In this episode, we uncover the strange and fascinating life of Wilhelm Reich, a once-promising Vienna-trained psychoanalyst whose career took a sharp turn into uncharted territory. From a scandalous youth and mentorship under Freud to his unorthodox theories on “orgastic potency,” Reich’s ideas often teetered between groundbreaking and eyebrow-raising. We follow him across the Atlantic, where he invented the Orgone Accumulator (a.k.a. the cosmic orgasm box), clashed with the FDA, tried to win over Einstein, and even claimed to battle UFOs in the Arizona desert. Visionary, eccentric, or both? Either way, his story is a wild ride through sex, pseudoscience, and space energy.

For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke!

LINKS https://www.nytimes.com/1971/01/04/archives/back-into-the-old-orgone-box.html

https://projectmailer.net/pm/The_Mailer_Review/Volume_10,_2016/Mailer%E2%80%99s_Use_of_Wilhelm_Reich

https://www.meduniwien.ac.at/web/en/about-us/history/

https://www.wilhelmreich.at/wp-content/uploads/Hebenstreit_Diplomarbeitsauszug-2.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orgone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Reich

https://www.scribd.com/document/409496302/brady-the-strange-case-of-wilhelm-reich-pdf

https://oe1.orf.at/artikel/328444/Film-Der-Fall-Wilhelm-Reich

https://www.lennygibson.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Reich-review.pdf

Movie about Reich (Apple+): https://tv.apple.com/at/movie/the-strange-case-of-wilhelm-reich/umc.cmc.4d5kpivmlampf1bsyguxnu6my?l=en

NYTimes article : https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1957/12/07/87342935.html?pageNumber=20

This week, we’re headed to the seaside! Or at least, as close as Vienna gets— we’re talking about the Gänsehäufel, the beloved island in the Danube that's been offering sun, swims, and skin (lots of it) for over a century. We dig into the evolution of this uniquely Viennese summer escape: from its early days as a kind of naturist commune founded by Florian Berndl, to a city-led takeover (with a surprise return of good old Sexy Karl), to its glory days in Red Vienna and post-war nudist boom. We also reminisce about our experiences with Japanese baths and KOA—yes, Kampsites of America. Why the K? And how do you pronounce it? Sunburns, socialism, and public nudity—it’s all here.

For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected] . We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke!

LINKS

https://www.filmarchiv.at/de/filmarchiv-on/video/f_030HDAllma6h1gTTStWtQ0

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A4nseh%C3%A4ufel

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florian_Berndl

https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/G%C3%A4nseh%C3%A4ufel

https://www.falter.at/zeitung/20210831/ums-nackte-ueberleben

https://geschichtsgreisslerei.at/gaensehaeufel/

https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000061895606/kabane-und-liebe-sommerresidenz-im-gaensehaeufel

https://www.wien.gv.at/freizeit/baeder/uebersicht/sommerbaeder/gaensehaeufel.html

https://www.travelportland.com/culture/sauvie-island/

Try as we might to talk about literally anything else, Eurovision keeps pulling us back in. Are we closet fans? Maybe. Probably. OK, fine—yes. In this Zeitgeist episode, we set out to cover a range of current topics... but then Austria won Eurovision again, and suddenly we’re back, clumsily covering a topic we know little about. But we do know that  JJ has officially captured our hearts. Stephen watches the winning entry live on air and—shockingly—realizes he might actually enjoy the whole dramatic spectacle. Resistance was futile. 

For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke!

LINKS

https://dietagespresse.com/damit-oesterreich-teuren-esc-2026-nicht-ausrichten-muss-marterbauer-ruft-3-000-mal-fuer-schweden-an/

Wasted Love, Austrian Eurovision entry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coGaxAWtp58

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/arts/music/eurovision-how-to-win.html?unlocked_article_code=1.JE8.MzUg.jbIOX3S6CkWM&smid=url-share

‘It’s going to be expensive’: Austria frets about price tag of hosting Eurovision

'There is anxiety' - RTE 'fears' winning Eurovison & facing huge staging costs, claims Ireland's first winner Dana | The Irish Sun

JJ & Conchita Mashup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaTvgfopHkU

This week, we step onto one of Vienna’s most curious bits of street furniture: the humble street scale. Scattered across the city in over 150 locations, these coin-operated relics have no real reason to still exist—yet somehow, they do. We dig into their surprisingly rich history, from imperial times to today’s random encounters with your own body weight on the sidewalk. Along the way, Stephen and Carmen have a small (but passionate) spat about the proper unit of weight (spoiler: it’s kilos), and we can’t help but wonder just how much Emperor Franz Josef’s muttonchops might have tipped the scale.

For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke!

LINKS

https://wien.orf.at/stories/3301198/

https://www.numismatikforum.de/viewtopic.php?t=20435

https://www.derstandard.at/story/1231152644414/stadtteil-poppscher-kampf-gegen-die-fadesse

https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000124660026/ewige-schwergewichte-die-oeffentlichen-personenwaagen-in-wien

In this episode, we’re talking all things Arnold. After watching the Netflix documentary Arnold, we came away with a new-found respect for the man who went from a small town to global superstardom. But we don’t stop there—we dig into a few stories the doc left out, discuss what makes Arnold such a uniquely Austrian export, and explore the concept of Schmäh (that special Viennese blend of charm and cheek) and how Arnie’s got it in spades. Plus, Carmen and Stephen briefly revive an old dispute about the existence of smoothies in Europe. Come for the bodybuilding, stay for the schmäh. 

For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke!

