SCHNITZLER'S VIENNA

;._ :
~ - Image of a Society

...

Bruce Thompson

London and New York

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First published 1990
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by Routledge
il Nevv Fetter Lane, Lnndcn ~C4P 4TIE CONTENTS
Simultaneously published ir1 ik i.c:sA and Canada
by Routledge
a division of Routledge, Ch:o[c''-- -~'id Hall, Inc. ~
29 West 35th Street, New Yt!}:, NY 1000!
1990 Bruce Thompson ~
Typeset in 10/12 Garamond by Colu!Pns of Reading j~
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Primed in Grear Britain by TJ Pre;~{Padstow) Led, Padsww, Cornwall !.~
,;\;,. '; .
All rights reserved. No part of fthi~ book may be reprinted or
reproduced or urilized in anY, form or by any eleccronic,
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including phorocopying and recording, or in any information
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Preface
Abbreviations
v
vii
storage or retrieval sy'srem, without permission in writing from Map of Schnitzler's Vienna viii
the publishers. -~

Britiih Library Cataloguing in Publication Data THE SETTING

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Thompson, Bruce .,
Schnitzler's Vienna: image of a society.
1. Drama in German. Austrian wflrers. Schnitzler, 2 THE LITERARY IMAGE 15
Anhur, 1862-1931 .
I. Tide
832'.8 3 THE FREUDIAN CONNECTION 32
ISBN o-415-02378-5

Library of CongmJ Cataloging-in-Publicathn Data 4 THE SEXUAL CONTEXT 55

Thompson, Bruce.
Schnitzler's Vienna: image of a sociery I Bruce Thompson. 5 THE BOURGEOISIE 91
p. em.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN o-415-02378-5 6 THE SOCIAL FA<,;:ADE 114
l. Scbniczler, Arrhur, 1862-1931 - Contemporary Austria. 2. Vienna
(Austria) in literature. 3. Vienna (Austria) - Incellecrual Lite.
I. Tide. 7 SOCIAL GROUPS 131
PT2638.N5Z894 1990
832' .912 - dc20 89-70123 l
I
CIP !
8 POLITICS AND THE JEWISH QUESTION 160
!
I 9 REALIST AND CRITIC 177

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Notes
Selected bibliography
Index
194
206
210
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 sc:; i?-<iTZ!.iiR"S VIENNA SOCIAL GROUPS

holder was entitled t0 v.;c;;.t the uniform even when not on active had tO CUt down his visitS tO coffee-houses and expenses On
duty. Schnitzler hims~~r s,:;fved his year as a cadet in 1882-3 in cigarettes, and has ceased spending money on women al-
the military hospital i11 Vienna, was commissioned as a medical together. He has to rely on visits tO rich acquaintances for the
officer of the reserve, and testifies in his autobiography to the occasional free meal, and has his eye on the daughter of a
glamour of the life, and in particular to the fascination which he wealthy industrialist for the dowry she might bring him. His
1
exercised over women through the power of his uniform. The former colleague Otto Bogner has had to leave the army because
reaction in Liebelei of Mizi tO the photograph of Fritz of gambling debts, and now cuts a sorry figure as the fallen
resplendent in his magnificence as a handsome young officer officer, pale and shabbily dressed, and reduced to tears as he
provides a typical example of this effect. relates his experiences. An equally pathetic case is that of
Though he enjoyed the elegant life-style afforded him by his Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Fabiani, the father in Therese, who
rank, Schnitzler's reaction to his experiences as a cadet and to retires from the army at the age of sixty, and suddenly finds
the behaviour and attitudes of his colleagues, was essentially himself deprived of the regular habits, security and dignity of
negative. Several diary entries testify to his detestation of the officer life. He tries to recapture his identity by holding
everything connected with the military organization, and his forth on political and military matters in local inns, where he
lack of commitment to the duties of a cadet is indicated in a often appears in fu11 uniform, suffers from delusions of
very cynical account in his autobiography of army manoeuvres, grandeur, and is eventually confined ro a lunatic asylum.
2
from which he and his companions simply deserted. His Schnitzler's hostility towards military life was expressed most
antipathy towards militarism is also expressed in the highly forcefully in his criticism of the code of honour and rhe
critical picture he presents in his works of army life, of the associated practice of duelling, which, though technicaJiy illegal
temperament of rhe typical officer and of the code of conduct according to the Civil Law, was still widely indulged by regular
expected of him. The play Freiwild (1896), for example, takes officers and by officers of the reserve. In effect rhe code of honour
place in a provincial spa not fur from Vienna, where a cavalry had jurisdiction over most male members of the upper
regiment is stationed. The officers appear to lead a life of idle bourgeoisie. For Schnitzler the obligation to duel, particularly
pleasure, drinking, gambling and flirting with the actresses of for civilians, was the most conspicuous and obnoxious symptom
the local provincial theatre, the 'fair game' referred to in the of militarism in society, and his attitude is conveyed in a
plays title. There are references tO late moonlight parties, open- number of major works, from the early play Freiwild to the
~\ air concerts, tennis parties with the local bourgeoisie, whom the posthumously published Der Sektmdant. 3 These feature a variety
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of duels, which afford considerable insight into the conventions

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officers treat with disdain. The prime offender is Karinski, a
cavalry officer with an aggressive temperament, who has of the practice.
previously been pursued for gambling debts, and has recently In Freiwild the possibiliry of a duel arises through the
been charged with assaulting a civilian in a restaurant. During behaviour of Lieutenant Karinski, whose position in the cavalry
the course of the play Karinski behaves in a highly offensive regiment is very much in question due to his gambling debts,
manner tO the heroine Anna Riedel, a virtuous and serious- and who is therefore desperate to find a means of demonstrating
minded bourgeois girl, who is in her first post as an actress with that he is a man of honour. The method he chooses is ro goad
the local company. Schnitzler was also very much aware that the the central character; Paul Ronning, into insulting him.
life of the career officer was not always as glamorous as it was Ronning is normally a courteous and mild-mannered man, who
popularly held to be, particularly if he did not enjoy the has recently been ill and has during his convalescence struck up
advantages of a substantial private income with which to a close, but wholly innocent friendship with the actress Anna
supplement his pay_ In Spiel im Morgengratten Lieutenant Willi RiedeL Meanwhile Karinski is also attracted towards Anna, and
Kasda lives in modest, penny-pinching circumstances because publicly, and in Ronning's presence, announces his intention of
the regular allowance paid him by his uncle has ceased. He has visiting her in order to invite her to dinner. When he returns to

l32 133

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Ill SCHNITZLER'S VIENNA

of a civilized soocry, ~tnd ir is arguable that rhe Viennese social

or
fa~ade. was no tn:'.>tc at.:ifici,,l hypocritical than elsewhere. But 7
Schnitzler's d'r;;m:::rc;'~ iYl_;:a:-.-c so often like marionettes, performing
roles i.rrq::;-o;:d up-on t~~S.i social convention and the require-
ments of geoil t:~sn~, f\::'( (>ne is left wit!~ the impression that the SOCIAL GROUPS
veneer of supei!k){;! >:>::m and cowardly hypocrisy, the fa~ade of
politeness ar'd f:t>:< i<:cspectability adopted during social en-
counters, ar~ n< ( f::c:u~es of his society .....

