F4A A Nervous Splendor: Vienna 1888 - 1900
History & World Affairs | Registration opens 9/2/2026 12:00 AM
Vienna, 1888: Franz Joseph I celebrates 40 years on the Austria-Hungary throne. His steady hand and seriousness of purpose keep his polyglot empire peaceful (mostly) and prosperous. In imperial Vienna, the monumental Ringstrasse is now complete. The city’s cultural life is a showcase of modernity. Yet, members of the imperial family chafe under the Court’s backwardness. Many ordinary citizens are bored or anxious. Vienna’s suicide rate is the highest in Europe. No wonder Sigmund Freud finds fertile ground at all levels of society. What made Vienna “a nervous splendor”? The course draws its title and inspiration from Frederic Morton's classic account, A Nervous Splendor: Vienna 1888/1889.
- Image courtesy of Shutterstock
Shelley Weiner
Presenter
Shelley Weiner grew up in Brooklyn, graduated from Colby College (BA), and attended the MDiv program at Earlham School of Religion. She worked in print production for graphic designers and book publishers, represented commercial printing firms in the Northeast US, taught technical MacOS/iOS classes to educators and corporate clients for Apple, and owned an Apple-authorized training center in the Hudson Valley for 15+ years. She geeks out over history, languages, art, travel, and music.
Mary McClellan
Producer, Class Manager