A little less than a hundred years before the birth of Maria Theresia in Viennand, the disappointed exclamation of her father, Emperor Charles VI: "This is just a girl!" a confident Abraham a Santa Clara was known at the court. He was born in 1644, when a pupil of Galileo Galilei invented the barometer, and the teacher himself had been dead for two years, having gone out of life and without proving to the whole world that the earth revolves around the sun. Abraham, a Santa Clara, was a court preacher. He had the reputation of a clever, caustic and sarcastic man. The very nickname itself is worth: Abraham a Santa Clara. It is believed that local priests all over the Austro-Hungarian cities and villages imitated him and eventually even formed a particular Austro-Hungarian style. Perhaps he left his mark on the image of thought and attitude to life—spiteful sarcasm interspersed with pensive contemplation. Jaroslav Hasek was the most outstanding follower of this style, who worked at the turn of the imperial XIX and the perfidious XX centuries. Hans Shvatte was the sculptor of this monument; they created it in 1928, almost ten years after the empire's collapse, when people started to understand the meaning of events and processes that seemed so natural at the time.
Embark on a self-guided walking tour through imperial Vienna. You'll explore magnificent landmarks like the Opera House and the Royal Park, stroll through the opulent palace grounds of the Augsburg dynasty, and delve into the dark history of the infamous Bloody Countess. This captivating adventure offers a glimpse into the city's rich past and enchanting beauty.