The “Woman of Willendorf” is a figurine recovered in 1908 from an archeological site near Willendorf, Austria. The design and crafting technique stems from the Gravettian period; it is about 25,000 years old. Sculpted in limestone and tinted with red ochre, the figurine has no facial details. The emphasis is placed on the breasts, buttocks, and abdomen while minimizing the head and lower limbs. This type of statuette is referred to as a “Venus” and it may have been used as a fertility icon.
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Historically, the German states had been a loose collection of independent fiefdoms. This became more obvious with the 1806 collapse of the Holy Roman Empire. The two most powerful states to emerge from the rubble were Prussia, under the Hohenzollern dynasty and Austria, under the Habsburg dynasty. Both struggled to assert their authority over the other German states in an attempt to resurrect a new unified Germany. Prussia eventually succeeded and excluded Austria from the new nation.
