The coach party meets the excellent official
Salzburg Guide at the entrance to the Mirabell
gardens (below).
The author, having previously visited Salzburg
(please see a record of that visit
here, decided to make the Fortress, Mozart's
Birthplace and St Peter's Church the main
destinations on this occasion although other
places were also visited and recorded.
|
The world-famous Mirabell Gardens were built
along a north-south axis and oriented towards the
Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Salzburger Dom
cathedral. The original gardens were re-modelled
according to plans by Johann Bernhard Fischer von
Erlach under the reign of Prince Archbishop
Johann Ernst Thun in 1689. Only some decades
later, Franz Anton Danreiter altered them again
in 1730, shaping what is now considered to be one
of the most beautiful Baroque gardens of
Europe.
The "Grand Parterre" is the oldest part of the
Mirabell Gardens that is still preserved. In the
heart of the garden, you will see a large
fountain, with four statue groups around it: the
rape of Prosperina, rape of Helena, Aeneas and
Anchises, and finally Hercules and Antaeus (shown
here). These statues were made by Ottavio Mosto
in 1690.
|
Christian Doppler's family were stonemason's who
had a successful business in Salzburg, Austria
from 1674. The prospering business led to the
building of a fine house in the Hannibal Platz
[now named Makart Platz] in Salzburg, near to the
river. Christian Doppler was born on 29 November
1803 in this family house and, of course, the
family tradition would have had him grow up to
take over the stonemason's business. However his
health was never very good and he was quite frail
so he could not follow in the family
tradition.
At the end of his studies at the University of
Vienna in 1829, Doppler was appointed as
assistant to the professor of higher mathematics
and mechanics at the University, Professor A
Burg.
He published four mathematics papers during his
four years as Burg's assistant, his first being A
contribution to the theory of parallels. He
received an offer of the post at the Technical
Secondary School in Prague which he took up in
March 1835.
Later he was offered the professorship of
mathematics, physics and mechanics at the Academy
of Mines and Forests in Banska Stiavnica and then
on 17 January 1850 he was appointed as the first
director of the new Institute of Physics at
Vienna University.
On the 25 May 1842 Doppler presented a paper
which related the frequency of a source of light
to its velocity relative to an observer. Doppler
derived the principle in a few lines treating
both light and sound as longitudinal waves
(incorrectly as far as light is concerned) in the
ether and matter, respectively.
However, as early as 1845 experiments were
conducted with musicians on railway trains
playing instruments and other trained musicians
writing down the apparent note as the train
approached them and receded from them. In 1846
Doppler published a newer version of his
principle where he considered both the motion of
the source and the motion of the observer.
No other work by Doppler came anywhere close in
matching the importance of his publications on
the Doppler principle. Doppler's time as the
first Director of the Institute of Physics at
Vienna University was a short one. He was
appointed by Imperial Decree on 17 January 1850.
Doppler's health, however, continued to
deteriorate with severe chest problems and, in
November 1852, he travelled to Venice in the hope
that the warmer climate would bring about some
improvement. It was not to be, however, and by
March 1853 it was clear that he was sinking fast.
He died on 17 March 1853 in Venice.
|
We cross the Salzach river and make our way into
the old town. The Getreidegasse, with St Blasius
Church and the lift to the Mönchsberg look
out in the background (left).
|
The Salzburg symbol (left) relates to a legend
of a long siege of the fortress when only one
bull was left unkilled. Its hide was speckled. To
fool the enemy, the bull was driven across the
bastions within the view of the opposing forces.
Next day the bull was painted white and driven in
a similar way. That evening it was washed and
painted black and exposed to the enemy. This was
done for several days and the enemy was led to
believe there were still reserves of provisions
in the castle following which it aborted the
siege and left.
The Salzburg Bull is still the emblem for many
events and organisations today, not least a
famous energy drink.
"17 May 2009 : Red Bulls join the likes of
Manchester United, Barcelona and Inter Milan in
becoming league title winners this weekend. Red
Bulls Salzburg take league crown with two matches
still to play.
"It was a weekend that will be recorded in
football history books across Europe. Red Bull
Salzburg have matched Manchester United,
Barcelona and Inter Milan in winning their
domestic championship."
|
Some expensive shopping (above and left) and a
now familiar 'human statue' (below).
|
The house in Getreidegasse 9 was the living
place of the Mozarts between 1747 and 1773 and
here Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on the 27th
of January 1756.
|
We
enter the building...........
|
|
|
|