Welcome to the Heart of Europe

Hero Biographies

Have you also looked up to them as a child, and maybe secretly as an adult as well? I am talking about those real-life heroes and legends of the silver screen. Whom did I write about first? Maybe Otto of Habsburg, shortly followed by Stan Laurel, my namesake Oliver Hardy, or Ingrid Bergman - what a combination! By the way, did you know that John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Lex Barker and Bud Spencer were all the same height (even as me)?

Why this Page?

Reflecting on this website's rationale and its level of usability, apart from a simple, attracting splash page, what this website seemed to lack was a table of contents. Its newspaper format is one way to spark the interest of occasional visitors.

Homemade Cartoons

We have drawn everything from Elephant to Snowman and Cow & Camel, even Moses & the 10 Commandments wouldn’t escape us. And our junior artists are closely following with their Kirby-esque versions of the Hulk and... the Duke?

American Idol: John Wayne's footprints on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Jester with the Broken Crown

It may seem ridiculous to talk about the kids' cartoon Vicky, archetype for Hicke and the Strong Men, a radio spoof on the Austrian national soccer team and its coach, preparing for the European soccer tournament. But if you have lived through several childhoods with your own kids, you may start to understand. Then there is the jester hero Kasperl, star of local puppet shows. A role model for the courage to speak up, while holding the jester’s license.

Virtual Vienna Visit

Home is probably the best place on earth. Then there is the City of Music. Vienna, also known as WeiYeNa, lent its name to US sister cities and Wiener sausages. It is home to Heurigen music at wine taverns and the giants of Austropop. With Falco: Come on and Rock me Amadeus!

Dealing with Loss

Are you usually strong or rather weak? Do you suppress memories of those friends and relatives you have lost? Or do you honour those who have gone ahead, until we all meet again in the eternal hunting grounds? Are you ashamed to admit your sadness? I am not.

Santa Go Home!

We celebrate certain occasions. Do we get bank holidays off without knowing their underlying meaning? There is ongoing globalization, also with the adoption of traditions around Halloween, Valentine's Day and Santa Clause, as typical American exports. While other religious festivals are pushed into the background, when Easter vacation is renamed into Spring Break.

The All-Seeing Eye

What do Egypt, Big Brother and the TV-show "Alias" have in common? The Eye of Providence, you bet! Be careful, it may be peeking through a hole in this webpage! Check the tiny favicon in the address bar of your Internet browser.

Last Supper

As part of international travel, for saying good-bye we established our Last Suppers, unsure whether we would ever meet again. There is always Leonardo’s great painting of same title and the version with Hollywood actors.

Open yourself a new world: Put your nose in a good book!

"Je ne parle pas Grec"

...and I don’t speak much French either. When clueless, things may sound Greek or Spanish or Chinese. Animals have different languages, too. What is behind the "big nose" Da Bizi and things coming in threes? Ultimately, there is the Mahlzeit collection.

Don't forget to Smile

Kids smile more often than boring adults, starting with that first cute baby smile. They have not yet learned to suppress their emotions, to hide tears and laughter. They openly talk about things "you are not supposed to question." I like that.

What our Future holds

Do you want to know what fate has planned for you? Are you fascinated by dark secrets hidden in conspiracy theories in "The DaVinci Code" and similar literature? Nostradamus and Leonardo DaVinci may have seen far beyond their times. Even though they didn't consult a doctor for having visions, as suggested by an Austrian chancellor. Or read a magazine.