On Friday, 8th December 2018, a 52-person group of citizens of the civil guard Crailsheim headed out to Vienna. Without appreciable traffic impairments we arrived punctually in the Austrian capital on the Danube and took up quarters in the education center of the ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) near a railway station (how can it be otherwise) quarters. In the evening we went to the “Schützenhaus” at the Danube Canal for the typical “Wiener Schnitzel”. The owner of the restaurant, Christian Pock, is a member of a traditional Austrian association. So it was obviously a great pleasure for him to feed the civil guard.
The next day, it was time to explore Vienna. Here we met 2 profound city guides (also members of traditional Austrian associations – K and K or Marine Association) at the State Opera. After a small city tour by bus, we went to the Natural History Museum. Then we visited the imperial treasury inside the Hofburg. Strengthened by a lunch in the “Bierklinik”, the church of St. Peter and St. Stephen’s Cathedral were visited. The wonderfully illuminated Christmas market on Rathausplatz invited to stroll and re-strengthen.
At 6 pm, the civil guard arrived in front of the Hofburg in full uniform, where the military greeting of Commander Rosenäcker to Major General iTR Michael Blaha, President of the Union of the European Historical Military Groups, took place. Among other things the President organized the city guides and the performance with the necessary permits from the city of Vienna. After that we marched past the Spanish Riding School to Michaelerplatz where a concert with historical marches (including “Wien bleibt Wien”, “Hoch- und Deutschmeister” and also Christmas carols) took place. We finished with a salute.
From the trade association of the city of Vienna the civic guard was invited to a cup of punch or glühwein and immediately was invited for the next year. We comfortably let the evening end in the quarter. On the next day we visited the Schönbrunn Palace and then started the journey home with many beautiful impressions.