.......

THE ARMY AND THE CODE OF HONOUR

Though Schnitzler's world is largely that of the professional
bourgeoisie, other identifiable social groups with which he came
to be associated also feature in his literary works. In particular
he was well acquainted with the intellectual and cultural circles
of the city_ But one of the major institutions of the empire to
:- find a place in so many of his stories and plays is the army. As a
military cadet, and then as a medical officer in the reserve.
Schnitzler had first-hand experience of army life. In any case,
because of the prominent position occupied by the officers of the
:Imperial Army in the social fabric of Vienna, it is not surprising
'that army officers are present in such considerable numbers in
Schnitzler's works. The Austrian Empire had a large and
expensive standing army, and irs officers enjoyed a privileged
position within society, forming a highly conspicuous element
in the day-to-day official and social life of the capitaL They were
seen on parades, at balls and dances, theatres and concerts, in
the coffee-houses and restaurants. With their brilliant uniforms
they made up a truly representative part of the ostentatious
display of gay Vienna.
The number of officers and ordinary soldiers in the standing
army was augmented by a considerable reserve. This was fed by
a three-year conscription system, though university students
were allowed to serve for just one year as officer-cadets, known
as 'Einjiihrig-Freiwillige'. At the end of his year's service the
young cadet was commissioned as a woefully prepared second
lieutenant of the reserve, and received promotion to the rank of
first lieutenant on attending the annual exercises. The tide of
Leutnant der Reserve carried a great deal of social kudos, and its

130 131
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SCHNITZLER'S VIENNA SOCIAL GROUPS
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[
"~ Schnitzler's basic hostility to the inhumanity and brutality of Schnitzler touches on the issue in his treatment of an incident in
" the code of honour was accompanied by a contempt for the sheer Der Weg ins Freie. It concerns young Leo Golowski, who has
.,f. pettiness of some of irs aspects, which may seem almost comic to suffered from various anti-Semitic inconveniences quring his year
" the objective outsider, bur could srill have absurdly violent as a volunteer, particularly at the hands of Lieutenant Sefranek. At
consequences. 7 An incident from rhe novel D~- lf/eg in.r Ft-~ie will the conclusion of his year Leo accosts Sefranek, threatens him
illustrate che poin~. Ii: concerns a confrontation between young physically, and in the ensuing duel shoots him dead. leo is
Oskar Ehrenberg and his father. The Ehrenbergs are Jews and arrested, and the legal authorities are co try him for murder.
wealth}' members of the upper bot;rgeoisie, but. the t~Hher clings ro Attempts are made by Leo's lav.-yer to get the trial quashed, but
his Jewish. identity and disapproves of his famity's social initially these faiL It is assumed by Leo's Jewish friend Berthold
aspirations. In particular he is hostile ro rhe snobbish pretensions Stauber that the legal authorities are coming under pressure from
of Osk(lr, who is attempting w assimilate inw high society. The influential parties, who wish to prevent Jews from seizing an
conflict comes w a head when Oskar, in an attempt to impress advantage over Christians through the medium of the dueL Had
some young aristocrats, raises his hat like a good Cttholic, as he Leo fallen and Sefranek been arrested, the official attitude would
passes the Michaelerkirdie. His father regards :~his as treachery to have been entirely different. In other words Schnitzler uses the
the Jewish faith and boxes Oskar's ea_~s. Acc'or,j!ng to the code incident initially to highlight the Jewish question. Bur he chen
Osj{ar is dishonoured by rhis pub! ic assault, bti~ ;is a son is not shelves the issue by refusing to rake the matter to its ultimate
ltl-"1 f ~

:i perrn!trcd t6 challerige his farher to a di.Iel,' a'nd: so cannot expiate conclusion - Leo is eventually pardoned by the emperor before he ::.:~
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the ~hame. Thus he wilt be excluded from 'high circles' and will comes to triaL In effect this deprives the Jews of exploiting the
H
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lose his rank as a lieun:nanr i.n rhe rcserye. The narrative voice
du'ring this intidenr is that of Therese GolO\,;ski,- who takes an
incident as providing evidence of anti-Semitism in official places,
but Therese Golowski takes the opportunity to renew her attack on
?~ the duelling system per se: as far as she is concerned the release of
H ironiC line on the 1rher-son confrontation, and hopes that the
Leo simply demonstrates that the code of honour is itself corrupt,
episode will show Oskar whar a fool he has been tO aspire to a
H
~~ ~ocial group with such ridiculous principles. The episode has a
and amounts co a legal sanction to commit murder, condoned by a
~~ ; militaristic state.
grotesque sequeL To salvage his honour Oskar Attempts suicide,
~ i In Der Weg ins Freie Schnitzler's criticism of the code of honour
.n but succeeds only in blinding. himself in the_ right eye. For
is implied implicitly in his depiction of the kind of situation which
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:q Heinri~h Bermann the whole SCtjuence of events rakes on the
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can arise because of the code's very existence. Criticism is also
nature of a tragi-comedy: old Ebre1,1berg's orig.inal assault on his
H voiced through the opinions of a number of characters, who are
son was a bruraliry, Oskars suicide <l.ttempr stupidity, its failure
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clumsiness. Perhaps tht: ulrimace bs~rdity !s tl1ar the botched
aireinpr was itself sufficient for Oskar to retain his honour and
representative of the numerous groups hostile at the time to elitist /
and militaristic practices. In Schnitzler's most celebrated treatment\,:r ~~/dJL
of the army mentality, the short story Le11tnant Gust!, he succeeds @ ,
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nink~ very cleverly in indicating to the reader exactly what he thinks of
-~ H ' One of rhe social and political issLies of ~he day which had side- the code through his exposure of the thoughts and feelings of a
effect's on the operation of the code of l1onom was the growing lieutenam, who is depicted, initially at least, as one of the code's
feeling of anti-Semitism in Vien~a at the rurn of rhe century. most enthusiastic representatiyes, Here there is no narrative
Though duels between non-Jews and Jews \\iere quite common by ~ commeni:, and no direct criticism from other characters, only the
the 1890s, the so-called Waidhofener BesrM11fl of 18.96 put an end l
to them amongst stmknts by deClaring Jews ro be 'satisfaktions-
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voice of Gustl himself. Yet through the medium of Gustl's internal
monologue Schnitzler borh ridicules Gusd's failure to uphold the
unfahig' (ineligible ro give satisfaction). 8 This sinister develop- t code to the last degree, and at the same time conveys his hostility
ment was followed by attempts amongst the military to deprive li to a code that places such unnatural and inhuman demands upon
chose who come within its orbit.
Jewish officers of the 'privilege' of being permitted to duel.
136 I
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 SCHNITZLER'S VIENNA SOCIAL GROUPS

