Good Morning everyone,

some photos from our recent trip to Vienna. The museum of crime (Wiener Kriminalmuseum) was quite interesting, with some rare restraints. The lighting and display was not the best, and a bored cashier was playing computer games. What struck me as odd in the second room was a convict's preserved head and later a Guillotine used in the 1940s.

It also explained that restraints as punishment were abandoned in 1867 in Austria, and showed murder weapons used over some 200 years.

The Scavenger's daughter was interesting and is very similar in size and design to one I was able to obtain 2 years ago.

The last picture is from the catacombs around St. Stephan; people were buried there over centuries, and eventually the bones had to be picked up and stacked by convicts to make room for more, hence probably the German term "Knochenarbeit" (Bone-labor). The people of Vienna are fascinated with death and have coined the term of a "nice corpse".

(The first photo of the outside of the museum is taken from google/panoramio).

Nils











A fiddle.


Scavenger's daughter.




A scold's bridle.


A restraint belt. Sorry about the poor lighting.


Chains as punishment were abandoned in 1867.


A pair of backstrap handcuffs (no markings visible), brass?


A collection of murder weapons used in Vienna over 2 centuries.




The catacombs around the church (not the museum).

Thank you for this!

It is very much in line with my own collection and I plan to visit this museum in the not too distant future.

Steve Santini

The item named a "Scold's Bridle" is actually a "Shame Mask" to be worn for public humiliation.

S.S.

Hey , the hero in this video wears a mask similar to the ( shame mask ) in this thread .

http://youtu.be/xPU8OAjjS4k

Other than looking maybe a bit ridiculous because he is probably about 80 years old , the mask looks kinda cool .

He don't look shamed at all to wear it . lol ...

I like the photos that you took, when we retire (18 months time) Jenny & I will be getting our VW camper Van and hope to travel round Europe so will certainly add Vienna to our places to visit.

Strange they have a set of Brass ??RCS?? strap hinge darbies am certain they are no more than 70 years old??

Steve need to speak to you ref. your 'New' book on Torture Instruments, can you please email me - seems the last 4 emails may not have arrived? Thanks.

Chris Gower