Sophie's Europe Adventures!

Hello! Today we got a little walking tour from Chip, and I got to learn a lot. One of the woman we talked about was Christina Gyllenstierna, aka Kristina Golden Star. Like Chip said, she was a very respected leader of her time. She would go up and down the lines encouraging the troops. It was her force of will that held together the Swedish resistance against Christian II. Under her power, they drove the Danes out of Sweden. She did so much for the Swedish people that everyone still loves and respects her so much.  I think there are many things that make Christina Gyllenstierna’s contributions important. Her leadership during the Swedish war of liberation was very significant. Like I mentioned before, she effectively led the resistance against Christian II, the Danish King. Her defense of Stockholm inspired Sweden nationalism and also laid a base for eventually establishing the Swedish monarchy. Her actions have changed society by creating a new sense of unity and resistance, whi...

For my art piece of choice in Stockholm, I chose to do Hemma/Home, from the modern art museum! I thought this museum was awesome, and I had a handful of pieces that I thought would be super fun to write about, and decided on this one! This piece is a display of a bunch of different plants, books, and a few other things you may find in a home. As the description plaque in the museum says, the artist filled the structure with life, ideas, sounds, and memories. It’s a structure that holds and sustains life, which I really liked! I also enjoyed how many different ways you can see it, depending on what your home looks like, how you see different things, etc. To me,  this piece shows that there are so many things that make a house a home, and that’s different for every person.  I believe that this piece is important both historically and culturally in a few different ways. First, it showcases Sweden’s unique design heritage. It expresses the country’s focus on functional and simpl...

Today we got to learn about Greta Thunberg. I have heard and know about her from before this trip, when she was very popular on social media a handful of years ago. I got the opportunity to learn more about her today from Professor Oscarson! Greta’s main concern is climate crisis. As background, Greta’s mom was an opera singer and sacrificed her career for her daughter. Every Friday, Greta would come next to the Parliament building talking about climate change. Being able to express her concern and talk with others was so important to her. Another notable thing Chip told us was that she is diagnosed with aspergers, and she doesn’t really speak. She said she only speaks when it’s something she feels is important, Chip told us. Learning more about her and her background of how she came to be influential was interesting!  I think there are a few things that made Greta’s contribution important, and changed her field as well as society. First, her relentless advocacy. She’s known for ...

While in Vienna, we got the opportunity to go to the Natural History Museum! It was a super fun experience, and I got to learn and see a ton. There are many different things at the museum. You have rocks, gems, things about animals, planets, the list goes on and on. My favorite rock I saw was called Baryt. It was a large rock that was brown and white, and had such a pretty crystal glow on it. I’ve seen a couple like this before, and am always blown away by the beauty they show! I thought the bones of the dinosaurs were really cool, and Sayler and I were talking about dinosaurs just before the museum so that was awesome. The Venus Von Willendorf was a unique piece we also got to see! It was super interesting to see such a detailed piece that was from the earth, nothing changed. I really loved this museum because of the diverse selection of things to look at and learn about!  I believe that the Natural History Museum in Vienna is important both historically and culturally for many ...

Hello! Today we got to visit two museums. The Treasury, and the Natural History Museum. I enjoyed both a lot, and am choosing to write my blog on the Treasury! Before we went in, Maryann talked with us about the background of the Treasury, and the importance/significance of these collections. Collections show you have wealth, and wealth equals power. You can get them from taking them, trading, or receiving them as gifts. When there is a monarchy, you can wear them as a way of showing your wealth. When the monarchy fell, keeping it as a part of history and making it available for people to see was so important. When I went inside, I had a great time. I was able to see and learn a lot about different things like the crowns, the cradles, different jewels and other artifacts collected. They were all very shiny and bright, with lots of beautiful gems. The cradles were very large with intricate designs, and they look super heavy!  The Imperial Treasury is both historically and cultural...

Today we got the opportunity to go to the Schönbrunn and learn about everyone that comes with that, including Maria Theresia! From what Maryann was teaching us before we went in, I learned a ton. Maria Theresia never officially had the title of Empress, but she had and completed all of the duties that an Empress would. She had a large impact on education. She reformed education and made it compulsory for everyone. She became queen at age 25, and the empire was very unstable. She had no money and was starting from nothing. She spent the first seven years of her reign having babies and fighting wars, and she pretty much won all of them. She proved herself, and was later credited with rebuilding the Austrian-Hungarian empire.  Maria Theresia’s contributions were important for many reasons. First, her reforms in education, administration, and military organization. She took the empire from nothing and rebuilt the entire thing. She established compulsory education, which improved lite...

First day in Vienna! We did a little walking tour and got to learn about Empress Elizabeth. From what Maryann told us about, I learned a ton! Elizabeth was born in Vienna in 1837; in Bavaria. She had an unusually carefree childhood for someone who was in the royalty as much as she was. She was known as the most beautiful woman of her time. She married when she was 16 to Franz Joseph. He happened to be her first cousin, so her aunt was her mother in law. When she had children her mother in law would take them to raise and school them, because she thought Elizabeth was too carefree and didn’t know what she was doing. She didn’t love or enjoy the Royal life, but it loved her. She was so loved and admired by everyone, mostly because of her looks. She had beautiful long hair, and a tiny, tiny waist.  I think Elizabeth, also known as Sisi, has significantly influenced Austrian society through many ways. First, her advocacy for personal freedom and modernization. She helped create cultu...