by Engel Janosi
[Introduction: The Family House in Döbling]: Engel-Janosi describes his childhood home in the Hofzeile district of Vienna, a grand house built around 1880. He details the physical layout and the eclectic collection of statues in the garden, which reflected his grandfather's idiosyncratic loyalty to the Habsburg dynasty and historical figures like Radetzky and Joseph II. [The Father: Industry, Intellectualism, and Cultural Life]: The author profiles his father, a manufacturer who was more devoted to science and art than business. He describes his father's academic achievements, his personal relationship with Henrik Ibsen, and the vibrant cultural salon held at their home featuring figures like Gustav Mahler and Bruno Walter. The section also touches on the family's political detachment and the eventual sale of the house during the post-war inflation due to fears of structural decay. [Education and Academic Influences]: Engel-Janosi reflects on his sheltered upbringing and his education at the Döblinger Gymnasium and the University of Vienna. He discusses the influence of prominent legal and economic thinkers, including Moritz Wlassak and members of the Austrian School of Economics such as Böhm-Bawerk and Friedrich von Wieser, while noting his own intellectual distance from their deductive methods. [World War I and the End of an Era]: The final section recounts the author's and his brother's experiences during World War I. He describes the death of his brother, his own service on the front, the reaction to the death of Emperor Franz Joseph, and the eventual collapse of the Austro-Hungarian front. The narrative concludes with his return to a changed Vienna, the loss of the family fortune, and the eventual demolition of the family home in 1963.
Engel-Janosi describes his childhood home in the Hofzeile district of Vienna, a grand house built around 1880. He details the physical layout and the eclectic collection of statues in the garden, which reflected his grandfather's idiosyncratic loyalty to the Habsburg dynasty and historical figures like Radetzky and Joseph II.
Read full textThe author profiles his father, a manufacturer who was more devoted to science and art than business. He describes his father's academic achievements, his personal relationship with Henrik Ibsen, and the vibrant cultural salon held at their home featuring figures like Gustav Mahler and Bruno Walter. The section also touches on the family's political detachment and the eventual sale of the house during the post-war inflation due to fears of structural decay.
Read full textEngel-Janosi reflects on his sheltered upbringing and his education at the Döblinger Gymnasium and the University of Vienna. He discusses the influence of prominent legal and economic thinkers, including Moritz Wlassak and members of the Austrian School of Economics such as Böhm-Bawerk and Friedrich von Wieser, while noting his own intellectual distance from their deductive methods.
Read full textThe final section recounts the author's and his brother's experiences during World War I. He describes the death of his brother, his own service on the front, the reaction to the death of Emperor Franz Joseph, and the eventual collapse of the Austro-Hungarian front. The narrative concludes with his return to a changed Vienna, the loss of the family fortune, and the eventual demolition of the family home in 1963.
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