his colleagues with the news that 'Anna would not even admit Wir Ieben innerhalb eines Kreises, in dem diese Anschauungen
him, Ronning shows his amusement ar this expected rebuff. maBgebend sind, und es ist nicht moglich, sich dariiber
Karinski now attempts to provoke Ronning. First he demands w hinwegzusetzen. Du darfst es so wenig wie ein anderer.
know the cause of Ronning's amusement. Ronning is evasive. (DW I, 299)
Then Karinski suggests that perhaps Anna _locked her door to
(We are part of a society in which these views are sacrosanct,
him because she had company (with the implication that her
and it is impossible ro ignore them. You cannot do this, any
guest was male). Ronning still refuses to rise w rhe bait, but
more than anyone else.)
responds that she was presumably protecting herself from
Karinski's 'advances'. Karinski now seizes h1s chance, and takes The code governs all social interaction. The moment that Ronning
offence that his invitarion to dinner issued to some 'tart from responded in anger to Karinski's provocation, he was placing
the theatre' should be tantamount to 'making. advances'. At this himself within its demands. Indeed, as soon as Karinski asked him
blatant insuh w Anrra's hcmour Ronning strikes him in the face. why he was smiling in satisfaction at Anna's rejection of Karinski,
The rules of the code vf honou~ now decree- tbat Karinski has Ronning should have offered a duel! His refusal of Karinski's
the right to demand a duel with Ronning, who i:n turn has the proposal is 'impossible', and he is thereby making himself a social
obligation to 'give satisfaction'. Karinski has been doubly outcast. Moreover Karinski himself will remain 'dishonoured', and
, insutred, first by :1--te insinuation chat 'his invii:arion ro Anna will be forced to resign his commission. Thus Karinski's only
represented a (sexc:>D .<lvance, secondly by the i'hysical blow; so solution will be to pursue Ronnirrg and force him to give
that a duel is t1;_; cdj .;:;HlS (or him t<> restore his lost honour. satisfaction. If this fails his only face-saving alternative is to kill
The, situatio:. is "p~;t;:;:tly <thsurd. lJ has been deliberately Ronning, and then to commit suicide.
engineered by f;:;;.; ::;ski .'.:h(\ wished Ronning to insult him. If The possibility of a physical threat from Karinski places
anyone's hz;nr'ur, 1\':s bc>:eJ i,nj~l:-<:d it has beenAniia's. Karinski's Ronning in a dilemma. Anna Riedel urges him to flee, but
interest in Ann;; ,_vw; h~~.~c'd sexual, so that Ronning's so-called Ronning argues that to do so would be w acknowledge the validity
I insuft' was b,_., (i ~t"'r")'",~t'f<t . of the truth! The duel is simply a of the code; yet if he remains he must fight Karinski in order to
means (or Karins'\T ir:" .~tf:;y an unpleasant th1th. Furthermore, ;protect himself Ronning's answer is to confront Karinski openly,
because Karinski . i5 Zi':'c:inicaUy} the insulted ' part}', he has 'insisting on his right to go away or remain as he pleases. Karinski's
choice of weapon" "'-] the right, shouid he chooSe pistOls, to response is to shoot Ronning dead. 4 Karinski has salvaged his
shoot first' honour, but to retain it he must now commit suicide. Schnitzler
The absurdity of the siruation is"srressed further by Ronning's was clearly aware that the defeat and death of Ronning, the
response to the challenge, and the ensuing (,'Onsequences. Ronning representative of humanity and common sense, at the hands of
is a ~ ci~ilian, a man of private means, with .-no profession or unscrupulous prejudice, would shock the audience into an
responsibilities, and possessing a11 independent disposition and awareness of the inhuman brutality of the code. 5 That Karinski
intelligent mind. His reaction is co reject Karinski's proposal out must likewise pay for his actions with his own life only heightens
ofhand. As far as he is concerned Karinski has behaved like an oaf, the absurdity of this outmoded, but still prevailing convention.
and has been treated as such. To have insulted' Karinski in this Because of the provocative nature of the play's theme and
fashion det:s not constitute a willingness on his own part to stand implications, Freiwild was not felt suitable for performance at the
up and have himself shot dead. The circumsri'mccs and probable Burgtheater, but instead had its premiere in Berlin. A brief run in
consequences of the duel are OQt of all proportion to the incident the Carlthearer in Vienna in 1898 aroused fierce hostility from
that has provoked it, and de(v all sense of logic: Karinski actually military circles (Ronning was dismissed as a first-class coward), 6
deserved the blow he received, bur Ronning does not deserve to die and only in 1905, when the general feeling in Vienna had itself
for delivering it! Yet Ronning is told that he and his fellow become more hostile to duelling, did the play enjoy success at the
civilians are as much b()und by the code as the regular officers: Deutsches Volksrheater.
134 135
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I~ SOCIAL GROUPS
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1\. absurd it is that such a petty incident shoi.lld require the sacrifice of ! ~
~S.~itE!_~Of1,~[..:_~e_codeit.self and what it stands for .. He even begins
I a young life: to sense thiS on a consctous level as he searches desperately for an
1:
. es ist ja zu dumm, zu dumm! - Deswegen soli ein Ked wie ich, l 1
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alternative to suicide: 'Gusd, can it be chat you don't really believe_::Jc' ..
in it any more?' But generally his attitude is conveyed If '

l so ein junget;, fescher Me;~SCh ... Ja, nachher mochten's gewiB

.;t

alle sagen': das h~tt' er doch nicht run miissen, wegen so einer unconsciously through the disparaging references to the code that
~ Dummheit; es ist doch schad' 1 he involuntarily allows to invade his thoughts. As he contemplates
~ . : (ES I, 347) emigration to America as a means of escape, he recalls the case of a

I (it's tOO Stupid, tOO Stupid! -that aJI becatJSe of that, a chap like
1 dishonoured count who recendy made his fortune there, and can ...

II
ll' now jeer at the 'whole caboodle'. Gust! is aware of the injustice of -
~ me, so young and attractive, should have to : . ~ Yes, afterwards a situation that allows. the baker to live on with impunity, whilst
ll
I'm sure they'll all wanr ro say: he shouldn't have had ro do that
I
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{or such a silly mistak~; it's a real shame!).
he must die a wretched death, and he has to force himself to obey a , i/
code that he actually describes as a 'load of old rubbish'. But Gustl 7:: ..
~-~ Several rimes ~more ;enrime~tal Gusd beccilnes i-'isible when he ! is at best only vague~~- ~~(l~~~Qil~ _of .Qjs rejec,tion of_ t~~ co9.~, and ir~
1
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~ realizes the effecr that his dearh will have on others: his mistress !~ is only a temporary condition. Having escaped from his terrifying!

