Maria Theresia
This blog post is about Maria Theresia, the “Empress” of Austria. I put that in quotations because apparently she never actually received that title even though it’s what she was. I have learned a lot about her this past week in Vienna and been reminded of other facts I learned back in the prep class. Here are some of the things my professors taught me: She became queen at the age of 25 and things were not looking too good. Everyone thought she was going to be a weak queen so she had to fight many wars in her first years to defend herself and her country. She was able to recreate the Austrian Hungarian empire from her victories. During the years of these wars she was also having many babies. When her kids grew up she ended up getting the name “The mother in law of Europe '' because she married them off. Apparently she only let one child marry for love. That was very smart of her when it comes to a political standpoint but not so great from a mother standpoint. She sounds like a very powerful woman that did a great deal for her country.
I think her contributions are super important. The biggest thing she did, in my opinion, was defend Austria from all the countries that tried to attack it. She made sure that her country didn’t get ripped apart and made sure it became stronger than it was before. She helped to make Austria a proud country. Another important contribution she made was her impact on education. She made sure to reform education during her reign, in fact she made education compulsory for 6 years. 6 years is not very much when it comes to how many years we have to do today but 6 years is better than 1 or 2! I think this is such an important contribution because it impacted her people. A ruler who tries to help their people is the best kind of ruler.
I think she has been commemorated well. She has a beautiful big statue in a well trafficked area. It is right by multiple museums so any people that want to go to them have no choice but to look at her. Furthermore, anyone that visits the Schönbrunn Palace is able to learn about her and her life by using the audio guide. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, any place that gives you information on someone is the best kind of commemoration there is. If people know more about a person, the more they will remember them. The palace is where my blog picture was taken!
Great post, Molly! As you mentioned, Maria Theresia became empress during a difficult time during the Austrian war. And even though the military was messy at the time, Maria Theresia was able to rebuild it. Although being a woman in power was not common, Maria Theresia proved herself by showing her intelligence and leadership skills. And I think you're right that she was commemorated well. As pictured, there is a large monument of her on a throne in a very central part of the city. And I like how you point out the places in which we can learn about her. You specifically mention the audio guide to learn more about her, which, as you said, is one of the best ways to commemorate someone and their contributions.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Molly! Learning about Maria Theresia helps deepen our understanding of Vienna as a cultural capital. She shapes Vienna into what it is now. She also made Vienna military super strong for not having any knowledge in the military.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post, Molly! Maria Theresa essentially made Austria the cultural powerhouse that it is today. Her life and political strategies help to reveal man of the issues behind european authority structures in the 17th and 18th centuries. The political marriages that she enacted were inhumane and incredibly effective in bringing countries into alliances. It is important to note that she was very intolerant of people who did not practice catholicism, which I think should be noted as a distasteful part of her legacy.
ReplyDelete