Der Standard stuck an endoscopic camera into the tomb of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III in St. Stephen Cathedral in Vienna.

Frederick the Third (1415-1493) is the first Holy Roman Emperor to be photographed—five and a quarter centuries after his death—from a crack in his tomb in the Cathedral of St. Stephen in the heart of Vienna.

The cathedral’s architectural team (Dombauhütte) threaded an endoscopic camera in an existing test hole in order to examine a tomb whose contents had been commissioned thirty years before Frederick’s death.

Nested in a glazed ceramic sarcophagus and bedecked in fine velvet wrappings, Frederick’s imperial head is adorned with a mitered enamel crown and lies on a pillow of gold brocade; his hands grasp imperial scepter and orb. The inner wall panels frame embossed gold plaques.

Gallery of 9 photos.

RTWT (in German)

Female sculpture from Zentralfriedhof Cemetery, Simmering, Vienna (click on picture for larger image)

My curiosity is insatiable once provoked, and I’ve just wasted more than a hour trying to figure out whose memorial this very charming statue ornaments, and what is intended by the image of a classically-draped Bernini-esque female figure, kneeling, long hair hanging down, wringing her hands over a peculiar Art Noveau jewelry box or miniature model of a theater. Are we to take it that the soul or anima of the deceased is housed in this rock-crystal-windowed casket and the lady is imploring for it to come back to life?

A statue of this quality and interest is bound to be photographed more than once, and sure enough, I found more details at least, here and here. But none of the photographers can be bothered to identify the deceased party being memorialized, the sculptor, or what exactly is supposed to be going on. Imagine my frustration.

Via Fred Lapides (who means to say “Memento Mori”).

Klaus Pichler found a variety of opportunities for striking photographic images just walking through the back rooms and corridors of the Vienna Natural History Museum. [Slate]

The third time is enemy action, asserts the old Intelligence Community saying.

The Mirror:

A British nuclear expert taking part in disarmament talks with Iran has died in mysterious circumstances at a UN building in Austria.

Timothy Hampton, 47, plunged to his death from the 17th floor and was found in a stairwell just hours before high-level discussions were due to resume in Vienna.

Investigators said they have not ruled out murder or suicide, but local sources said no suicide note was found.

Police are also investigating the death of another Brit who fell from the same building four months ago.

The third such incident will be very hard to take for just another accident.