I Steffi will weep; his sister Klara, who ha.s had little luck in life,
. will be unhappy at now losing her only brother; Anna, the girl f
obligation, he can now reassume his outward display of self-
confidence and aggression, and he contemplates with relish the

ti!
fr~m home who loved him dearly, will be distr~ssed at his early I prospect of the appointed duel, and of making mincemeat of his
death; asfor the effect on his mother, that, does nor' hear thinking t' opponent.
Schnitzler's cynical presentation of Lieutenant Gustl's superficial
abOut. Occasionally a softer, more hLtman side to Gustl is seen ~
beneath the brash and aggressive exterior: he longs to confide in .i and selective observation of the code of honour is balanced by the
another human being, he admits he is afraid ot the step into the It deeply ingrained sense of personal honour displayed by Lieutenant
Willi Kasda of Spiel im Mm-gengrauen. Kasda is no paragon of
tinknO'wn, chat he is on rhe brink of tea~s a.~ he contemplates
writing to his sisi:er. The letter irself is that ofa gentle, caring and virtue, particularly in his relationships with the opposite sex, but
J
at heart he is a decent and generous man, and when his former

~
peni ten(man:
friend, rhe now disgraced Lieutenant Bogner, comes to him
Du rri~J3t mir verzeihen, Iiebe Schwesrer, urid bitte, trosre auch

I
begging for financial assistance, Kasda resolves to help him.
die lieben Elrern. Ich wei/3, daJ3 ich euch allen manche Sorge I Unfortunately the means he chooses to raise money for Bogner is to

I'
gemacht habe und manchen Schmerz bereitet; abet glaube mir, gamble, initially with caution and within his own financial limits,
l
ich habe euch aile immer sehr lieb' gehabt,. und ich hoffe, du l
but when the fever grips him uncontrollably at the gambling table
witst ooch einmal glucklich '\.verden, ineine Iiebe Klara, und Kasda finds himself indebted to the sum of eleven thousand florins.
t deine'~ unghicklichen Bruder nicht ganz vergessen. fi
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Kasda recognizes that his failure to settle his debt would mean
~ . (ES I, 363) dishonourable resignation from the army (as in the case of Bogner
(You must forgive me, dear sister, and please, comfort our dear ! himself), and because he cannot contemplate this, the thought of
~~ t
parents too. I know rhar I have ~aused you all a deal of worry, suicide crosses his mind. But Kasda's sense of honour does not yet
t it
10
require him to take his life, and he attempts to rescue the situation
and at times have hurt you wo; but believe me, I have always r
tl"-: loved you all dearly, and l. hope you will be
happy once again,
Jll by begging for money, first from his uncle, and then from his
uncle's wife (and his own former mistress), Leopoldine. 11 Only

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my dear Klara, and not forger your unhappy brother altogether.)
after his humiliating experience with the latter, which culminates
Apart from these suggestions of a man emotionally our 'of tune ~
with what is demanded of him, Schnitzler- aiso-gives -.'vefal I~ in his deeply shameful realization that he has been prepared to
prostitute himself in order to obtain money and the restoration of

I
indications that, deep down, Gtistl does not really _______....,_
believe in the
1 his honour, does Kasda take the final step. Kasda cannot live with
140 ~
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 SCHNITZLER'S VIF.Nl':IA SOCIAL GROUPS

In the early stages of the story G~stl is pr~sented as the guardian challenge the baker to a duel, because the baker is not high enough
of the honour and dignity of the Imperial Army. As he sits at the up the social scale; he cannot pursue the baker and kil~ him, for he
concert his mind . wanders ro the previous evening and his should have done that at the time of the incident~~fie cannot beg
encounter in the coffee-house with a lawyer (a socialise), who has the baker to keep silent, for this will only compound his
dared_.t.o suggest in public that not all imperial o.(fic;e_rs llav~joined dishonour; if he goes and asks his colonel's advice he will
the army soldy to defend the Jinherland. Gust! has raken this as a undoubtedly have ro resign. But it is only when he remembers that
personal insult, rantamounc ro a suggesrion that ht: became a cadet next day he is due to fight his duel with the lawyer, that he
simply .because he had been ejected from school and had no other
alternative. His response has been to challenge the lawyer ro a
j recognizes the full implications; the dishonour .l.J.e has allowed
himself to suffer has rendered him 'satisfaktionsunfahig'; whether
duel. Gust! can claim that he is thereby defending his honour as an
officer. The colonel of his regimenr has confirmed thaClie has i
1
or nor others are aware of this, his own knowlf:dge-cirllis-condition
requires him to commit suicide. '/
behaved 'correctly', and be is likely ro enhance his reputation as a During the course of Gustl's wanderings through the night,
result. Yet his subsequent" thoughts during rile 'course .of the l Schnitzler shows us that when this ultimate sacrifice is required of
evening reveal to the reader that he has indeed joined i:he army as a f him, his lieutenant's devotion to the r;pde .is Q!J~ a hollow shl!Jll.
--regular officer simply because he is fitted to do.lirtle else. Like Most obviously this is r~eaied through Gustl's joyous reaction to
~arinski''s challenge ro Paul Ronning in Freiui!d, Gusrrs duel is a tne J:>iik~:{s: 7Qrruit0;J5- ciearr Previously ne hacr':scat:ed quttf
respo~se to a valid accusation. Its function is co: enable him to deny car~go~ically rha,~~~y~~!f the biker did ~He i:ilat .IJ.1gl1r; 1r'was--i~.
('leg~Jfi' d 'officially') an unpleasant truth. In this instance it own awareness of his dishonour chat was the decisive. factor. Now
requires little courage on usd's pan to Invoke the code of he feels tru;_t the r~~o~al of rhe baker convenie~d y ~eli~v~s !lirri. gf
honour. As the injured party he has choice ofweapons, namely his obligati<m. Indeed,' had he nor le~t ofrhe @~r;~4~a~4,'h.e
sabres, and as a regular officer in practice he has the upper hand. would haV'eshot himself 'iri. vrun~- fn ..the interests of escapingw.ish,
Hence his confidence, and the:: reader is left ro infer the iniquity of his life he has thus ~bandonedaltogeth~r hi~ o.o/n ..
P,i~.Il.~~pl~s W'Il~~
a system which permits ignorance and brute force 'to prevail over the story was first published in the Neue Freie Presse in 1900, ir was
intelligence and insight. fiercely attacked in military circles, and Schnitzler, as an officerjg_
In this situation Gustl behaves enthusiastically and confidently the reserve, was actually summoned before a milltary tribunal. 10
within the terms of the code simpiy because he ha's the physical It was felt that in presenting a situation in which' a lieutenant in_
advantage'. During his encounter with the baker it) the foyer of the effect takes the coward's way out, Schnitzler had insuiteq J:~e
rhearre, ho~ever, this is nor rhe case. The: baker compromises honour of his station and calied into question the ~putation for
Gustl's position in three ways. Firsr he refuses to give way in the courage, discipline and -loyalty of the average officer of rhe 1mperiiU
queue and responds i;; ;:.;nd to Gustl's verbal challe'nge; secondly Army. It is true thar basically Gusd is exposed as ii coward: Btit ..in
he prevent!; Gusd fr:m d.;.: :>"icg ~is .sword through sheer physical their outrage over the final outcome it is possible that the
strength; thirdly h: i.h-c;c,;:s I'S break his sword into pieces, but authorities overlooked a potentially even more explosive implica-
rhen promises ,,,,, tO l'llin G:';cl''i career by so doing. Gustl's tion of the narrative, namely that the reader is encouraged to be
problem is th:lt he L':<; bc;~~uniF::ted by a Kleinbiirger, a civilian pleased at Gusd's lucky escape. ~~ is. th.e code itse~ftha.t .is
beneath his sochi -r~Ur it t:1kes him some time before he presented as the greater evil, more evil cen.ainly than-its.impe~~.
appreCiates the awfd tor'"nien:.es. Gi.!stl knows that aq:;or~l~lLtO &ir v;rYlWman repi:ese~~riy~. ..
the code he shouid ~<l~c r~; '-'""trl his sword and C:lirYed the baker to As- G~tl ~aiks. thro~gh rhe ci ry streets preparing himself for the
pieces, "and recogn:,, . ~c if !:tis failure to do this had been final act, the uncontrolled inner ramblings of his mind betray, on a
obserV-ed by others h.~ \,:.;',;id have had to commit suicide on the human level, a basic lac~ .. of. sympa,thy w.ith the s.9Cie, the
spot. But even after the baker's departure he realizes the incident is implications of which he himself does nor grasp, but which the
not closed, and that his honour is still compr~mi~ed, He cannot reader is easily able to perceive. Gust! senses, for example, how
138 139
 ito
l
~- SCHNI'fZ.LER'S VIENNA
~
~
SOCIAL GROUPS
i! ~
i
~ his attitude through rhe comments of characters representing the I ('This stupidity! This honour, which is attached to that
i
f
various protesting groups, such as Therese Golowski or Heinrich t ridiculous tassel on the sabre. One cannot even escort a woman
~-
Bermann in Der Weg ins h-eie. In this novel too, an Englishman t home! Don't you see how stupid that is? What nonsense', he
suddenly cried, 'what infamous nonsense!')
1
~
Ralph Skelton voices his criticism of the duel within the context of
a general assessment of circumstances in Austria. For Skelton it is \ Later Carl Joseph is in fact forced to resign from the army in
~
~
~

