Else:
Good to read your comments. Yes, I did see "Before Sunrise" even bought the VHS tape, sorry that Idid. It is a Yuppie movie, different age group, didnt like the way that the two Yuppies treated the Hofburg grounds, very disrespectful to the whole palace!! Also, too grungy, not my taste atall. But the scene of the Cemetary of the Namless and the view from the Albertina rooftop were worth the price.
I defintley will not bring this movie to our Vienna movie marathon. I told our blog master about out Vienna movie marathon and he may come down for it.
Duncan, how does one get to the Cemetary for the Nameless via public transport. According to Time OUt, etc the buses dont run there any more. Also, in what District is it? It must be right up next to the Danube Canal.
Hope you all have a great day and great weather.
all the best to everyone
svon
Hey Duncan,
just one final comment about the "Church Tax" what if one is an agnostic or athesit (sp?) how does one verify that? What if one believe in withcraft and a coven, would the State send the money to the coven? This is most amazing. I wonder if it violates some EU rule about separation of church and state?
Does the UK do this? I only ask because the Church of England is the offical state religion I think, correct me if I am wrong. I am German Lutheran myself and I dont think that Germany does this, though I am not sure.
Most amazing that this is done is the 21st century after all that has happend in the name of religion and the state! Wow
svon
Susan - you will find some details about the Cemetery of the Nameless on page 161 of my Vienna book. Certainly Tram 71 to Kaiserebersdorfer Strasse still runs (from where the cemetery is a stiff 20 minute walk) but it maybe that Bus 76A no longer runs: I will look into it.
Yes, C of E is still the UK's state religion (the royals being the nominal, secular heads) but they don't impose a Church Tax. It would be impossible to reimpose in a multi-cultural society such as the present-day UK.
Best wishes - Duncan
Hello everybody!
Thank you all for your good wishes - they must ahve helped. I passed and actually got the first A this particular professor ever gave.
So finally I got some extra time - well not really since we're leaving for the states soon and I still have a lot of work to finish.
As for the church tax: one has to declare his/her religion to the official records of the government so they know who you owe money to. Unless you step out of the church they can sue you for their money and they actually do it. They have some of the best lawyers of this country. Not a very christianthing to do - I believe.
Anyway on a happier note - I finished the photo for the blog and I'll post it as soon as possible.
I wish you all a great week!
Cheers,
Barbara.
Gross Gott Barbara, Duncan and Everyone Else:
Barbara, that is great news, a A, gosh and from a hard grading professor, you are so smart! Yeah for you. I know that you and Idriss are very proud and you deserve it since you worked so hard for this course.
When do you come to the US and will you be attending the conference also? I have never been to LA or San Francisco. We have offices there and may travel there sometime. Are you travelling on Austrian Airlnes? Cause they go non-stop to JFK and Dulles and now Chicago, I belive. It is a long trip for you and hope you dont hve to make so many stops.
Duncan, thanks for the info on the Cemetery of the Nameless. I loaned your Vienna book to one of the lawyers here, hope I get it back, you all know how lawyers are!! So I dont have the refernece. But I will buy another one of your Wien books and have you sign it for me.
Regarding the Church tax, wow, poor Jesus, remember when he chased the money lenders from the church, wouldnt he be surprised now at all this "money gathering" in His name. Happens here a lot here in the US also, but the Govt doesnt get involved. Most of my Wien friends are diplomats, so I dont think they pay it. Wonder what the Austrian Govt would do if one were a witch as a religion?
Anyway, hope you all have a great day on Monday and also Tuesday.
Auf wiedershen
svon
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