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> If you look at the geography, if you look at the political climate, just at the fundamentals it's not clear why Vienna is a large city Sits on the Danube and
by insane_dreamer 2y ago
> If you look at the geography, if you look at the political climate, just at the fundamentals it's not clear why Vienna is a large city
Sits on the Danube and was the capital of the Austrian Empire, so very important all throughout the 1800s. I'd say strategically located in Central Europe.
Then in the second half of the 20th C it was the gateway to the "East Bloc", the place where east meets west in terms of diplomacy, economic and cultural exchange, and of course espionage.
It has played a neutral role similar to Switzerland, which is why OPEC is headquartered there. It's also one of the UN's four major sites worldwide (along with NY, Geneva, Nairobi).
I spent a couple of years there; nice place to live; would happily return.
- Loudergood 2y agoAustria avoiding being split like Germany after WWII is a masterclass in geopolitics.
- insane_dreamer 2y agoCasting itself as the victim of Germany was a smart move.
- numewhodis 2y agothey are the control group "that doesn't 'have to' feel guilty" ...
- fakedang 2y agoI mean they were the victim of Nazi infiltration. Dolfuss was assassinated, the Anschluss vote was practically a rigged vote and I'm sure Kurt Schussnigg was not pleased with the outcome.
- aprilthird2021 2y agoAnd they also stole tons of land and businesses from the Jews who they helped expel into concentration camps they helped staff. Many of the famous cafes in Vienna itself, which show up in almost every writing about the city, were stolen from expelled Jews