Through the city with Tiefe Kümmernis
Vienna's most dazzling drag queen, Tiefe Kümmernis, shows us her Vienna.
For two years, Tiefe Kümmernis has been guiding groups of visitors through the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna in drag. Her tours are extremely popular and usually fully booked in no time at all. She gave us an exclusive tour of her favorite spots in Vienna: the Kaiserbründl men’s sauna, Café Savoy, the Türkis Rosa Lila Villa and many more - all of them hotspots of the LGBT community.
Kaiserbründl mens' sauna: 'Every corner of this gay sauna is full of history. It was here that Archduke Ludwig Viktor, gay younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph, a.k.a. Luziwuzi, was given a clip round the ear for flirting with a man. Visitors can still lose themselves and enjoy themselves in this labyrinth for hours on end today. A particularly attractive feature: the erotic neo-Baroque wall paintings by Stefan Riedl and the historic nineteenth-century atrium.'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Café Savoy: 'One of the prettiest cafés in Vienna. The huge mirrors adorning the wall inside were made in Belgium in the nineteenth century, and is said to be the biggest in Europe anywhere outside the Palace of Versailles. It is hard to imagine anywhere more stylish for gays and lesbians to enjoy a coffee or spritzer. Café Savoy has been an important meeting place for members of the Viennese LGBT community for decades – right on Naschmarkt, just around the corner from the other hotspots of the sixth district.'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Türkis Rosa Lila Villa: 'Since it was occupied by activists back in 1982, this building has been the go-to institution for the politicallyactive queer community. In addition to two advice centers, the Freiräumchen space hosts events, courses, and sometimes parties too. The successful Queer Base society, which helps LGBTIQ+ refugees, operates from the villa. And then there is the queer community café 'Villa Vida', which serves delicious food. And has a beautiful courtyard!'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Sisi monument/Volksgarten: 'This tucked-away corner of the Volksgarten where Sisi’s statue stands is one of the most beautiful and romantic spots in the whole city. For many, the empress is the embodiment of a grandiose, imperial, romantic fantasy. Others see her as a modern, self-determined woman. Perhaps she is also seen, in the context of the gay and camp aesthetic, as a precursor to twentieth century icons – in the same vein as Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Diana.'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Hrdlicka memorial: 'The Monument Against War and Fascism by Alfred Hrdlicka reminds us that Pride is not just a big party, but an important cause: saying no to oppression and violence. Unlike in Berlin, there is no dedicated monument to the homosexuals persecuted under National Socialism. Perhaps we will bring that about though at some point in the future. Until then I am comforted by the thought that all of the different victim groups are united in this monument. There is strength in solidarity.'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna: 'I started giving regular tours of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna in drag two years ago. I like to coax information out of the collections about queer people in days gone by that could easily go unnoticed at first glance. Here’s a picture that I particularly like, even if it has no relation to queer lifestyles: the Feast of Venus by Rubens, which dates back to 1636/37. The painter overwhelms us visually with a surfeit of moving bodies, fruits, plants, sculptures and lots of exposed skin. It doesn’t get much more Baroque than that!'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Rathauspark: 'Interestingly, the southern half of the park in front of City Hall, right in the heart of the city, is still one of the city’s leading cruising zones to this day. Today, as before, men looking for a certain thrill come to the area as soon as night falls. During the day you can clearly see the tracks through the undergrowth.'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Gallery
Kaiserbründl mens' sauna: 'Every corner of this gay sauna is full of history. It was here that Archduke Ludwig Viktor, gay younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph, a.k.a. Luziwuzi, was given a clip round the ear for flirting with a man. Visitors can still lose themselves and enjoy themselves in this labyrinth for hours on end today. A particularly attractive feature: the erotic neo-Baroque wall paintings by Stefan Riedl and the historic nineteenth-century atrium.'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Café Savoy: 'One of the prettiest cafés in Vienna. The huge mirrors adorning the wall inside were made in Belgium in the nineteenth century, and is said to be the biggest in Europe anywhere outside the Palace of Versailles. It is hard to imagine anywhere more stylish for gays and lesbians to enjoy a coffee or spritzer. Café Savoy has been an important meeting place for members of the Viennese LGBT community for decades – right on Naschmarkt, just around the corner from the other hotspots of the sixth district.'