Austria Quotes

“Certainly, they'd had to endure the war, but they had each other close by. They had never known the confusion of being a third-worlder, they had always a home!”
― Marjane Satrapi

“(In Austria after VE Day)
Sergeant Mercier...dressed in a full German officer's uniform, topped off with a monocle for his right eye. Someone got the bright idea to march him over to the company orderly room and turn him in at rifle point to Captain Speirs.
Someone got word to Speirs before Mercier showed up. When troopers brought Mercier up to Speirs's desk, prodding him with bayonets, Speirs did not look up. One of the troopers snapped a salute and declared, "Sir, we have captured this German officer. What should we do with him?"
"Take him out and shoot him," Speirs replied, not looking up.
"Sir," Mercier called out, "sir, please, sir, it's me, Sergeant Mercier."
"Mercier, get out of that silly uniform," Speirs ordered.”
― Stephen E. Ambrose, Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest

“I shall now express my utter disgust and anger with you through the piano.”
― Akira Sasanuma

“You can do anything you put your mind to doing.”
― Gertrude Kerschner

“Là in Kakania, in quello Stato incompreso, che ormai non esiste più e che in tante cose fu un modello ingiustamente sottovalutato, c’era anche velocità, ma non troppa. Quando si era all’estero e si ripensava a questo paese, sorgeva davanti agli occhi il ricordo di quelle sue strade bianche, larghe e comode, risalenti al tempo delle marce a piedi e dei postali, strade che si diramavano in tutte le direzioni, come le vie di trasmissione del regolamento, come i nastri del traliccio chiaro nelle uniformi dei soldati, e che cingevano le province con il braccio bianco-cartaceo dell’amministrazione. E che province! Ghiacciai e mari, il Carso e i campi di grano della Boemia, notti sull’Adriatico percorse dallo stridio inquieto dei grilli, e villaggi slovacchi dove il fumo usciva dai camini come da narici camuse e il villaggio se ne stava rannicchiato tra due collinette, quasi che la terra avesse dischiuso un poco le labbra per riscaldare il suo bambino. Naturalmente su quelle strade si incontravano anche automobili; ma non troppe. Ci si preparava anche là alla conquista dell’aria; ma senza eccedere in solerzia. Di quando in quando si faceva partire una nave per il Sudamerica o per l’Estremo Oriente; ma non troppo spesso. Non si ambiva al dominio del mondo, né dal punto di vista economico né da quello politico; si era al centro dell’Europa, dove si intersecano gli antichi assi del mondo; le parole “colonia” e “oltremare” risuonavano ancora come un qualcosa di remoto e di non sperimentato. Si viveva nel lusso, ma di certo non con l’estrema raffinatezza dei francesi. Si praticava lo sport, ma non da forsennati come gli anglosassoni. Si spendevano somme ingenti per l’esercito, ma solo quel tanto che bastava per esser certi di rimanere la penultima delle grandi potenze. Anche la capitale, pur essendo una delle città più grandi del mondo, era un po’ più piccola di tutte le altre, ma notevolmente più grande di quanto lo siano di solito le grandi città. E l’amministrazione di questo paese, illuminata, discreta, volta a smussare prudentemente tutti gli spigoli, era nelle mani della migliore burocrazia d’Europa, alla quale si poteva rimproverare un solo difetto: ritenere saccenteria e presunzione il genio e la geniale intraprendenza dei privati che non fossero legittimati a ciò dal privilegio di alti natali o di un incarico statale. E d’altronde, c’è forse qualcuno cui piaccia farsi comandare da chi non è autorizzato? In Kakania, poi, un genio passava sempre per uno sciocco, ma a differenza di quel che capitava dalle altre parti, non succedeva mai che uno sciocco passasse per un genio.”
― Robert Musil, The Man Without Qualities

“If you write you may be read and if you read you may understand,
but if you understand you will never write.

© 2018 Danny Kemp All rights reserved”
― Daniel Kemp, What Happened in Vienna, Jack?

