BOOKS
book reviewTake a Walk on the Weird Side
The city likes to claim “Vienna is different.”
Now Harald Havas’ new book Weird Vienna proves it
by Andreas RainerHarald Havas
Weird Vienna:
A Hilarious City Guide
Metroverlag, paperback
September, 2015
pp 160
€16.90
Devotees of American pop culture
will surely have noticed that Vienna
is not big on drive-in movie theaters.
In fact, the only Austrian establish-
ment of this kind that managed to
gain some traction is in the suburb
of Groß-Enzersdorf, on the city’s
edge. Here the regular open-air
showings – including the occasional
hardcore porn – managed to draw in
a loyal following of paying custom-
ers and fill their parking lot – and
those hiding quietly in the nearby
streets and cornfields, as the huge
screen was clearly visible from a
kilometer away. Sadly, it ceased reg-
ular operation 2014, it’s fate still
undecided – a victim no doubt of
easy access internet.
This story tells you something
about the Viennese, and is one of
twent y-eight quirky anecdotes fea-
tured in Harald Havas’ newest book
Weird Vienna. These are tales very
different from what tourists expect
when they dive into the city armed
with their TripAdvisor to-do lists
guiding them on a walking tour of
Schönbrunn Gardens or a tasting of
the famous Sachertorte.Speaking of the latter: Vienna’s
most famous chocolate cake also
gets an honorary mention in the
book, specifically with the life or
death question of whether it should
contain a second layer of jam in the
middle. Hotel Sacher says yes,
Demel says no. And as those things
tend to go in Vienna, the matter
was actually taken to court, with
the famed chronicler of Viennese
culture Friedrich Torberg acting as
a witness in the case. Anyone who
ever claimed that the Viennese
don’t have any real problems will
appreciate this little anecdote.HOT SPOTS & BILLBOARD CHARTS
Havas seems to enjoy looking at
his hometown and country from a
perspective somewhat removed
from the usual Vienna city guides
that give a polished picture of a
spotless city packed with muse-
ums and historic landmarks. He
has actually written four other
books previously, showcasing the
Viennese as by nature amenable to
the stranger sides of their city and
to life in general.Did you know, for example, that
there is a proper nuclear power
plant hidden right inside the
Prater? The core doesn’t get hotter
than 200°C and is used merely for
research – but it still counts as a nu-
clear plant. Admittedly this bit of
trivia will probably not enrich your
life – but it does give a new twist to
the term “hot spot” and could make
you the center of attention during
your next evening out with friends.
Born and raised in Austria’s capi-
tal, Havas has approached his topic
with a typically Viennese touch,
never taking himself or anything he
talks about too earnestly. “The situ-
ation is hopeless, but not serious” –
Austrian writer Karl Kraus would
have definitely approved of this
book. The lighthearted, breezy lan-
guage provides a very easy read and
the compact stand-alone anecdotes
make it a perfect bedtime diversion.
And how could you really go on
living still claiming that Falco’s Rock
Me Amadeus was the first Austrian
song to hit number one in the Amer-
ican billboard charts? It might come
as a shock, but this tenacious anec-
dote about Austria’s most famous
pop star is an urban legend.
The true first Austrian to accom-
plish this milestone was actually
Anton Karas for the Harry Lime
Theme, the memorable zither
music written for the movie The
Third Man. Bonus fun fact: Today,
the song is being used as the official
theme of the Tokyo Ebisu station,
where the first chords are played
every time a metro door closes.
Guidebooks on Vienna are avail-
able in every bookshop on the plan-
et that has a somewhat decent trav-
el section. Weird Vienna probably
won’t make it onto most of those
shelves, but it should, giving a
refreshingly different, fun and all in
all very Viennese perspective on a
city that too often gets treated like a
theme park. PHOTOS: WIENTOURISMUS/ROBERT OSMARKThe Sachertorte was
the subject of a
peculiar lawsuit, with
both Demel and Hotel
Sacher feuding over
whether it should have
a second layer of
apricot jam.