Elana Spiegel graduated from a renowned Austrian university and spent a great deal of time living in the country and experiencing the culture firsthand.
Austria possesses a deep, rich heritage which has produced many pivotal figures throughout history. Here are a few of the names most commonly associated with the country today and their respective contributions:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791): With names such as Strauss, Schubert, and Haydn all hailing from Austria, it’s difficult to select just one musician to represent the art form. Mozart, however, is a strong choice as he is generally considered one of the most skilled and prolific composers of all time. Despite passing at the young age of 35, he wrote more than 600 compositions over the course of his career, including masterpieces such as Don Giovanni, the unfinished Requiem, The Marriage of Figaro, and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.
Carl Menger (1840-1921): The founder of the Austrian School of economic thought, Carl Menger’s name is being mentioned with increasing regularity amongst modern financial experts in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Menger denounced mathematical models and speculation in a market, arguing that is leads to incessant boom-and-bust cycles. Instead, he espoused the merits of methodology and individualism to sustain consistent growth.
Martin Buber (1878-1965): One of the most important thinkers coming out of WWII, Buber combined his Jewish heritage and firsthand experience escaping the Nazi regime to develop a relationship-based philosophy. The crux of his worldview was distinguishing between I-It and I-Thou relationships; in the first, a person views an external thing simply as an object, whereas in the second there is an effort to form a mutually respectful and benefits relationship. According to Buber, I-Thou relationships facilitate love and understanding.
Arnold Schwarzenegger (1947-present): Known as the “Austrian Oak” from his days as the world’s most elite bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger has unequivocally become the most recognizable Austrian in modern society. Aside from winning the title of Mr. Olympia an unprecedented seven times, Schwarzenegger maintained a successful blockbuster movie career before winning the California gubernatorial election in 2003, with no previous political experience.