i
characteristic of a 'prevailing lack of sincerity in Austrian society
rhat duels are fought ben.veen people who feel no hatred for each
other, jusr as love affairs are pursued without expectations of
mi1mal fidelity. In orher words the duel is yet another ingredient
It particularly shameful and dishonourable circumstances, when he
fails to respond with appropriate belligerance to a fellow officer
who casts aspersions on his patriotism and loyalty.
~ ~ Roth's devastating account of an army whose officers are only
F in the fa<;ade of Ausrrian social iife. ~ half-heartedly going through the motions of a code of practice in
I ; ~] Schnitzler's criticisms of the duel and of the. code of honour are 1-
which they no longer believe, has no direct parallel in Schnitzler's
f j]
s:
E are tee nically ~
~ I works. Likewise 'Roth's exposure of the weaknesses of the
iJi Apart rom the
i
~. ! ]l
1l l .
momemary, ha -conscious utterances of LieL1tenant Gusd, I unwieldy, ungovernable empire, his portrayal of the monotony of
garrison life on the eastern frontier that led to gambling and
!r
\t, Ul. ;
~ ... ~-
schn'itzlers works conram no explicit condemnation of the code
from the inner ranks. In ~iew of rhe recep(ion which greeted I drinking amongst the officers, constitutes a much more detailed
~-.
. JF f . .
Freiwiid a[]d Lmtnant Gu.rtl, it is nor surprising that Schnitzler
E
i
treatment of army life, through which the wider political
~
fi 1~1 ; should have avoided such risky mare rial, and it is apparent that he
I
implications are dearly visible. The moral degradation in the army

I !h : . lacked the advantage of hindsight and the freedom enioyed by later

reflects that in the government of the empire as a whole.
Nevertheless Schnitzler's exposure of the absurdity and futility of

t
1f:
Hi [,
. H! t
' !! l'
writers, such as Joseph Roth. In Roth's Radetzkymarsch, for
example, which contains a detailed and fiercely critical analysis of
army life and protocol, a duel rakes place in grotesquely absurd
i ~
f
the code at all levels at which it operates, provides a striking
anticipation of some aspects of Roth's analysis. Schnitzler's harsh
Hl circumstances. The young hero Cud J)seph, is rumoured ro be ii criticism of the principles governing the behaviour of army officers
lt.
~:
ljl having an affair with the wife of the regimental docfor, Demanc. t
contrasts markedly with the romanticized portrayal of cavalry life
of some of the popular literature of the time, for example Baron
, 1!1 This Carl Joseph denies, and the rumour is parendy untrue. But ~

~-
Torresani's novel Aus der schiinen wilden Leutnantszeit (1889) and its
H! Cad Joseph has been seen csconing Frau Dernant home from che ~

tt %! ) theatre in suspi<"ious cJrcumsrances, which. prompts Count ~ sequel Scbwarzgelbe Reitergeschichten, which tended to idealize the
~
~.
~
Hi
Hj
Tattenbach, who is drunk at the rime, to publicly warn Demant
about his wife's conducr. .As a result Demaiit is honour bound to II army and depicted its officers as dashing, handsome and brave. Yet
even these works were tinged with nostalgia for a more glorious
past, a tacit admission of decline. 1 ~ Schnitzler was not alone in his
"'
:!!,
!i! challenge nor Carl Joseph, bur Tatrenbach, and in the ensuing .fi
I . H! , dud is killed. Carl Joseph, who comes OLit ofrhe affair with no t criticism, which reflected a widespread contempt in more
progressive circles for the army and irs outmoded ideals and ~/ ~j ~
.
1H~r~ credit or honour at all, has to uansfer to another regiment. Before
iH. ~ ~ ..J the duel rakes place, Roth includes a scene between Carl Joseph i practices. This contempt achieved its most effective expression in f', ~

I nI , the army scenes of Karl Kraus's Die letzten Tage der Memchheit, in
i ,~,, ~- .. m
',,;:JY-
and Dema~t, in which rhe latter ~uestions the values of the code _in ~ which Kraus picks out the very negative characteristics of the
; :ll ~'IJ no uncertam terms, and urges Carl Joseph ro leave the Impenal ~
:i military that Schnitzler had condemned before him. The young
J lH Army altogether: . f officers of the RingstraBe ar the beginning of the play have no
-~Hi 'Diese Dummheit! Diesc Hire, die in der bli)den Troddel da am I awareness of the political implications of Sarajevo, and are more
':~ l Sabel hangt. Mari kann cine Frau nicht nach Haus' begleiten! ~ concerned with the social whirl of dinner engagements, drinking
)l l Siehst du, wie dumm das ist? Blodsinn!' schrie er plOrzlich, I
~
parries and sexual conquests. As the war proceeds .and harsh reality
iii 14 catches up with the illusion, Kraus exposes the brutality and
:! ~
'infamer Blodsinn!' ij
145
li j
": i!~
144
;
1 i
:1 J I
 SCHNITZLER'S VIENNA SOCIAL GROUPS

