Coffeehouse Culture

Description

The two critera of a coffeehouse: 

1.) The coffee-house or a cafe is a public, mainly catering establishment, which bears this description or a combinaiton thereof.

2.) Coffee is among the drinks served in such an establishment.

[taken from Ulla Heise, Coffee and Coffee Houses, (West Chester: Schiffer Publishing, 1987), 92.]

What do you think of when you hear "coffeehouse?" The most obvious answer of course is...coffee! This exhibit will attempt to investigate the history and socio-cultural impact that coffeehouses have had and still have in Vienna. Whilst it is true that coffeehouse patrons historically could indulge and enjoy a nice cup of "kaffe," these institutions also provided a venue for intellectual discussion, news collections through newspapers, and on a fundamental level, social interaction. This exhibit hopes to illustrate that coffee is not the only item served and provided in the coffeehouse.

Credits

Aki Snyder, Laurel Lemon, and Stephanie Viggiano. Many thanks to Professors Christiane Hertel & Imke Meyer for leading us through this amazing academic expedition through Vienna 1900. More special thanks to Cheryl Klimaszewski, Jennifer Lopatin & Bryn Mawr, for our 360 experience.