Nostalgia: Why we crave a past that never was

VIENNA, 1 December 2017 – This month, METROPOLE, the magazine with an international eye on Vienna feels a pang of bittersweet Nostalgia. In the cover story, “Eternally Alt Wien” (p 18) we look at the different versions of old Vienna that have been imagined over centuries. Every generation has their personal favorite, from the imperial grandeur of the Habsburgs to the wonder years of the 1950s or Bruno Kreisky’s era of change and progress in the 1970s.

The cover was inspired by The Saturday Evening Post and illustrated by Peter Diamond.

In this issue, you will find

“Custodians of Memory” p 28, Profiles, Janima Nam
METROPOLE interviewed four Viennese gentlemen about nostalgia, our collective consciousness and their roles in preserving the past: Florian Kaps, savior of polaroid photography and founder of the analog concept store Supersense, Oliver Braun, the director and CEO of legacy hospitality brand Gerstner, Matti Bunzl, director of the Wien Museum, and beloved children’s book author Thomas Brezina, the inventor of Tom Turbo.

“Nostalgia on My Mind” p 38, Science, Roxanne Powell
Nostalgia was once dismissed as sentimentality, but science is beginning to show that it can help us heal psychological wounds and strengthen relationships through shared memories. Today, nostalgia-based therapies tackle clinical depression, post-traumatic stress, and early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. We look into the science of reminiscing.

“Mazel & Mishpocha” p 43, Special Report, Sara Friedman & Benjamin Wolf
Vienna was once home to the largest Jewish community in Central Europe. Of the 200,000 Viennese Jews, only about 2,000 were left after WWII, yet today it counts once again over 10,000. It’s really several communities, spanning food and nightlife, like the restaurants Miznon and Neni and the Kibbutz Klub events, as well as culture and a young entrepreneurial generation to keep it growing.

“Lenny and Vienna” p 46, City Life, Michael Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein’s nephew explores the maestro’s complicated relationship with Vienna. The Wahlwiener (Viennese by choice) overcame Austria’s Nazi past and cold war politics to build a love affair with Vienna as the city of music.

Quotes from the issue

“There have been a lot of ‘Alt-Wiens’; every generation has one, or more.” Christian Rapp, cultural historian and co-coordinator of the exhibition “Alt-Wien” p. 21, Cover Story “Eternally Alt Wien”

“Attending a ball lets you decelerate a bit. You prepare for it, decide who to go with, what to wear and where to get it. Will you go to dinner beforehand? It’s in contrast to our everyday life, like a retreat to another time.” Maria Großbauer, Opera Ball Director, p. 15, Melange

“I think there’s a big misconception about Viennese people and the city itself. I have met some amazing people and have experienced the depth of this city in such a way that I strongly disagree with the negative impression some people have.” Sagi Jay, Founder of Secret Vienna, p 45, Special report, “Mazel & Mishpocha”

“There are so many sad memories here; one deals with so many ex-Nazis (and maybe still Nazis); and you never know if the public that is screaming bravo for you might contain someone who 25 years ago might have shot me dead. But it’s better to forgive, and if possible, forget. The city is so beautiful, and so full of tradition. Everyone here lives for music, especially opera, and I seem to be the new hero.” Leonard Bernstein, 1966, letter to his parents, p. 48, City Life, “Lenny and Vienna”

Founded in October 2015, METROPOLE is a magazine for expats and global citizens living in
Vienna, Austria. Published in English, it gives its readers everything they need to make the most of the city.

The magazine is available on newsstands and online starting Nov 1, 2017. For a complimentary press copy, please contact Catherine Hooker at pr@metropole.at.

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This release was published on openPR.