Teaching the Empire by Scott O. Moore

Author:Scott O. Moore [Moore, Scott O.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Europe, Austria & Hungary, Social History, Education, Modern, 19th Century, 20th Century
ISBN: 9781557538963
Google: H3flDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Purdue University Press
Published: 2020-05-15T00:37:53+00:00

Figure 4.2. Students in the Children’s Jubilee Parade for Franz Joseph’s fiftieth Jubilee, 1898. Courtesy of the Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek.

Along with the annual celebration of Franz Joseph’s name day, schools held large commemorations of Franz Joseph’s ascent to the throne on December 2. School events for the golden jubilee continued to emphasize his piety, concern for his peoples, and his patronage of schools. The Ministry of Religion and Education made clear that it expected teachers to discuss the life and reign of the emperor in appropriate classroom lessons and school celebrations, and to do so in a way that would increase students’ affection for him.143 Taking these requests to heart, teachers went out of their way to praise the emperor as a patron of the arts and sciences, and they implored students to use his piety and devotion to his faith as a model for their own lives.144 They also discussed his importance to Austria, not just his importance as a model of character. One speech given at the commemoration in the Volksschule on Holzhausergasse in Vienna praised Franz Joseph for the “excellent” qualities he demonstrated as an individual, father, and as the “ruler and father of the Austrian family of peoples.”145 Reflecting the importance of the occasion, the school chronicle proudly described how organizers of the event decorated the main hall with “imperial colors,” a bust of the emperor, a plaque containing the dates 2 December 1848–2 December 1898, the Habsburg eagle, and a banner with the emperor’s motto “Viribus unitis” (with united forces).146 The theme of unity continued throughout the celebration given for the golden jubilee at the Gymnasium in Olmütz/Olomouc. The school published a long article giving a comprehensive overview of the emperor’s reign. It especially praised Franz Joseph for his reforms and for strengthening the economy. It also thanked the emperor for the “political freedoms” granted through constitutional reform, though it acknowledged that such reforms “[had] led to ideas of national freedom,” which potentially threatened the unity of the Monarchy.147 It concluded, however, by saying that the motto “Viribus unitis” resonated throughout the Austrian lands, Habsburg Italy, the Bohemian lands, Hungary, and Galicia. The citizens of the Monarchy were ready to confront the challenges of the future together.148

The boys’ Volksschule in the Neustadt district of Linz reported an equally patriotic event. Its “school house was decorated with flags and lights” and “in the classrooms, which were decorated with the portrait of the emperor, there was a dignified school festival,” with speeches about the emperor’s life and contributions to Austria and with students singing songs in his honor. Each student of the school also received a copy of the commemorative booklet Unser Kaiser donated by the city, which provided pictures and the story of Franz Joseph’s life and reign.149

The assassination of Empress Elisabeth marred commemorations of Franz Joseph’s golden jubilee, causing most events to take on a sober tone. The journal of the Styrian Teachers’ Association captured this reality, writing that “all across Austria, in the poorest huts

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