History of Austria and Central Europe
Our research focus
Our research focusses on the history of the Danube Monarchy and its successor states, i.e. the entire Central European region. Key areas of research include Jewish Central Europe, Nationalism and Nationalities, Minorities, Central Europe as a Cultural Area, and The Habsburg-Lorraine Family. In order to strengthen and internationalize our work in these areas, since 2014 we have also pursued a partnership with the Central European Center at the German-speaking Andrássy University of Budapest (AUB).
Four academics from the University of Graz have spent time working intermittently at the AUB, whilst cooperation has also facilitated publication of the journal Jahrbuch für Mitteleuropäische Studien with New Academic Press, with the first issue appearing in 2015. Researchers are also active in a network of different research centers for Austrian and Central European Studies via the "Mitteleuropa Zentrum". These include the Center Austria (University of Minneapolis), the Center Austria (University of New Orleans), the Wirth Center for Austrian and Central European Studies (University of Alberta, Edmonton), the Center for Austrian Studies (Hebrew University), the Institute for Eastern European History (University of Vienna), the Foundation for Austrian Studies; Central and East European Studies Centre (Universitet Leiden), the Austrian Center (Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci) and the Institute of European Studies -Program for the Study of Austria (University of California, Berkeley).
Our publications
Mindler-Steiner Ursula (ed.), The "Anschlussdenkmal" of Oberschützen. Memorial, information and learning site. Creative and artistic debates, Oberwart 2022
Mindler-Steiner Ursula (ed.), The "Anschlussdenkmal " in Oberschützen. Teaching materials, Oberwart 2022
Mindler-Steiner Ursula (ed.), The "Anschlussdenkmal" of Oberschützen. "Talking about it ...", Oberwart 2019
Georg Kastner, Greetings from Hitler's Germany. The Nazi terror in Austria 1933-1938 and its victims, 2019
Mindler-Steiner Ursula, Controversies Regarding Memorials to Romani Victims of National Socialist Violence in Burgenland (Austria). In: Austrian Journal of Historical Sciences 34 (2023) 1, p. 311-321.
Mindler-Steiner Ursula, On the history of Jews in Burgenland in the 20th century. In: Csire Márta / Deák Ernö / Kókai Károly / Seidler Andrea (eds.), Region der Vielfalt. Interrelationships in the Burgenland-Western Hungarian region in the past and present. Vienna 2023, p. 113-133.
Mindler-Steiner Ursula, Criminalization of Marginalized Communities in Former Habsburg Lands in the First Half of the Twentieth Century. The Case Study of Austrian "Zigeuner" ("Gypsies"). In: Benkert Volker / Mayer Michael (eds.), Terrortimes, Terrorscapes. Continuity of Space, Time, and Memory in Twentieth-Century War and Genocide. West Lafayette, Indiana 2022, p. 40-69.
Central European CenterAndrássy University Budapest (ed.), Yearbook for Central European Studies 2020/21, May 2022
Central European CenterAndrássy University Budapest (ed.), Yearbook for Central European Studies 2019/20, May 2022
Looking back
Memorial, information and learning site: "Anschlussdenkmal" Oberschützen. Participation - learning - sustainability.
The National Socialist "Anschlussdenkmal" is - whether you like it or not - part of the region's cultural heritage. In 1997, it was reinterpreted as a memorial against violence and racism. In 2016, it was placed under monument protection and the municipality managed to lease the site for 30 years; in 2018/19, the monument was renovated in cooperation with the Federal Monuments Office. For a long time, discussions about the monument were highly emotional and rarely constructive. The EU project, which ran from 2019 to 2022, produced scientifically sound yet accessible information about the monument in plain language; all information and materials are also kept publicly accessible in the municipal archive or published on the website (see in particular the publications from the project, available under points 9, 36, 37 and 39 ). In order to achieve broad acceptance and knowledge, the involvement of both the population and schools was an important measure. The project was intended to contribute to the sustainable preservation of the region's cultural heritage through a broad-based participatory process and to raise awareness among the population. In this way, this "heritage that shapes" is to be made fit for the future, despite or precisely because of its Nazi past
Scientific project management and process support: Ass.-Prof. Dr. Ursula K. Mindler-Steiner
Moderation and support of the participation process and public relations: Walter Reiss
Design and layout: Andreas Lehner
Funding: Municipality, federal government, province and the European Union (EU), in particular the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development(EAFRD)
Project start: January 1, 2019
Project end: December 31, 2022
Persistent forms of discrimination against Rom_nia in the Styrian-Burgenland culture of remembrance and human rights practice
The research project compares places where remembrance projects have been carried out with places where they have failed and examines their human rights and socio-cultural preconditions and consequences.
The situation of the men (Roma) and women (Romnia) of the Romani communities in Austria is very contradictory in the present: symbolically, their role as one of the central victim groups of National Socialism has been generally recognized in recent years. In concrete terms, however, Roma and Romnia continue to be victims of structural discrimination, whether in everyday communication or in the areas of work and education. The descendants of victims themselves are often even prevented from erecting memorials. The research project therefore compares places where remembrance projects have been carried out with places where they have failed and examines their human rights and socio-cultural preconditions and consequences.
Project leader: Ursula MINDLER-STEINER
Deputy project manager: Wolfgang BENEDEK
Project staff: Stefan BENEDIK (PostDoc), Gregor FISCHER (PraeDoc)
Scientific fields: History, Law
Funded by: Province of Styria, Future Fund of the Republic of Austria, Province of Burgenland
Project start: August 1, 2016
Project end: December 31, 2018