When Life Calls Out to Us The Love and Lifework of Viktor and Elly Frankl

CHAPTER 1 Beginnings for a Century and a Boy,1905-1915 Some people are born in tranquil places and are formed by gentle events within family, clan, and village. The life of Viktor Frankl and the twentieth century began and ended together, but in his time events were anything but gentle. His years were embedded in his family and in the city of Vienna, and also in the momentous events and international firestorms that overwhelmed them. He was destined to face the best and the worst of the age, and his life can be understood only against the backdrop of time and place. Five years before Viktor's birth, the century had begun on a soaring note. Science, technology, and industry promised a bright future for humankind. Decades of relative peace had lulled people away from the dread of war. In Paris, the Universal Exposition of 1900 symbolized the wonders of the world to come. Transported on a near-miraculous moving sidewalk, visitors stepped on and off at will to see one dazzling display after another. Pavilions awash in electric lights exhibited technological marvels that fired everyone's imagination. With the Industrial Revolution spreading from Britain and America to the world, anything seemed possible! If science and technology sent expectations soaring, so did the hope of prosperity and a better life for everyone. In 1900 many believed that education, literacy, and enlightenment would bring an end to wars in a new society of nations. At last all common people would attain the individual rights for which they longed. Communities, and even continents, would be linked by mechanized mass transportation on rail and sea, by motorized vehicles, and even by flying machines. Communication through newspapers and by wire would shrink the world into a family and--believe it or not--radios were about to start plucking news, music, and amusement from waves floating wireless in the wind. Entertainment was transformed as new movie houses began to show pictures that moved and soon would talk. As the century opened, London was running not only its first motorbuses and subways, but also a huge chunk of the world--an empire so far-reaching that, as the saying went, the sun never set on it. Western empires ruled half the world from Europe to Africa to Asia and back. When Viktor Frankl was born in Vienna in 1905, the city was still one of the majestic capitals of Europe and the imperial seat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire--a vast union of many national groups without a common language. On the surface at least, Vienna shared the hopes of the new century, and its cobblestone streets, still clapped by the shoes of horses, bustled in anticipation of the new era. "The Ring," which surrounds Vienna's old inner city, is the royal boulevard of palaces and parks, music halls, theaters, museums, hotels, office buildings, businesses, and shops. Whether in a horse-drawn streetcar or carriage, or in a newfangled motorcar, riding the Ring in 1905 would remind one of the grandeur of Paris and Rome. From looking at the city's splendor no one would guess that the power of the monarchy and the unity of the empire were crumbling. In music, Vienna stood alone in greatness. But the visitors who poured into the city from around the world did not come just for concerts. The University of Vienna was a hub of intellectual ferment and creativity, and visiting professors from other countries came to learn the latest from its celebrity faculty. Other visitors, with the means required, were patients coming to Vienna in search of the best that medical science could offer. To put it simply, the city was simply grand when Viktor was born. More than any other metropolis, Vienna was sheltered and refreshed by vast surrounding forests. Among the hillside vineyards, large gardens were groomed for festive dining and drinking. There, dizzy patrons slurred through familiar songs as musicians moved from table to table, serenKlingberg, Haddon, Jr. is the author of 'When Life Calls Out to Us The Love and Lifework of Viktor and Elly Frankl' with ISBN 9780385500371 and ISBN 0385500378.