!!!Geschichtswissenschaft

History, Study of: In Austria the beginnings of modern historical 
research date back to approximately the mid-19%%sup th/%  century. J. 
A. Freiherr. v.  Helfert documented historical events since the 1848 
Revolution ("Geschichte Oesterreichs vom Ausgang des Oktoberaufstandes 
1848", 4 vols., 1869-1886; "Geschichte der Oesterreichischen 
Revolution 1848/1849", 2 vols., 1907-1909). A. v.  Arneth focused 
on the life and achievements of Prince Eugène (3 vols., 
1858/1859) and Maria Theresia and her time (10 vols., 1863-1869).

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The Institut fuer oesterreichische Geschichtsforschung (Institute for 
Austrian Historical Research), founded in 1854, played an important 
role in researching documents and specific aspects of Austrian 
history. A.  Dopsch mainly concentrated on the economic history of the 
Middle Ages, O.  Redlich wrote the biography of Rudolf von Habsburg 
and continued the work of A.  Huber up to 1740). ("Das Werden einer 
Grossmacht", 1939, %%sup 3/%1962). His most notable achievement was 
saving the Austrian archives after 1918. H. v.  Srbik interpreted 
historical events from a pan-German perspective. He was a leading 
expert on the modern period, and his work on Metternich was considered 
one of the most important studies during the inter-war period. In his 
book "Land und Herrschaft" O.  Brunner documented the findings of a 
generation of historians specialising in Austrian history. Another 
historian of that time, O.  Menghin gained international renown as one 
of the most eminent prehistorians. His work was later continued by R.  
Pittioni. L.  Santifaller was primarily responsible for the 
coordination of academic research in Austria after 1945. His work 
included examining the "Babenberger Urkundenbuch" (a collection of 
documents of the Babenberg family), and started the "Oesterr. 
Biograph. Lexikon". A.  Lhotsky was a specialist in medieval sources 
and history. Between 1938-1945, a period when Austria was no longer an 
independent state but part of the German Reich, he used the term 
"Austria" more frequently than any other historian of that period in 
his work on the history of the Vienna Museum of Fine Arts, "Geschichte 
des Kunsthistorischen Museums". A.  Wandruszka, an expert on the 
modern period with close connections to Italian and German historians, 
re-emphasised the importance of the Habsburg dynasty. Whereas R.  
Plaschka, an expert in Eastern European history, collaborated 
especially with Czech historians, F.  Fellner and G.  Stourzh, both 
experts on the modern period, especially the end of the 
Austro-Hungarian Empire and the history of the 20%%sup th/%  century, 
have closely collaborated with colleagues in the USA, where a 
department of Austrian history has published the Austrian History 
Yearbook, Houston, Texas since 1965. H. L.  Mikoletzky was primarily 
an archivist but also well-known for writing about the important 
periods of Austrian history. L.  Jedlicka concentrated on the Austrian 
First Republic and was one of the first historians to specialise in 
contemporary history. A.  Hoffmann and, after him, M. Mitterauer, were 
pioneers in economic and social history. Mitterauer mainly documented 
peoples´ everyday lives. E.  Bruckmueller was an expert on 
social history.

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Centres of historical research are the universities in Vienna and 
other Austrian towns which focus on their respective provincial 
history. This has led to numerous publications, for example a 
multi-volume history of Salzburg coordinated by H.  Dopsch, and a 
provincial history series published by the Verlag fuer Geschichte und 
Politik. In Graz, H.  Wiesflecker has focused on the time of 
Maximilian I, in Linz Karl  Stadler has studied the history of social 
problems. Research on the history of the Austrian provinces is carried 
out at the provincial archives and similar specialist institutions. 
Since 1930, large history exhibitions have been extremely popular and 
raised public awareness of Austria´s historical past (Prince 
Eugène, 1933; Franz Joseph, 1935). Since 1960 these exhibitions 
have been mainly organised by the various provinces (The Babenbergs: 
Lilienfeld 1976; Friedrich III: Wiener Neustadt 1965; The Renaissance: 
Schallaburg castle 1974; The Turkish Siege of Vienna in 1683: Vienna 
1983, Prince Eugène: Schlossdorf palace and Niederweiden palace 
1986; Maria Theresia: Schoenbrunn Palace 1980; Joseph II: Melk Abbey 
1980; Franz Joseph: Grafenegg castle 1984, 1987). Exhibitions 
providing overviews on the history of individual provinces have also 
stimulated the interest of a broad public. (Upper Austria, 1983; 
Styria, 1986). Popular, well-researched TV documentaries by H.  
Portisch and S. Riff on Austria´s First Republic (Oesterreich I) 
and Second Republic (Oesterreich II) have been sold as books and 
videos.


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