“Then she stood on tiptoe and kissed him sweetly on the lips, “I promise you a love affair with a sun-bathed Austrian princess beyond anything you imagine—in love, in beauty, in intensity. A love that will power you to the end of our time together. You are going to be a fortunate man, Geoffrey Ashbrook.”
― Paul A. Myers, Vienna 1934: Betrayal at the Ballplatz

“Siempre las mismas caras que le recuerdan la herencia del día anterior, las promesas y las obligaciones, los deseos ceñidos por el orden de las frases conocidas. Afloran las palabras que no quiere pronunciar, pero incluso sin pronunciarlas están ahí, contra su voluntad, no le permiten alejarse, desviarse a una calle lateral, explorar un pasaje umbrío, salir a una plaza desconocida, entrar en otra vida.”
― Dragan Velikić, Bonavia

“If war was once a chivalrous duel, it is now a dastardly slaughter.”
― Artur von Bolfras

“War! war! no peace! Peace is to me a war.
O Lymoges! O Austria! thou dost shame
That bloody spoil. Thou slave, thou wretch, thou coward!
Thou little valiant, great in villainy!
Thou ever strong upon the stronger side!
Thou Fortune's champion that dost never fight
But when her humorous ladyship is by
To teach thee safety! Thou art perjur'd too,
And sooth'st up greatness. What a fool art thou,
A ramping fool, to brag and stamp and swear
Upon my party! Thou cold-blooded slave,
Hast thou not spoke like thunder on my side,
Been sworn my soldier, bidding me depend
Upon thy stars, thy fortune, and thy strength,
And dost thou now fall over to my foes?
Thou wear a lion's hide! Doff it for shame,
And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant limbs.
AUSTRIA. O that a man should speak those words to me!
BASTARD. And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant limbs.
AUSTRIA. Thou dar'st not say so, villain, for thy life.
BASTARD. And hang a calf's-skin on those recreant limbs.
KING JOHN. We like not this: thou dost forget thyself.”
― William Shakespeare, King John

“Sisi knew that it was hopeless to live up to the fairy-tale princess with stars in her hair of the Winterhalter portrait, an image that sold everything from chocolates to liver salts in Vienna, but she found it impossible not to try. Beauty was her gift, her weapon and her power, and she dreaded its passing.”
― Daisy Goodwin, The Fortune Hunter

“Wars have been waged over millions of square miles, significantly larger than the British Empire at its peak. Historically, Islamic conquests stretched from southern France to the Philippines, from Austria to Nigeria, and from central Asia to New Guinea. The Muslim goal was to have a central government, first at Damascus, and then at Baghdad, later at Cairo, Istanbul, and other imperial centres. The local governors, judges, and other rulers were appointed by the central imperial authorities for far off colonies. Islamic law was introduced as the senior law, whether or not wanted by the local people. Arabic was introduced as the rulers’ language, while the local languages frequently disappeared. Then, two classes of residents were established. The native residents paid a tax that their rulers did not have to pay. In each case, these laws allowed the local conquered people less freedom than was given to Muslims.”
― Anita B. Sulser PhD, We Are One

“Anyway, zis is Austria. Now somesing else funny! Ze Austrians do not call it 'Austria.' Zey call it O-s-t-e-r-r-e-i-c-h!" and the professor wrote the letters out on the blackboard. "Zat is because zey do not know how to spell. Zey are very nice people, se Austrians, but you will notice zey are very bad spellers.”
― Bertrand R. Brinley, The Big Chunk of Ice: The Last Known Adventure of the Mad Scientists' Club

“Some countries where these saints once ruled no longer exist today. Also, some saints were born in faraway nations but became patrons of Germanic lands.
Additionally included are sections of prayers for the peoples of the countries represented. I enjoyed creating this collection. I traveled back and forth in time to distant lands while learning about heroic virtue. Both the cultures and saints of these nations are truly inspiring.”
― Marie Noël, Catholic Prayers to Saintly Germanic Kings and Queens

“The rolling hills we traveled through were lined with rows of crisscrossed crops- apple and pear trees, vines of grapes, and maize- creating bafflingly precise geometries. In the forested areas, the branches on the trees drooped lugubriously like the long sleeves of Druid priests.
Jonathan pointed to the curved roads that cut through the hillsides and valleys. "Forged by Romans, Mina!" he said. "So many civilizations have come and gone on this land- Celts, Romans, Normans, Mongols, French. Who knows how many more?”
― Karen Essex, Dracula in Love