the knowledge that he has attempted to purchase his honour as an is now effectively over) is suggested by the sombre effect that ir has
officer with the price of his honour as a man. His nagic suicide, on the atmosphere of the play, and by the shadow which it casts
which results from a profound sense of personal dignity, is a fur over the new relationship between Fritz and Christine.
more admirable sacrifice chan the meaningless loss of life caused by The sheer complexity of the code and its implications for t:he
the mechanics of an inhuman code. lives and reputations of respectable bourgeois citizens may be
Despite the growing opposition within certain Viennese circles appreciated from an episode in Das Weite Land, the drama whose
to a code whose associated practices were recognized as outmoded events culminate in the fatal duel between the industrialist
and essentially barbaric, it still exercised a powerful influence on Friedrich Hofreiter and the naval officer Otto von Aigner. But even
the attitudes and behaviour of officers, and of civilians too. In Der before this incident and the bizarre circumstances that led tO it,
Sekundant Schnitzler's narrator looks back with nostalgia, though the subject of duels, imaginary and fictitious, potential but
also with considerable irony, from a position in the late 1920s to unrealized, has arisen to disturb the frivolity of bourgeois life. The
the duels of the pre-war era. He acknowledges that the duel was root cause is the affair that is now over between Hofreiter and ~he
often fought over a triviality, such as honour, a woman's virtue, a wife of his banker Herr Natter. The affair was not exactly common
sister's reputation, but that the institution invested social life with knowledge, but both Genia Hofreiter and Natter himself knew
a certain dignity and style. Whether or not one accepts the word about ir, and Genia certainly fears that Natter, for all his
'triviality' as an appropriate label for the issues to which he refers, bonhomie and charm, might be the man to seek honourable
his attitude highlights the apparent disparity between the kind of retribution. She reckons without the seemingly irrational love that
incident that tended ro provoke duels, and the serious conse- Natter has for his errant wife. Natter would not risk compromising
quences to which it might lead. Duels were a matter of life and her in public by challenging Hofreiter, for he would be forced to
death. Petty insults, public humiliation, even the discovery of a renounce her. His 'revenge' takes another form. Believing, like
wife's adultery, might not always seem to be. others, that Genia Hofreiter has had a close relationship with the
The comments by the narrator of Der Sekur1dant also suggest that pianist Alexei Korsakow (who has recently committed suicide),
the majority of duels involving civilians were fought over sexual Natter spreads a rumour that Korsakow's suicide was the result of
indiscretions. This was particularly true of the bourgeoisie, who an American duel with Hofreiter. An American duel was popular
regarded duels as an aristocratic (rather than strictly military) amongst civilians unskilled with the pistol or sabre, for it could be
convention. 12 To some extent adulterous relationships were 'fought out' in the form of a game (for example, billiards), the
quietly tolerated, so long as they were pursued with discretion, but loser being honour bound t() commit suicide. The implication of
once discovered, or flaunted in public, the code of practice was as Natter's rumour is that Hofreiter challenged Korsakow, who duly
rigid and automatic as in military circles. In Der Seku11dant the lost the game. Natter knows that Hofreirer cannot respond with a
cause of the duel is an affair between Loiberger and the wife of a challenge in kind, for he is disqualified through his affair with
cavalry officer stationed some distance from his home. The officer is Natter's wife (Hofreiter is the guilty, Natter the 'insulted' parry);
informed of the affair in an anonymous letter, his challenge to moreover Hofreiter cannot disclose the proof to the contrary
Loiberger swiftly follows, and is immediately accepted. Loiberger (Korsakow's suicide note, revealing that Genia rejected him), for
and his second respond like marionettes, going silently through this would compromise Genia and make Hofreiter look ridiculous.
the 'usual formalities' that precede and follow the duel itself. A Hofreiter is thus left with a much damaged social repptation. The
similar impression is provided by the duel in Liebelei, which whole sequence is a complex mass of calculated gestures, all
becomes inevitable once the husband discovers Fritz's letters to his carefully gauged by the terms of the code, which is here being
wife. His statement to Fritz that his wife has left her veil at Fritz's exploited to serve one man's pathetic revenge. 13
apartmem is but a pretext to provoke the duel, and Fritz knows Schnitzler's hostility to the more bizarre, as well as the brutal.
exactly what is 'expecred of him'. Schnitzler's attitude to this now aspects of the code of honour was dearly one that he shared with
pointless duel (the relationship between Fritz and the married lady many of his more enlightened contemporaries. Often he expressed
142 143
 ;;:,...

,\111 POliTICS AND THE JEWISH QUESTION

must be a Jew! Of course, he's in a bank, and look at his black

8 moustache'). But the truly irrational nature of the wave of racist

II" POLITICS AND THE

anti-Semitism sweeping through Vienna is conveyed when such
comments are set against the surprise Gust! experiences when he
learns that the Mannheimers, whose sumptuous dinners and fat
II JEWISH QUESTION cigars he has enjoyed in the company of the blonde, attractive Frau
Mannheimer, are also (assimilated) Jews! In the novel Theme Kad
Fabiani (Therese's brother) is actively involved in a nationalist --
student society, changes his name to the German-sounding Faber,

l
~. ~ ~~
and later sits in parliament as a member of Schonerer's Pan-
German Nationalist Party. Evidence of his anti-Semitism is seen
when he chastises his sister for 'knocking around with some rich
Schnitzler did nor adverrise h;n;self either iri his writings or public old Jew'.
II
i
H~!;
~
pronouncemenrs as a political animal. He was not an enthusiastic
supporter of any of the major po!irlcai movemenrs or causes of his lt These brief examples of anti-Semitic attitudes do not in
themselves constitute any kind of 'treatment' of the issue itself,
~;:;I
r..
n~~., ase, and he rarely expressed his view"s ptJblicly on political issues. } they simply add an extra dimension co the personality or social
.Jii ~< Like rriany of his' comemporary Jntellecttials <ind fellow artists he
~ h ~-'
Ju~;
J! ~. i a
took cynical view of political developments' in Austria during the i position of the character concerned. But in the novel Der Weg im
Freie Schnitzler offers a much more wide-ranging and penetrating
final years of the monarchy- Ir is therefore hardly surprising that view of the problems experienced by Jews in Vienna. Initially one
t~ tBr~][
iH"
: his literary works also remain pred<_:>minandy free of political
' themes. In only tWO of his works are conternporary political issues
raised i~ any significant degree, the noV:e! Der Weg in.r Freie and the
j is struck by the sheer volume of cases, ranging from the purely
domestic (Else Ehrenberg has little hope of marrying Hofrat Wilt,
for an alliance with a Jewish family would prejudice his career), to
l
drama Profenor Bemhardi (l9l2), ~nd in both his major specific the political (Heinrich Bermann's father, a former member of the
cdncern _is with the Jewish question:i . I Reichsrat, had been forced out of the Liberal Party). Many occur in
- Schnitzler's interest in the prob.lenis facing the rapidly
increasing jewish populario~ in Vie~na stemmed from his own
l the professions. As a lawyer, Bermann's father also began to lose
diems; Bermann mentions Jewish civil servants who do nor gain
~
fumily origins. His farher .,;as a rypical Jewish immigrant from ~ promotion, university lecturers who cannot get professorships,
so
Hungary, who had followed rhe exi1mplc of many of his fellow ~- officer cadets who fail to get their commissions. Even talented
Jews by embracing one of rhe learned professions, the commonest
means used to escape the ghetto and senm~ SQCia! assimilation and
1 Jewish artists are in a disadvantageous position compared, for
example, with aristocratic dilettantes. Potentially the most serious
advancement. By rhe 1890s a disproportionate number of lawyers,
doctors, academics and productive thi~kers in every field were
Jewish. 2 It was as a student at the Uni~etsiry that Schnitzler first
found himself on the receiving end ofanti-Semitic prejudices, 3 and
I
j
case of anti-Semitism involves Leo Golowski, who is arr-ested after
killing Lieutenant Sefranek in a. duel. It is unlikely chat charges
would have been pressed against a non-Jewish officer, but it is

he later came across numerous examples in. his professional career.

