Modern happiness. Venice in Vienna and transnational reproductions of pleasure

This article explores the history of the amusement park 'Venice in Vienna',
founded by theatre entrepreneur Gabor Steiner in 1895 in Vienna's Leopoldstadt
district. Steiner's replica of Venice was an improved and expanded version of similar
replicas being built in other European cities at the time. In the article, the
Viennese amusement park is presented as an example of a cultural imaginarium
with a transnational character. The performative practice of the appropriation of
Venice in the context of the emerging entertainment culture in the metropolises
of the early 20th century is also reflected upon.