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WHO WE ARE

The Botstiber Institute for Austrian-American Studies (BIAAS) promotes an understanding of the historic relationship between the United States and Austria, including the lands of the former Habsburg empire, by awarding grants and fellowships, organizing lectures and conferences, and publishing the Journal of Austrian-American History.  We engage with a broader public audience through digital programming, including videos, podcasts and blog posts.

LATEST NEWS

For the first time since the 1980s, a comprehensive survey explores current attitudes between Austrians and Americans. Conducted by the University of Salzburg and sponsored by the Botstiber Institute for Austrian-American Studies, the landmark survey reveals shifts in mutual perceptions, shaped by generational changes, global political developments, and the influence of new media.

Some Key Insights

• Agreement in both countries on a diminished global role for the United States.

• Austrian concerns about global security, climate change, and U.S. domestic politics influencing perceptions.

• Younger, English-speaking Austrians with social media exposure being more positive towards America, while American social media users show increased skepticism about Austria.

• Despite concerns, Austrians still regard America as a land of opportunity, though they currently favor closer ties with the European Union.

>>Watch Professor Reinhard Heinisch (University of Salzburg) present the survey.

New Blog: Between Departure and Arrival: Reframing the Austrian Migrant Experience in Theodora Bauer’s Chikago

2015 marked the culmination of the so-called “European immigration crisis,” which was, at that time, the largest increase of displaced persons seeking asylum in Europe since the end of World War II. (1) Located between two major refugee routes, Austria received around 90,000 asylum requests that year which was the third highest number of applications per capita. The continuing impact of these events have brought renewed focus on migration and with it an opportunity not only to highlight displaced people but also to engage with Austria’s longer and often untold history of migration. Historian Dirk Rupnow has spoken of “historical amnesia” and noted that although Austria has long been a country of immigration, the history of migration and the experiences of migrants have not been integrated into the hegemonic version of Austrian history. (2) Austrian writers have sought to position themselves against this narrative with literary accounts that tell some of these missing stories and offer new perspectives on Austria’s migration history.

OSS Operation Greenup. 2017 Grant Recipient Peter Pirker’s subject in Codename Brooklyn From left, Franz Weber, Hans Wynberg, Fred Mayer.

BIAAS supports grant and fellowship proposals for projects that promote an understanding of the historic relationship between the United States and Austria in the fields of history, politics, economics, law, cultural studies, and public history.

2022 Vienna Conference

Each year BIAAS organizes and supports conferences, lectures, and events in the United States and Europe that support scholarship on the historic relationship between Austria and the United States.

The Journal of Austrian-American History is an open-access, peer-reviewed, scholarly journal sponsored by the Botstiber Institute for Austrian-American Studies and published by Penn State University Press.

The Journal of Austrian-American History is an open-access, peer-reviewed, scholarly journal sponsored by BIAAS and published by Penn State University Press.

Mrs. Joan Fertig, Hungarian-born librarian in Pittsburgh, PA, 1943

Enjoy our podcasts, blogs, videos, images, database of past grant recipients, and more, plus connect with 14 leading Austrian-American organizations.

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