Wien Museum Sheds “New Light” on the City's Islamic Heritage
In a new summer academy entitled “Islamic Heritage in Vienna”, the Wien Museum is focusing on the city's often overlooked but significant Islamic heritage.
With the 'Islamic Heritage in Vienna' summer academy, the Wien Museum is shedding light on the deep roots of Islam in Vienna's history. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons /Christine Koblitz/ CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Starting on Thursday, August 22, the three-part series of events will shed light on how deeply Islam is interwoven into Vienna's history - and not just through the historic sieges by the Ottomans.
In the first part of the academy, experts and interested participants will examine various objects that have been collected as a result of a long-standing fascination with the so-called “Orient”. The following event on August 29 will focus on the visible traces of Islamic heritage in Vienna's public space. Finally, on September 5, the focus will be on the aesthetics of this heritage, in particular calligraphy and arabesques.
In its announcement, the Wien Museum emphasizes that Islam is a recurring theme in Vienna, often in connection with negative discussions about migration and alleged cultural foreignness. The museum's collection shows countless traces of Muslim presence, which shed new light on the relationship between Islam and Vienna.
The Jewish Museum Vienna's #DiscoverJewishCulture project, which is aimed particularly at young people, is running in parallel. It uses short, concise videos on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to raise awareness of the diversity of Jewish life in Vienna and Austria. In view of the rise in anti-Semitism, this project seems more relevant than ever. It highlights Jewish festivals, culinary traditions as well as historically significant places and personalities and is intended to reach those who have little contact with formal education after school.
Both projects underline Vienna's cultural diversity and the need to engage with the different historical and cultural influences that have shaped life in the city.