I~ feared that the authorities intend to use Leo as an example. The
reality of the threat against him is underlined by a reference in the
As a social issue the Jewish problem receives relatively little I text to an actual incident which took place in Bohemia in 1899,
attention in his works as a whole. There are brief disparaging I when a Jewish apprentice Leopold Kilsner was convicted of the
comments from Lieutenant Gustl on the number of Jews being fi murder of a nineteen-year-old seamstress. The prosecutor implied
'1.
accepted as officers of the reserve, or attending the concert ('You
can't even enjoy an oratorio in peace any more'), and he quickly
t that he had committed a ritual murder to obtain Christian blood
for matzoh, and the case, which coincided with the Dreyfus affair
~
recognizes the Jew in his girlfriend's 'sugar-daddy' ('Besides, he I in France, intimidated Jews throughout Ausuia. In Schnitzler's
~
160 n
~ 161

-...____; i ._____/
 J, _ _ ,~__JL! I J JSJEJ&i!dtLii,lnn

SCHNITZLER s v1E]'.'N A SOCIAL GROUPS

incompetence of officerS, which. had been perceived by some in the decline of the aristocracy, both moral, social and financial., is
pre-war era; but which manifested itself most destructively during represented in the figure of the mother in the novel Therese.
the death throes of the empire. Therese's mother comes from the minor nobility, but after being
widowed, she sinks imo moral degradation, taking lovers and
. . . writing trivial novels. She ends her life in a miserable little room
THE ARISTOCRACY .. rented in one of the less desirable outer suburbs (in a house on the
Hernalser HauptsrraBe), leaving Therese a few insigo.ificant
Because ~he social classes represented in Schnitzler's works are personal possessions and a number of debts. One of Therese's
predominantly from the world that he himself knew best, those positions as governess is actually with an aristocratic family, t:hat of
groups at the extreme ends of the social scale, namdy the higher a high-ranking civil servant, whose wife is a baroness. Bu-c their
aristocracy and rhw proletariat, rarely_ 'feature. The aristocratic life-style is scarcely elegant. Mother and child are sent on holiday
figures who occa.<>.ionally make an appear~nce tend to be isolated to a poor-quality guest-house in Styria, a shabbily dressed
individuals, of psychological rather than of social interest (an Hungarian noble takes lunch with them, and they have to be
example is the central character of the story Das Schicksal des generally sparing with their meals. Back in Vienna the house
Fteiherrn von Lei.renbohg, 190_)), or are members of the lower seems more like a prison ro Therese, and she eventally leaves when
i aristocracy, orBriefadel, already tending to\\ards a position on the she feels insulted by the meanness of the family's Christmas present
~.
fr'inges of the bourgeoisie. For example,. the father of the von to her. One of Schnitzler's more curious creations is the count in
'
~-
.. \.Vergemhin brothers in Det W1eg im Freie was a: baron who married Reigen, who leads a seemingly empty and monotonous life with his
: ' the daughter of a civil servant. But he had no country estate, and garrison on the Hungarian plain, with occasional visits to Vienna
.. the family divided its time berween rente~ apartments in the inner and his mistress, Fraulein Birken. Life for him is a series of
< citv and a nomadic existence in hotels in the south, using up a automatic conventions that fill the void, and he adheres tO a rigid
.. co~siderab[e portion of its modest inheritance. Now the brothers timetable that governs his sex life as well as his eating habits. But
are having to give up their apartment opposite the Stadtpark, and as the actress perceives, he is essentially an impostor, who conceals
whilst Felicien can still command a privileged position in the his vital urges behind a fa<;ade of cynical philosophizing, and she
foreign service, Georg is having to se~k employment as an has little difficulty in seducing him on the spot, forcing him to
orchestral conductor. admit that his stated 'Programm' for the day was but a pose.
Occasionallv Schnirz.ler makes brief allusions to the moral Schnitzler's only extended treatment of aristocratic family life
degeneracy or' the arisrocracy. In Sl1iel im l'rforgengrauen there is a and attitudes is to be found in the comedy Komtesse Mizzi otkr der
reference to a yo.lng lady from an aristocratic family, who, after Familientag (The Family Reunion, 1907), though here too he
tWO yearS of marriage, LS found working in a high-class brothel, a presents an eccentric, rather than a 'normal' fumily. The setting is
so-called salon where the sexual services of respectable ladies are an eighteenth-century villa on the outskirts of the city, formerly a
available at highly inflated prices: The decadence of the aristocracy hunting lodge of the Empress Maria Theresa, and now the home of
is also suggested in Ttattmnweiie through the speculation that the Count Arpad Pazmandy. The count has retired from the army, and
sexual orgies of the secret society are held by aristocratic now lives an isolated life with his daughter Mizzi, protected from
gentlemen, possibly even archdukes of the imperial family. This the inconveniences and prying eyes of che modern expanding city,
notion is supported by the reference to a young lady who was with its detested politicians and journalists. Their life together is a
betrothed to an Italta:n prince, hue who took poison before her parody of the parasitic aristocratic existence, as they go about their
wedding (either because her participation had been discovered, or amateur leisure pursuits of riding and painting. Since the count's
as 'punishment' for betraying the society). Likewise Fridolin is wife died some twenty years ago his main preoccupation has been
convinced that the lady who helps him escape from the house is a his mistress Lolo, a former ballet dancer, whom he used to visit
Baroness D. who has paid with her life in a similar fashion. The regularly at her flat in the Mayerhofgasse. But Lolo, who is now
146 147
 SCHNITZLER'S VIENNA REALIST AND CRITIC

