The Great War of 1914-18 followed, which changed the map of Europe forever and, after becoming an annexe of Germany in WWII, (Grosser Deutschland) Austria today is part of the Euro-zone. The culture and creativity of that glorious past, seems to be locking Austria in the grips of ‘way-back-when’ to some degree as there was an evident reluctance to embrace modernism in art, the applied arts and architecture. Most Austrians that have succeeded in these disciplines have done so out of the country. At present, the youth are marking changes.

A typical example is Vienna-born, Walter Hauser whose company Comfort Creations, designs and manufactures contemporary upholstered furniture in Johannesburg. Hauser also has a handbag manufacturing operation and exports to various countries. He offers valuable info: ‘From 1918 when the empire dissolved, until 1989 when the Berlin wall and the iron curtain that separated the east from the west fell, Vienna was seen as a somewhat sleepy outpost on the outskirts of the economic West.

‘Yet, with this geo-political change, Vienna became a Central European city again. It’s currently the seat of many international institutions and has acquired a distinctly cosmopolitan atmosphere. The musical offerings are legendary, and the city offers a wide and deep variety of architecture and an interesting art scene.'

January/February 2010 Issue

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