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This is an ode about Austria. Its German name is össterreich, meaning the eastern Kingdom (line 1). It is entirely landlocked, bordered by 8 countries: Germany and Czech republic (North); Switzerland and Liechtenstein (West); Slovenia and Italy (South) and Hungary and Slovakia (East) (lines 2 & 3). Once the center of power of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was later reduced to a small republic after its defeat in world war I which was a direct result of the assassinations of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the son of Archduke Karl Ludwig and nephew of Emperor Franz Josef I and his wife on Sunday, June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (lines 4-9 & 35- 36). The great Viennese tradition of the kaffeehaus “Coffee house” is due to the leaving behind of a large quantity of coffee beans by the fleeing Turks (lines 10-12). The vienna’s schönbrunn Tiergarten is the oldest zoo in the world (line 13). Death is big business and the Austrian funeral industry is the largest/capita in Europe, even having sterbeverein “Death Associations” (lines 14 & 15). Austria is a mountainous country with heavy winters (line 18). Alpine skiing, snowboarding and ski-jumping are very popular sports in Austria (line 19). The Austrian Eisriesen Welt caves called “The world of the Ice giants” is the largest accessible Ice cave system in the world (line 20). Austria has a huge tradition in Cake baking. The most famous Austrian Cake is the Viennese sachertorte, a rich chocolate Cake invented by Chef Franz sacher for chancellor Metternich in 1832 (lines 21 & 22). Not making eye contact during making a toast is said to be rude and brings upon oneself seven years of bad sex (lines 23-25). At the end of an eventful funeral, people make such statements “ein schöne Leiche” meaning “beautiful corpse” (line 26). The magic words for wine drinkers in vienna are “ein Achtel” meaning “an eighth of a liter” which is the most common serving size in Vienna (line 27). The Austro-Hungarian Baroness Beitha Von Suttner was the first woman to win the Nobel peace prize in 1905 (lines 28-30). Austria is the most overweight Nation in the EU (line 31) and the only EU Nation not a member of NATO (line 32). During the world war II in Austria, the number 05, painted on a wall or door marked the symbol of Austria’s resistance during the Nazi Anschluss (lines 37-38). The German citizen-Adolf Hitler (lines 42 & 43) and Arnold Schwarzenegger- the American super star (line 45) are all born in Austria. Austrian Film directors” Ernst Lubitsch, Billy wilder and Fred Zinnemann played an important role in the creation of Hollywood shortly before and after World War II (lines 46 & 47). Sigmund Freud, an Austrian is the founding father of psychoanalysis (line 0). Ferdinand Porsche who was born in matterdorf-Austria was the founding father of the Porsche Automobile and the first to design the Volkswagen on Hitler’s instructions (line 49). Christian Doppler is the founder of the “Doppler effect”-born in Salzburg (line 0) and Gregor Mendel an Austrian monk is known to be the father of modern genetics due to his famous experiments on the pea plants (line 51). Austrian Author, Elfriede Jelinek won the Nobel prize for literature in 2004. Her best known work is the novel “The piano Teacher” (lines 52 & 53). Hans Hölzel, better known as Falco is the only Austrian pop star to make it big on the world stage with his hit song “Rock me Amadeus” (lines 54 & 55). Katharina Schratt (1855- 1940) was a noted actress who became the most famous courtesan of the 19th century German-speaking world, when she became the mistress of Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph in 1885 (line 56). One of the greatest mysteries in Austrian history surrounds the deaths of crown prince Rudolf, the only son of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth “sisi” and his mistress Mary von Vetsera (line 57). The English King, Richard the Lionheart was captured and held for ransom in Vienna in 1192 while passing through Austria on his return from one of the crusades. Part of the ransom paid by the English for his release was used to build a new city wall on today’s Ringstrasse- one of Europe’s weirdest streets (line 58).