as a socially determined type. 3 Orher characters, such as Fedor in Berlin and in Vienna, was anti-Semitic in origin, but it is clear
Denner (Das i\1drchtm) and Adolf Losatti (Das Vemziichtnis), that Schnitzler's exposure of sexual hypocrisy had touched a raw
represent all roo clearly the prejudices and hypocrisies of their social nerve, even after the collapse of the political and social order that
class. Even the heroine of Therese, which is essemially the study of had presided over it.
individual experience, is identified as a representative figure through The Reigen scandal demonstrated in particular both the specific
the novel's. subride Chronik eine.r Frauenlebens, suggesting that her and the general connotations of Schnitzler's works, his ability to
fare is to be taken as a typical example of sexual discrimination and caprure aspects of his own milieu that were also those of the epoch
oppression.'1 Moreover the very fact that this novel, like other at large. The social divisions in Vienna, the prejudices and
workS written in the posr-war period such as Spiel im lvfmgerzgra~ten, hypocrisies of its citizens, were dearly paralleled elsewhere, so that
Tramrinor;e/le and Der 51ekundant, is ser in Schnitzler's favourite turn- Schnitzler cannot be dismissed simply as a regional writer. The
of-the-century cOntext, suggests his conscious 'preoccupation with a success of his plays in Berlin in particular, where many had their
particular rime-anchored milieu. Indeed, in rhe eyes of the post- first performances .under Otto Brahm, testifies to their wider
war generation, Schnirz~~r came to be regarde-d more and more as appeal. Furthermore, Schnitzler's understanding of human nature
the recrearor uf a social world long since past. and his skill as an interpreter of the individual consciousness lend
~ soc1al ,mporr of several of Schnitzler's works was his works the quality of universality, which has ensured their
certainly apparent t~. his contemporaries is. suggested by the enduring success and popularity. In short, they have textual
l!ll reception afforded a number of his plays. In I~urge6is circles it was meaning, without reference to the social context. Nevertheless
felt that Das Afrifrhm advocated immorality an~l female emancipa- Vienna is so often his chosen scenario, and his characters fit so
don;5 the misgivings of Max Burckhard, rhc .director of the perfectly, according tO their social rank or origin, into the
Burgtheacer, over rhe effect rhat Liebelei 'might h~ve on the more sociological fabric of the city, that he cannot escape entirely his
;Ill genteel members of his audience, were :llTlJ)ly justified by the
scandal that thr pLJ' provoked; 6 Das VmllLirhtnis, a success in the
reputation as Vienna's foremost and most prolific chronicler .. He
has indeed been justly praised for his capacity ro recreate the (j)
~
~~()-
as
. Burgtheater, "'''' rc~,:.;.::.~.1 'modern';7 Dd.,- zuite Land was figures of his own environment. 10 He has elevated the figure of the [!', .
H accepted as ~ ('riridsm' of society, aitd was greeted, for 'suBe Madel' into a recognizable Viennese phenomenon, Leutnant f ,
Gust! now stands as the typically empty-headed officer of the -Pv;r('~
!I~;
example, . ich
archdubo:;, V:+;-;
. enthusiasm by one; of the young
1istariced himself fr()m the applause. 8 Imperia! Army, the indolent way of life pursued by Theodor and J/
Meanwhile Sd.;">!r;:l;:r \ud acquired a degtee of notoriety, Fritz is now regarded as bting typically Viennese. It would be
particularly thr;;;:r!, ,r.,,_ J:l''hlicarion of Lmtnt;nt Gttst! and Reigen, wrong to assert that such figures existed only in Vienna. But their
which arousct.l }Y'~ ;;~ h:\\,r;Iiry precisely because rbcy were accepted manner of speech and behaviour identify them as Viennese, and as
as social piec;;s, ar' >.''dtzler came ro be. detested by those who such they have come to represent a particular location. It was
sensed chat' he 7.':1.:; ')p~nly criticizing rhe!Tl. 'Schnitzler's social perhaps Schnitzler's misfortune that the image presented of Vienna
criticism was nOt of course relevant oti.ly to condirio~s in his own had already become a cliche in his own lifetime, as he. himself
native ciry. The f~ct that Reigrm created such a scandal in Berlin, acknowledges in Der Weg ins Freie. \'X?'hen Georg von Wergenthin
,, , ~ where it was fim performed in 1921 , is indicative of the fact that takes up his post in Dermoid, he is regarded with a mixture of
l'H ~
0
, he was racklin~ issues concernin* rheepoch as a whole, and not sympathy and mockery when it is learned he comes from Vienna,
HH\\ '\~~~\v just a local.' Vtennese ph~nome_no_n. Buuh~ attacks on -~he play with its assumed associated phenomena of Strau6 waltzes, coffee-
~H.~.'~\~V .
:vere at thetr fier~est m Vtenna Itself. The V1e!'nes~ pre~mere (also houses, 'su13e Madel', roast chicken, hackney-carriages and
J~\l \ ,
m 1921) led to vJOlent scenes m the theatre, fire extmgmshers were parliamentary scandals. In a sense Schnitzler both confirms and
J ~ ~ :"1 v~ ~f) turned on tO the stage, and stink .bombs were exploded; outside contributes to the myth. But his critical analysis of the social
;iffY '\,i;\F there were demonstrat~ons in. the streets and at the Ra~~aus, and mores of the imperial city offers something more than just a
i.rjt\\l'\;1\i., even angry exchanges m parltament. 9 Much of the hosnhty, both catalogue of cliches.

:]J 178 179

. f -~

H .._/
 SCHNllZLER'S VLE.i.NA

figures his most outspoken condemnation of the political animal.

In Der Weg ins Freie Doctor B~rthold Sr~uoer, having resigned his 9
seat in the Reichsrat, is contemplating a political come-back
through his candidacy for the Lower Austrian Provincial Assembly,
where he intends to concern himself with reforms in public REALIST AND CRITIC
hygiene. His fiuher suggest's that for such a role Berthold lacks the
necessary humanitarian qualities, but Berthold rerorts that in the
field in which he is corttemplating working, a love of humanity,
especially if expressed in rhe form of pity f~r individual people, is
possibly even a disadvantage. \Vhen dealing with anonymous
groups ofpeople one must be prepared co be hard and cruel in the
interests of the corrlmon good. No details are given of what
Berthold intends, but his programme appears to condone the Our examination of Schnitzler's works began with his psychologi-
sacrifice of the weak <tnd sick ro prevent rhe spread of infection. At cal studies, an acknowledegement in itself that one of his most
the moment he does not advocate the acti.tal 'murder' of such prominent features is his ability to plumb the depths of human
dangerous and 'superfluous' people, but he is convinced that his psychological experience. That Schnitzler's interest is focused most
ideas 'belong to the furure'. Stauber Is a Jew, and a professed immediately upon the individual human being is beyond dispute.
soci~lisr, but his words. taken our oi context, provide a chilling Nevertheless to deny any interest on his pact in social problems or
anticipation of the selective removal of those designated as the trends beyond the individual consciousness, or ro stare categori-
'subhumans' in Nazi Germany. And more pointedly, they reflect cally that he concentrates on 'Man - nor Society', t would seem to
:the disregard for the individual on rhe part of t!1~ mass political ignore a significant dimension to his works. Many commentators
movements of the time, that were to play such a dominant role in have indeed asserted a correlation between the mental states of his
the twentieth ccmury ro come. characters and the values, attitudes and behavioural habits of a
specific social order. 2
Clearly there is a danger in assuming that, simply because
Schnitzler sets so many of his works in his own contemporary
world, his characters ace 'socially conditioned'. Such an assumption
can draw one all too easily into a circular critical stance, namely of
contending on the one hand that a full understanding of
Schnitzler's characters is dependent on actual knowledge of the
social context, on the other of claiming that rhe psychological
analysis in itself affords insight into social values and structures.
Nevertheless so many of his characters strike one as social 'types',
or representative figures of JPecific groups such as the Jewish
bOurgeoisie, the military, or the Kleinbiirgertu.m, that it would seem
perfunctory nor to take the social context into account in any
overall assessment of his works. For example, b.utnant Gust!
rightly owes its reputation as one of Schnitzler's most important
works to its author's original and brilliant use of the internal
monologue technique, but the monologue itself is anchored in the
attitudes and values of the Imperial Army, and Gusd comes across
176 177