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ByLeonardStohler WhenIfirstsawSt.Ste- phen's Cathedral (German: Stephansdom), I was over- whelmed by its structure. Started in the 12th cen- tury (1147), it is the most important Romanesque and Gothic structure in Vi- enna. The south tower is 136.44 meters (447.53 feet) high. Presently, it is be- ing cleaned of its black, fire smoked outside with the roof being replaced. The outside is just amaz- ing to see and especially where it stands, in the cen- ter of everything in the In- ner City. Tourists and visi- tors swarm into this area. I am overwhelmed by the va- riety of people. I am there on Sunday and mass is in session. A tall, large priest stands at the entrance to the aisle and allows worship- ping members in. There is plenty of room at the rear for the many tourists. They are very respectful and make hardly any noise at all. This cathedral is the mother church of the Ro- man Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. I had planned to take the tour up the many stairs to the top, but I never found the time to return after mass when it is permitted. The sight inside is a marvel. So beautiful with all the elaborate work of a Romanesque/Gothic build- ing. I spend my time in- side just observing all the many sights. I am a great distance from the altar. I have visited other cathe- drals up close. If I were a practicing Roman Catholic I would think it would be a great opportunity to attend mass there. There is much to see out- side. I walk with the many visitors on this ideal Sun- day morning to see the stores, the beautiful older and the newer buildings and the historic statues, places. I do not know how there could be any more beautiful place to visit any- where in the world. I seem to be at home here. I guess I am a person who just likes such places. The Plague Column is lo- cated on the street, Gra- ben, near St. Stephan's. The disease is believed to have been bubonic plague, carried by fleas associ- ated with the black rat and other rodents. Wien was crippled by this "Black Death" that claimed an es- timated 76,000 residents. This plague that occurred elsewhere often carried the title "Viennese death" in other parts of Europe. The column was erected after the Great Plague epi- demic in 1679, in which the Habsburg emperor Leop- old I (who left Vienna at the time) vowed to erect a mercy column if the epi- demic would end. As I ob- served most visitors just pass it by not giving it a second thought. I do not pass it by. The final column represents a high baroque scene, narrating a story in a theatrical form. This was imitated in the whole Aus- trian region. The most famous em- press of the Austrian Em- pire was Elisabeth — known as Sisi — born in 1837 and assassinated in 1898. She was the wife of Franz Joseph I. If you want to read or study one of the most amazing women in these times you must study her life. I took a tour of the SISI apartments and palace. Here one finds the amaz- ing opulence of the Aus- trian court. Imagine sit- ting down to a meal with all the courses and drinks that the photographed set- tings indicate. It was Sisi who probably was respon- sible for Hungary being added to the Austrian em- pire. I told about that story in the Budapest article. Following her death, many works of literature, music and art were produced. In St. Matthias Church in Bu- dapest there is a beautiful statue of her as the Hun- garians loved her. Before I went on this trip, the nuclear treaty be- tween many countries of Europe, the USA and Iran was prominent in the news. As I listened and watched the news, I no- ticed it was being negoti- ated in Vienna. Knowing I was going there, I found out using Google the place was the Palais Coburg Res- idenz. It was described as an ideal place due to its lo- cation. Therefore, the last day before I took the train to Prague, I walked to this hotel. It is on a quiet street, one block from a huge park. It is beauti- ful. I went into the ho- tel entrance. I had heard that rooms began at an astronomical figure. On trivago.com the beginning price is around $800 per night. I have no idea how much these countries, in- cluding the USA, spent to stay and negotiate there, but I think millions of dol- lars and euros were spent for the diplomats. It is a gorgeous building with a rich historical heritage in- cluding this treaty. Next, I will relate my first visit to Prague and its uniquely preserved histor- ical center that is a part of the UNESCO World Heri- tage List. It too, is a most amazing city, one that citi- zens from many countries seek to visit. One thing is definitely true: Russians are not welcomed. Aboutthecontributor: Leonard (Len) Stohler is a historian by degree. He taught in the local schools from 1969-1995. He served on the Red Bluff Union School Board for 16 years. On a Danube River cruise late October last year he had to return due to the illness of his traveling companion after seeing only Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna for one day each. He wanted to return "closer to the ground" and so returned on an independent trip to the cities of Budapest, Vienna, Prague and Berlin from September 7-22. He walked in these cities and rode public transportation, enjoying some of the many attractions and historic sites and talking to a few of the citizens. TRAVELOGUE My second day in Vienna St.Stephen'sCathedral St. Stephen's Cathedral Sisi SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2015 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |NEWS | 7 A