Braunschlag, Slumming, and the Big Nostalgia Trip: Why the Misfortune of Others Suddenly Makes Us Feel Good
You know that feeling, right? Strolling through Vienna's city centre in the evening, past all the slick bars and restaurants, and suddenly you catch yourself thinking: you know what, things really were better back in the day? No wonder everyone's talking about Braunschlag right now. Not just because the folks in this fictional backwater near the Czech border have real problems—like a supposed million-dollar find or a bishop tearing around on a motorbike—but because this place suddenly seems to be everywhere.
In a recent episode of a popular Austrian late-night show, the one that reliably serves up the right dose of dark humour on Tuesday nights, the topic was, of course, omnipresent. The two hosts didn't mince their words and got straight to the heart of what's occupying us all: this strange fascination with "slumming." Back in the day, you might have taken a weekend trip to Braunschlag to see how the "country bumpkins" live. Now, you're doing the same thing, except you don't have to drive all the way to the Waldviertel anymore—just switching on the telly does the trick.
The Return of Proletarian Poetry
It's become something of an art form: local television has had an incredible run in recent years when it comes to depicting the supposedly "simple" life. But make no mistake, it's not taking the piss. It's a love letter. When the telly covers the Oscars—and a certain Moschen recently reminded us on a current affairs show what a tight race it was this year—we're only half as interested as we are in what the Braunschlag characters are going to wear for their next dirndl or lederhosen.
A Vienna city magazine ran a brilliant commentary last week with the motto "Things were better back in the day." And that's precisely the point: Braunschlag isn't a place. Braunschlag is a state of mind. It's the longing for a time when the world was still manageable. When the biggest scandal was that the neighbour hadn't built his fence straight, not the next global crisis.
So, What Exactly is this "Slumming" Thing?
The term slumming originally comes from Victorian England. Rich toffs used to head down to the poor quarters for a bit of amusement and a frisson of horror. Today, we're all doing it, just a whole lot more subtly. And with a distinctly Austrian twist. It's about:
- The aesthetic of decay: Shabby facades, overgrown gardens—we now find this "authentic" and "rustic."
- Being weirded out by our own: We laugh at the dialects and quirks, but it's an affectionate laugh. It's our own reflection, distorted, but still recognisable.
- The search for simplicity: In a complex world, life in a fictional Braunschlag seems refreshingly straightforward. Corruption, petty crime, pub brawls—these are problems you can still understand and maybe even solve.
The discussions these series and documentaries spark are huge. Suddenly you're sitting at a heurigen wine tavern, and instead of chatting about your superannuation, you're debating whether the portrayal of Braunschlag wasn't just a tad too clichéd. And that's precisely where its brilliance lies: by talking about "slumming" and how we look down on the provinces, we expose ourselves as the real squares we can sometimes be.
Whether it's Braunschlag, the neighbours from next door on various talk shows, or the latest documentary about life in the regions—the trend is clearly towards self-reflection. And that's a good thing. Because if you can't recognise yourself in it, you're just not paying attention. The main thing is we don't take ourselves too seriously. You've always got to leave room for a bit of a laugh.