A Special Place for Blog Lovers with a Touch of Science!

Credit: Portrait of Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud (1856 - 1939) as he sits behind his desk in his study, Vienna, Austria, 1930s. The office is filled with figurines and statuettes of various origins. (Photo by Authenticated News/Getty Images)

Vienna has been the center of many cultural, scientific, and artistic movements. It is a city with a large historical heritage. One of the greatest inventions of them all was Psychoanalysis. In 1899, Sigmund Freud published his epochal book – The interpretations of dreams. That was the foundation of the greatest revolution in Psychology and one of the greatest in human history. It changed the way we understand and perceive human beings, our minds, and the world in general. Psychoanalysis gradually permeated all spheres of Art, Humanities, and Social Sciences. It presents us with an entirely new paradigm in which we have acknowledged the pivotal role played by the unconscious dynamics of our psyche. That knowledge helped us grasp some intricate and complex psychological events that were previously inexplicable and once again proved the unfathomable depths of human consciousness.

Credit: Getty images

Vienna is undoubtedly the capital of western music. Not only some of the greatest compositors were born there but the city also played a pioneering role when it comes to instrument making. There are many examples of new musical instruments invented in the Austrian capital but one stands out in front of the others – the first eight-octave concert grand piano made by the Bösendorfer piano manufactory. . Established more than 200 years ago, it is not only the oldest premium-segment maker but is also synonymous with a unique sound that is prized by aficionados the world over. Each year Bösendorfer handcrafts 300 of these legendary instruments.

Credit: © Unternehmensarchiv Porsche AG

Who would have thought it? One of the earliest examples of electric car was invented in Vienna – more than one hundred years ago. The Austrian coachmaker Ludwig Lohner and automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche produced an electric car in 1899 for the Vienna-based Lohner Werke company. A year later, this breakthrough piece of engineering was presented at the World Expo in Paris.

In 1900, the first hybrid vehicle followed. The reasons behind the invention were quite similar to those behind the push for electric vehicles today. Lohner believed that the air would be "inexorably damaged by increasing numbers of petrol engines". And for some time, it seemed like the electric engine and not the internal combustion engine would come out in front. Unfortunately, crippling development costs and a legal dispute over patents spelled the end for Vienna's Lohner-Porsche vehicle just a few years later.

(via www.wien.info)

Credit: The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, 1907-08, via Wikipedia

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt

Paintings are visual mysteries, which are often difficult, and sometimes even impossible, to be verbally described. They use a language that aims to our perception and could include otherwise mutually excluding elements. For example, there are many debates about one of the most popular pictures of all time – "The Kiss" - painted by the most prominent member of the Vienna Secession movement – Gustav Klimt. Is it showing a romantic consumption of love between a man and a woman, or maybe the woman is turning her head away from the thrusting advances of the lover? We could only wonder. Like many other painters, Gustav Klimt hasn't left an explanation for that question and many other of his pictures and murals. Once he said: "If you want to know me better, just look at my pictures" and that is what we do.

Below you can enjoy a short but elucidating video explaining "The Kiss" and the art of Gustav Klimt.

Image credit: Pixabay

The Pearl in the Crown of the Habsburgs

There is one place in Vienna, which is a must-visit for anybody, who is spending time in the city. Home to Maria Theresa, Princes Sisi, Franz Joseph, and many more, the palace is a remarkable example of the beautiful harmony between Baroque and Rococo. Centuries-old, the summer residence of the Habsburgs is still one of the most magnetic views in the Austrian capital. Nowadays all of us can enter the imperial world and walk the footsteps of the legendary inhabitants of the palace.

Image credit: Pixabay

The Pearl in the Crown of the Habsburgs

There is one place in Vienna, which is a must-visit for anybody, who is spending time in the city. Home to Maria Theresa, Princes Sisi, Franz Joseph, and many more, the palace is a remarkable example of the beautiful harmony between Baroque and Rococo. Centuries-old, the summer residence of the Habsburgs is still one of the most magnetic views in the Austrian capital. Nowadays, all of us can enter the imperial world and walk in the footsteps of the legendary inhabitants of the palace.

Image credit: Pixabay

The City of Dreams

Many believe Vienna is called the City of Dreams because Sigmund Freud - the father of psychoanalysis, lived there. But is it so? Ever since the Romans established the fortified town of Vindobona in 15 BC, the city has given us many things to dream about - music, desserts, wine, and so on. Here are some, more or less, known facts about Vienna that will make you dream about visiting it and dwelling into its imperial beauty.

Image credit: Wien.info

The Greenest City in the World

In 2020, marking the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Resonance Consultancy did thorough research and published its "World's Greenest Cities" ranking. Not surprisingly, the first place went to Vienna. This is the result of many years of careful city planning and integration of environment protection measures into the city development. But how and why Vienna won this recognition?