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Türkis Rosa Lila Villa: 'Since it was occupied by activists back in 1982, this building has been the go-to institution for the politicallyactive queer community. In addition to two advice centers, the Freiräumchen space hosts events, courses, and sometimes parties too. The successful Queer Base society, which helps LGBTIQ+ refugees, operates from the villa. And then there is the queer community café 'Villa Vida', which serves delicious food. And has a beautiful courtyard!'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Sisi monument/Volksgarten: 'This tucked-away corner of the Volksgarten where Sisi’s statue stands is one of the most beautiful and romantic spots in the whole city. For many, the empress is the embodiment of a grandiose, imperial, romantic fantasy. Others see her as a modern, self-determined woman. Perhaps she is also seen, in the context of the gay and camp aesthetic, as a precursor to twentieth century icons – in the same vein as Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Diana.'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Hrdlicka memorial: 'The Monument Against War and Fascism by Alfred Hrdlicka reminds us that Pride is not just a big party, but an important cause: saying no to oppression and violence. Unlike in Berlin, there is no dedicated monument to the homosexuals persecuted under National Socialism. Perhaps we will bring that about though at some point in the future. Until then I am comforted by the thought that all of the different victim groups are united in this monument. There is strength in solidarity.'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna: 'I started giving regular tours of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna in drag two years ago. I like to coax information out of the collections about queer people in days gone by that could easily go unnoticed at first glance. Here’s a picture that I particularly like, even if it has no relation to queer lifestyles: the Feast of Venus by Rubens, which dates back to 1636/37. The painter overwhelms us visually with a surfeit of moving bodies, fruits, plants, sculptures and lots of exposed skin. It doesn’t get much more Baroque than that!'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Rathauspark: 'Interestingly, the southern half of the park in front of City Hall, right in the heart of the city, is still one of the city’s leading cruising zones to this day. Today, as before, men looking for a certain thrill come to the area as soon as night falls. During the day you can clearly see the tracks through the undergrowth.'
– © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer
Tiefe Kümmernis loves Vienna: "It's the perfect city for me. There's a lively LGBTIQ scene, although it isn't too wild." She continues: "The scene is Vienna is big enough to be diverse, to allow all sorts of different groups. But it is also small enough to create a sense of community. That's important to me and I like it."
Kaiserbründl Herrensauna
Weihburggasse 18
1010
Vienna
Mo - Th,
14:00 - 00:00
Fr - Sa,
14:00 - 02:00
Su,
14:00 - 00:00
Café Savoy
Linke Wienzeile 36
1060
Vienna
Mo - Fr,
10:00 - 02:00
Sa - Su,
09:00 - 02:00
on holidays,
09:00 - 02:00
Türkis Rosa Lila Villa
Linke Wienzeile 102
1060
Vienna
Villa Vida
Linke Wienzeile 102
1060
Vienna
Tu - Th,
11:00 - 23:00
Fr - Sa,
10:00 - 02:00
Brunch
Su,
10:00 - 15:00
Sisi monument
Volksgarten
1010
Vienna
Memorial against war and fascism by Alfred Hrdlicka
Albertinaplatz
1010
Vienna
Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum)
Maria-Theresien-Platz
1010
Vienna
Main entrance
5 Steps
(Doppelschwingtüre 300 cm wide)
Side entrance
Car parks Main entrance
5
Parking spaces for people with disabilities
Elevator available
Further information
Wheelchair accessible restroom available.
Special offers for people with disabilities
Wheelchair rental possible (please reserve one day in advance).
Guided tours for visitors with special needs as well as tactile tours for the blind and visually impaired on request (Tel. +43 1 525 24-5202). Three masterpieces of the Renaissance collection of the painting gallery, selected objects of the Kunstkammer, the Egyptian-Oriental collection and the collection of antiquities are available to the blind and visually impaired as castings for touching. A brochure with image descriptions of this in Braille is available. The Kunsthistorisches Museum offers workshops for people with dementia (Tel. +41 1 525 24-5202 or email: kunstvermittlung@khm.at)
Wheelchair users who visit the museum via Burgring 5 can purchase their tickets at the shop in the lobby.
Comments
The museum is a place of encounter and sensory perception and offers plenty of opportunity to stimulate vistors and motivate them to interact with one another by looking at art together and then getting creative themselves.
http://www.khm.at/en/learn/kunstvermittlung/inclusive-art-education
City Hall Park
Rathauspark
1010
Vienna