“Siamo tutti di sangue misto noi austriaci, specialmente noi cosiddetti austriaci di ceppo germanico: figli di un impero dalle più disparate etnie, razze, religioni. Se non ci ostinassimo comicamente a sentirci tuttora austriaci, anche dopo la scomparsa di quel leggendario impero, dovremmo riconoscere di essere addirittura americani... ma per arrivare a questo ci manca l’acume politico... È così purtroppo: le idee sono spesso surrogate dalle emozioni. Sono più dure a morire, resistono meglio al tempo, e tanto meglio quanto più sono irrazionali. Per esempio il grande sogno tedesco, il sogno dell’Impero, dello scomparso Sacro Romano Impero di Nazione Germanica di Carlo Magno... già l’imperatore Barbarossa ci si è addormentato su così profondamente, là sul Kyffhauser, che la barba gli è dovuta crescere attraverso il tavolo di pietra sul quale si appoggia... Ricostituire questo impero, riunificarlo, " farlo rivivere in tutta la sua potenza e il suo mistico splendore – ebbene: questo era già cent’anni fa il proposito della gioventù di lingua tedesca, è ancor oggi il suo sogno e la sua aspirazione, e non importa se questa gioventù, tedesca di lingua, tedesca di pensieri, tedesca di sentimenti, ha probabilmente nelle vene, là sulle rive del Reno, fin dai tempi di Arminio il Cherusco e dei suoi avversari romani, sangue in buona parte nubiano e libico, e nelle regioni a est dell’Elba, soprattutto in quelle che sono il cuore della riedizione bismarckiana di quell’lmpero, soprattutto sangue borussico e finnico e vendico; e perfino lungo il fiume dei Nibelunghi, nei paesi così cari al nostro cuore, sangue sloveno e boemo... Non importa: ha sentimenti germanici questa gioventù tedesca, imperial—germanici, pan- germanici, nevvero? Incalzata da quest’ansia, nei suoi sogni si vede già all’ombra della grande, fluttuante bandiera nero-rosso— oro — questa bandiera giovane più di tutte le bandiere, con quel nero che è presagio di morte, quel rosso che è ribollire di sangue e quell’oro che è inebriante promessa di vagheggiati destini... In verità mi chiedo commosso: chi son io mai perche' mi sia dato ancora di vivere una simile emozione! Un giovane tedesco, uno sbarbatello, se mi è consentito di esprimermi così liberamente, neppure adolescente, ancora un ragazzo: e già si esibisce orgogliosamente nella divisa dei campioni della libertà, epigoni dello Sturm und Drang nell’ideale della sempre vagheggiata e sempre fallita rivoluzione tedesca. Attestiamo il sogno tedesco, qui, nella culla dei voivodi rumeni, tra i fiumi Prut e Siret, circondati da rumeni, ruteni, polacchi, lipovani ed ebrei galiziani, orgogliosamente incuranti dell’eventuale rischio di esporci al ridicolo in un travestimento che ricorda il gatto con gli stivali —- com’e‘ bella anche questa fedeltà al patrimonio favolistico popolare tedesco!... No no, non dobbiamo vergognarci, siamo nel giusto, in ogni senso: anche questo regno di Romania nel quale oggi viviamo, è ancora talea e pollone dell’Unico Grande Impero, al suo vertice sta pur sempre un monarca della casa Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, un principe tedesco... Mi si permetta di esprimere la mia incondizionata ammirazione per un atto di fede tanto coraggioso da spazzar via ogni meschina considerazione di opportunità politica!”
― Gregor von Rezzori, Memoirs of an Anti-Semite

“The July 1934 Putsch and Dollfuss's assassination could have been prevented. Since 29 May of that year clear evidence of the planned Nazi conspiracy was available to the Austrian authorities. It came from a number of highly reliable sources. The warnings were passed to the senior security officials who were charged with the protection of the state, the government and the Chancellor. Without doubt some of them collaborated with the Nazi conspirators. Also without doubt some of the others acted with typical Austrian Schlamperei. They did not take the warnings seriously.”
― George Clare, Last Waltz in Vienna

