A LETTER FROM VIENNA; by Jossy Gerö
25 June, 2010
 03[16].jpg "Kleines Cafe (little coffeehouse)")
 clock 03[13].jpg "Ankeruhr (anchor) clock")
OUR first day. Willi and I started our phantom poster run through the streets of my home city, Vienna. We started the poster run after a long period of rain, floods and thunder. A deluge that lasted for weeks. It was the wettest spring for 150 years. And longer than I can remember!
There was snow on the mountains, no chance for postering poems in the city. Then. Finally, THE SUN came out...
Willi and I met in Cafe Englender - a coffeehouse right in the centre of Vienna. We started with a glass of wine. Willi Saar won the Theodor Körner Prize for his book of poetry titled, "Glasstunden". The book is dedicated to Josephine G. That is me. Jossy Gerö. I used to be a Muse (once). Now I am a paediatrician and psychotherapist.
Willi talked about Banksy and how he had met him personally in Goa. His friend in Goa - a painter- had been sitting in a cafe wearing a Banksy shirt. After a while a man came over and asked him about the shirt, and if he knows who this Banksy is. "Of course" said Willi’s friend, and told everything he knew enthusiastically about Banksy. Then the man told him HE IS Banksy.
A few days later the friend took Willi to the hotel, where Banksy lived. But Banksy had a hangover, just shook Willi´s hand. and said he had to go to sleep again. Willi said he looks so normal and average - if he were now to walk by Cafe Englender - he wouldn’t recognize him. I took a picture of Willi with Stephen Oliver’s poster poem “The Great Repression” - and he of me holding the same. A man caught in the middle. We wanted to try out the iphone foto system. ...Would it work??
Our first try was in a passage next to Bäckerstrasse (translates Bakerystreet). We found a strange yellow room with black motifs. Willi was not really convinced of the success of the project at this early stage. How could we compete with Banksy! And then we reached the front of the Old University where we found a fountain and a cupid spearing something. Maybe a poet? And of course, I was happy to pose with cupid. Willi didn’t want to leave the poster there - "Its an antique piece of art", he said "We must not leave it here!" He is not always this shy.
We moved on in our quest around Vienna, and now reached Jesuitengasse. Observe how the tourist office of Vienna regards this little street. And note what WE have found there: the George Bush graffiti! We soon reached Schön Laterngasse (which translates: beautiful lanterns street) yet more graffiti and bicycles, and a tough iron door. From the other side of the street, people in a cafe where watching us with obvious suspicion. Willi was (once) again showing signs of concern.
We then walked into Heiligekreuzerhof (translates Holy Cross Yard). The foundations of the building reach back to the 12th century. It was owned by the Zisterzienser monks. In 17th century the building was renovated and became the oldest apartment building in Vienna. The poster was not easy to fix on that tree outside this building. Leaving the Heiligenkreuzerh, we left another poem on the door to Grashofgasse. Amediaeval door which the photo shows painted a dark prison green – but looking out into the square.
The sunset suggested to us a rest in a tavern in Kleeblattgasse. But our aim was Cafe Hawelka. Here we discovered a cornerstone or a standing circular stone also in Kleeblattgasse (Cloverleafgasse). Another poster poem. Dusk was descending and we were hurrying to reach the famous Cafe Hawelka where the poets, artists and writers congregated at the beginning of the last century. This is Vienna. We are never tomorrow!
Onward to Cafe Hawelka (our ultimate destination) we passed the Ankeruhr, and to quote the Internet: “the Anchor Clock was built between 1911 and 1917 after the plans of the painter Franz von Matsch. It is situated on the oldest square of Vienna 'Hoher Markt' and represents a typical Art Nouveau design. The clock forms a bridge between two parts of the Anker Insurance Company’s building.
The clock itself is adorned with mosaic ornaments. In the course of 12 hours, twelve historical figures or pairs of figures move across the bridge among them, Joseph Haydn, medieval lyricist. Walther von der Vogelweide, Empress Maria Theresa and Prince Eugen of Savoya. Every day at noon, all figures parade accompanied by music from the various eras. This tourist spectacle is a special kind of Viennese High Noon. Ankeruhr (anchor) aims to commemorate Vienna's past and the transitory state of life and being.”
We are moving toward Café Hawelka. I took a photo of Willi with a poem on his chest (like a knight in armour) right in the middle between Kohlmarkt and Graben. We are now in the heart of Vienna and it is dark. Willi looks urgently for a restroom. Hawelka is not far away anymore. We reach it. It is closed. What a pity! We can just place a poster in front of it outside.
We need urgently another café so we decide to go for Das kleine Café; on the way we pass the Jewish Museum but don’t dare to place a poem. Video surveillance!! I see the windowpane of a Galerie with photos in it. I want to take a picture of the poster and the gallery photos on display. But it’s too dark for my composition. I ask Willi to light his cigarette lighter. I think it really worked!! Our creativity boosts another shop window, with animals this time.
We finally we reach Kleines Café (translates: little coffeehouse. It really is small. I place a poster in the newspaper hanging on the wall. We eat and drink, and Willi tells me all about his life philosophy and his lady affaires - with first and last names. It was very late when we left......we had put up poetry posters in the heart (and over the heart) of Vienna.
Postscript:
The following morning I made a little poster run all by myself: Türkenschanzpark - a park not far from my home, and where the Turks gathered when laying siege to Vienna some centuries ago. I took the first entrance with an art deco pissoir and then the other entrance with another heritage protected Jugendstil pissoir. I asked a young guy whether I could fix a poem on his playground gear (I don’t know the name of his sport) and then asked the (dead) famous Viennese author, Arthur Schnitzler, on his stand in the park whether he would join the poem poster ride. Finally I could not resist. I placed a poster exactly on the edge of that pond where (it historically recounted) the poet, Stephen Oliver, once rescued my dog, Toga entangled in pondweed. It was one spring morning long, long ago. 1979. The poet became the lifesaver wading out into the pond to save the dog in real danger of drowning. And he did. I think he hoped for some reward.
Vienna
Wednesday, June 22, 2010. 11.30 pm
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Comments
Once I used to know Willi Saar...
used to walk through Vienna as You both did in "Letter..."
Wonderful remembrances after reading this text struck my mind and suddenly I wish I`d love to meet him after years, speak to him, discover what happened to us after years........
If he is the same Willi who used to live at grunggasse street in Vienna, loving red vine and women :-), let him know there`s human being who missed him very much...
Jossy,it would be great if You could help and sorry for my so personal words in place for comments not for requests...
Wish You all the best in Your life.
With hope. Anna
Anna! I spoke with Willi and he is thrilled.
Grungasse was correct! Can you give him a help to know that you really are "The Anna" he is thinking of ......
And how could you both really get in touch ? Where are you living now ....aso
cupidus Jossy