It's been a busy, long-awaited day for me--and nothing has turned out as expected. Partly because preparations for the centennial have not been well coordinated--perhaps because, while everyone considers the centennial worth commemorating, there are so many different takes on it--should we blame the assassin for WWI, or the Austrians, the Germans? Peace groups have arranged some events, the city of Sarajevo others, the East-West forum here in Sarajevo others. Karl von Habsburg, the heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian dynasty, spoke briefly last night from the bridge closest to the spot of the assassination--and that (as best I've been able to determine) amidst various sound checks for tonight's musical performances at the Latin Bridge. In the picture at left, a member of a peace organization places a wreath at the spot from which Gavrilo Princip fired the fatal shots.
A hundred or so visitors gathered at the site of the assassination around 10 AM, the approximate time of the assassination, to...? No ceremony, but there was a car identical to the one used by Francis Ferdinand and his wife on their visit. The actual vehicle is in the Historical Museum in Vienna. A number of bystanders complained that that one should have been on display; other commented that Vienna no longer has much love for the Habsburgs and that the arrangements would have been difficult and expensive--so it goes for controversial history. So, as if expecting ceremonies that were never in the plans, people stood around and improvised, taking selfies in front of the car and commenting on the lack of organization. A young couple appeared as the archduke and his wife (below) while a man in a modern Austrian uniform stood on the riding board as if protecting them with his body (somewhat true to history).
A hundred or so visitors gathered at the site of the assassination around 10 AM, the approximate time of the assassination, to...? No ceremony, but there was a car identical to the one used by Francis Ferdinand and his wife on their visit. The actual vehicle is in the Historical Museum in Vienna. A number of bystanders complained that that one should have been on display; other commented that Vienna no longer has much love for the Habsburgs and that the arrangements would have been difficult and expensive--so it goes for controversial history. So, as if expecting ceremonies that were never in the plans, people stood around and improvised, taking selfies in front of the car and commenting on the lack of organization. A young couple appeared as the archduke and his wife (below) while a man in a modern Austrian uniform stood on the riding board as if protecting them with his body (somewhat true to history).
| The real highlight of the day was the performance of the Vienna Philharmonic at the Town Hall, which is now re-opened after destruction during the Balkan Wars in 1995. The VIP-only event was broadcast live to a spot just across the river. Here is a clip from their final performance of the evening, "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. With its theme of universal brotherhood, it was fitting music for a day of reconciliation. |
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