“Amadeus Mozart, Adolf Hitler, and Arnold Schwarzenegger were all born in Austria. Not very far from one another. How does a country produce these three men in just under two centuries time? Who will be the fourth and what may he contribute to the world? Judging by the time between each of their births, it seems we’re due for the next in line.”
― Mike Ma, Gothic Violence

“The first three notes just happen to be, Do-Re-Mi. Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol [pronounced So]-La-Ti. Oh, let's see if I can make it easier.[singing] Doe, a deer, a female deer. Ray, a drop of golden sun Me, a name I call myself. Far, a long, long way to run. Sew, a needle pulling thread. La, a note to follow Sol Tea, a drink with jam and bread. That will bring us back to Do... (sung by Maria)”
― The Sound of Music

“Last night's harsh phone call seemed to be a distant memory as we spent the day in the snow with my new fake friends, going for one last turn on the mountain while I drank boiled wine at the bottom of the ski lift at the hutte.
I honestly told Anette in the ski lift during the day what Sabrina had told me on the phone the night before, but she remained silent and didn't seem surprised for some reason.

I didn't think Anette would conspire with Betty to test me or win me.
I didn’t think they would conspire with Sabrina but perhaps I didn’t know her well enough to assume what she was capable of when jealous, mad, sad, confused or in love.
Perhaps they did not.
Everything I don't know.
I try to write here all that I know and have managed to figure out, taking a long time.
I try to share what I have been through because I am sure that others will find it useful to learn from my mistakes, faults, sins, virtues, and so on. Perhaps only my luck, good or bad, I don't know.
I could not have figured out what happened if I had not written down exactly how things unfolded in order to be able to see through it all and comprehend what really happened since I bought that Roberto Saviano book and met Sabrina.

Perhaps the women had been conspiring for one reason or another; perhaps they had not. Nonetheless, it was odd.

„Water is wet, the sky is blue, women have secrets. Who gives a f..k?” – Joe Hallenbeck

Do all men have to be natural-born and supernatural detectives like Bruce Willis in all his movies, or in The Last Boy Scout?
I'm not sure how many coincidences can fit so strangely into reality by chance, or is it all manipulation? Is it all because of the story of Eve and the snake and the apple?”
― Tomas Adam Nyapi, BARCELONA MARIJUANA MAFIA

“Das höchste Gebäude war der betonierte Turm des Lagerhauses.”
― Dominik Barta, Vom Land

“Am meisten hasste er die Leute, die hier lebten und die keine Seele in sich trugen. Sie lachten nie. Sie lebten wie Zombies in riesigen, leeren Häusern. Stumm mähten sie tagelang den Rasen oder schnitten mit hochrotem Kopf die Hecken.”
― Dominik Barta, Vom Land

“In der Kirche achtete niemand auf den lieben Gott. Einzig die Gläubigen wurden eindringlich gemustert.”
― Dominik Barta, Vom Land

“Wie in allen Dörfern, regierte in erster Linie die Angst vor den Nachbarn. Was würden die Nachbarn denken? Was würden sie sagen?”
― Dominik barta , Vom Land

“The end of the Austrian state brought violence against Austrian Jews in five weeks that was comparable to the suffering that German Jews had endured under Hitler over the course of five years. The organisers in Austria were usually Nazis, but they were operating in conditions of state collapse that allowed their revolution to proceed further and faster.”
― Timothy Snyder, Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning

“Vienna is certainly the grandest city I have ever seen. All along the Ringstrasse colossal buildings proclaim an imperial past – the parliament, the Palace of Justice, the Natural History Museum, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the opera house, the Burgtheater and above all the Hofburg, with its 2,600 rooms. They all look much the same – mighty piles of granite and sandstone with warlike statuary crowded along the roofs and pediments. A Martian coming to earth would unhesitatingly land at Vienna, thinking it the capital of the planet.”
― Bill Bryson, Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe