Vienna: Empire, Dynasty and Dream
Miniseries
Vienna's pivotal role in European history explored, from the Gothic architecture nurtured under the Holy Roman Emperors to the Baroque music, Ottoman aggression, wars, intrigues and decadence shaped by its strategic position.
Where to Watch Miniseries
3 Episodes
- Episode 2E2
Episode 2Simon Sebag Montefiore tells the story of Vienna triumphant, after the Ottoman threat receded at the end of the 17th century. The city was rebuilt. No longer an outpost defending the West from Islamic invaders, the Habsburgs vowed their empire and imperial capital would become the most glittering in the world. The Habsburg emperors transformed the city from a fortress into a great cultural capital. Vienna became a city that would define the arts; a magnet for musicians including Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. - Episode 3E3
Episode 3In the final episode, Simon Sebag Montefiore follows the Habsburgs to their dramatic demise. From his struggles with Napoleon III and Bismarck and the suicide of his son Rudolf, to the assassination of his beautiful wife Sisi, Emperor Franz Josef's empire and his family proved impossible to control. But while the Habsburgs headed for extinction, Vienna blossomed. As the theories of Freud and the sensuality of the secession artists like Klimt and Schiele ushered in the modern age, Hitler and Stalin stalked her streets. It was here that World War I was sparked; it was here World War II was dreamed.
