The Wien Museum in Vienna is launching a three-part Summer Academy on Islamic heritage starting Thursday. The program begins with a focus on objects collected due to a fascination with what was historically referred to as the ‘Orient.’
The second session will explore traces of Islamic heritage in Vienna’s public spaces, while the final event on September 5 will delve into the aesthetics of Islamic heritage, including calligraphy and arabesques.
The museum’s announcement highlights ongoing discussions about migration and perceived cultural alienation, noting that the Wien Museum’s collection reveals numerous traces of Muslim presence in the city.
Art historian Zeinab Abbas-Metwally-Abdelhamed, leading the Summer Academy with Lukas Sperlich, shared that the museum holds Ottoman objects from the 17th to 19th centuries. The origins of these objects, which may include trade goods or diplomatic gifts rather than solely war spoils, remain unclear.
The collection includes weapons and everyday items such as lanterns and incense burners, with a particularly valuable item being an Ottoman map of the Second Ottoman Siege of 1683.
Abdelhamed noted significant interest in the Summer Academy and the museum’s Islamic heritage tour, with many registrations and high participation.