LINKS

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Williams

https://www.derstandard.at/story/2276076/schwarzenegger-stadion-duerfte-umbenannt-werden

https://www.klippmagazin.at/spots-1/arnie-und-sein-stadion

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkur_Arena_(Graz)#Kontroverse_um_den_Stadionnamen;_Namens%C3%A4nderung

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After_Dark_(magazine)

Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6516300

Long before Dubai put ski slopes in the desert, Vienna had its own indoor skiing dream: the Schneepalast (Snow Palace). Opened in 1927 as the world’s first permanent hall for year-round skiing, it was the brainchild of Dagfinn Carlsen—a man who clearly thought no idea was too ambitious. With two ski slopes, a toboggan run, and even a ski jump, Carlsen envisioned competitions, lessons, and endless winter fun... all under one roof. The only problem? The "snow substitute" was a slippery mix of soap and sawdust that behaved nothing like actual snow. Unsurprisingly, things went downhill fast. Oh, and did we mention there's also an assassination attempt in this story? Join us for a deep dive into one of Vienna’s strangest and most forgotten experiments in winter sports history.

For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke!

Links

https://magazin.wienmuseum.at/der-schneepalast-1927

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagfin_Carlsen

https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/Nordwestbahnhof

https://finanzbildung.oenb.at/docroot/waehrungsrechner/#/

In this Zeitgeist episode, we’re sticking our heads in the sand and focusing on the real hard-hitting topics: sausage stands and football. It’s the zeitgeist we want to be living in. We explore the Würstelstand as a cornerstone of Viennese cultural heritage, and Stephen quizzes Carmen on Viennese expressions—only to question her credentials when she doesn’t quite pass the test (but at least she's impressed by his pronunciation). Then, we shift gears to American football and why it’s suddenly gaining traction in Austria. Sausage, slang, and sports—what more could you ask for?

For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke!

Links

https://www.patriots.com/news/austrian-football-association-announces-partnership-with-the-new-england-patriots

https://viennavikings.com/wordpress/2022/09/american-sports-studie-football-immer-popularer-jeder-2-osterreicher-kennt-vikings/

https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000235661/football-214sterreich-ist-europas-f252hrende-kraft-rund-ums-laberl

https://viennavikings.com/

https://apnews.com/video/vienna-united-kingdom-unesco-food-and-drink-4627d1ebef3d4341b651a3017830cfc7

Vienna’s much-loved Würstelstand gets UNESCO recognition | Euronews

Celebrations around the big event - The best Super Bowl parties - from free to deluxe - Vienna | Heute.at

Super Bowl Parties 2025 - the coolest in Vienna and all of Austria

https://www.stadt-wien.at/veranstaltungen/sportevents/superbowl.html#google_vignette

Why is Vienna considered the ultimate playground for spies? We start with the Habsburgs' surprising innovations in spycraft and how Metternich made “the walls listen” with his sophisticated network of informants. From there, we uncover how the city evolved into the espionage capital of the world, from its Cold War heyday to modern cloak-and-dagger operations.  And for those with espionage aspirations, we wrap up with some tips and tricks—just in case you’re looking to trade in your day job for a double life.

For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke!

Links

https://unipub.uni-graz.at/obvugrhs/content/titleinfo/213364/full.pdf

https://greydynamics.com/vienna-a-city-of-spies-a-history-of-espionage/

https://www.thecipherbrief.com/book-review/viennas-history-of-espionage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria_and_Russian_intelligence

 https://secretvienna.org/the-city-of-spies-about-viennas-history-of-espionage/

https://www.bmi.gv.at/104/Wissenschaft_und_Forschung/SIAK-Journal/SIAK-Journal-Ausgaben/Jahrgang_2007/files/Beer_3_2007.pdf

https://www.derpragmaticus.com/r/spionage#:~:text=Spionage%20und%20ihre%20Technologien&text=Die%20Spionage%20richtete%20sich%20als,ge%C3%B6ffnet%20und%20wieder%20verschlossen%20wurden.

https://www.bbc.com/news/10564994

https://www.wienmalanders.at/blog/unterwelt-wien

In this Zeitgeist episode, we’re feeling festive as we dive into holiday traditions from around the world. Carmen and Stephen compare the Christkind to Santa Claus and explore the wild world of St. Nicholas and Krampus—because what’s Christmas without a satanic helper? But we don’t stop at Austria and the U.S.; there’s a delightful sidebar about how Christmas is celebrated in Japan, from fried chicken to commitment to kitsch. Whether you’re team Christkind, Santa, or Colonel Sanders, this episode has something for everyone who loves a good holiday tradition.

For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke!

In the second and final part of our deep dive into Jörg Haider, we explore his fall from grace and untimely death. Along the way, we consider whether Carinthia might just be the Texas of Austria, discuss the correct pronunciation of Phaeton, and dissect the many rumors that swirled around his tragic end. We also examine Haider’s lasting legacy, unpacking the cult of personality that mythologizes his life while conveniently overlooking his corruption and greed. It’s a roller-coaster episode—much like Haider’s life itself.

For more, check us out on social media at viennapastandpresent or at viennapastandpresent.com. Reach out to us at [email protected]. We love hearing feedback and ideas. Danke!

Links

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/jorg-haiders-fatale-erbschaft-7060375.html

https://time.com/archive/6944641/joerg-haiders-troubled-legacy/

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B6rg_Haider

The FPÖ of Jörg Haider - Populist or Extreme Right-Winger? (archive.org)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/feb/04/austria.ianblack

https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/der-lange-schatten-100.html

https://www.dermaerz.at/kaernten-ein-politischer-sonderfall-in-oesterreich-2/

https://www.diepresse.com/layout/diepresse/files/dossiers/hypo/index.html

Jorg Haider successor tells of their 'relationship' (telegraph.co.uk)