Database of Funded Projects
The Botstiber Institute for Austrian-American Studies has generously funded academic research and public history projects that promote an understanding of the historic relationship between the United States and Austria. The following search tools make it possible to explore these projects and to learn more about the scholars and organizations who have received BIAAS grants and fellowships.
Veronika Zwerger
The United States were one of the most important receiving countries for Austrians who had to flee National Socialists. A vast amount of archival material in the Austrian Archive of Exhile Studies proofs these tight historic connection between the two countries. The exhibition will educate a new generation of Austrians about the deep-rooted connections between its citizens and the countries which housed its refugees, such as the United States.
Hannes Richter
The main purpose of the proposed project is to present the life and work of Yoichi Okamoto to both an academic audience and the public via academic panels and corresponding publications, a physical exhibition, and a website. Okamoto was the personal photographer of General Mark Clark 1945–1948, head of the Pictorial Section United States Information Services in Austria 1948–1954, artist and Presidential Photographer of Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House 1963–1969. In a unique fashion, Okamoto’s work spans from post-War Austria to the highest echelons of Presidential politics in the United States via the medium and art of photography.
Filip Šír
Music was of crucial importance to the immigrants from Austria-Hungary, and cultural and social practice of great importance to their communities in the USA. They could document this facet of their self-identification thanks to new technologies - in the form of wax cylinders. A remarkable set of recordings can be found under the title of "Ed. Jedlička Records'' in two phonograph cylinder collections held at the University of Iowa Libraries and Library of Congress. This more than a century-old set of unique cylinders contains original recordings of Bohemian songs, music, or short humorous performances, and are some of the earliest recordings made for and by a specific ethnic group in the United States.
Hans Petschar
The research project will study the life and work of Yoichi Okamoto, personal photographer of General Mark Clark 1945–1948 in Austria, head of the United States Information Service Pictorial Section in Austria 1948–1954 and Presidential Photographer of Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House 1963–1969. Surprisingly enough, despite Okamoto’s extraordinary career in Europe and later in the U.S. as White House photographer during the Johnston era, a comprehensive biography of Yoichi R. Okamoto is still missing. Archival research will take place at the Daniel Library, The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, the National Archives in Washington DC and the Lyndon B Johnson Library in Austin, Texas. Research results will be integrated in exhibitions and scholarly publications in Austria and the U.S.A. Hans Petschar is a historian and Director of the Picture Archives and Graphics Department at the Austrian National Library. In 2015/16 he served as the Marshall Plan Chair at the University of New Orleans.
Julia Secklehner
This online, six-week seminar series will bring together scholars focusing on pedagogy and design in a transatlantic network of exchange. Participants are selected from an open call for papers. There will also be two invited keynote speakers, including Prof. Rebecca House (Northern Illinois University). The seminar offers a platform of exchange and for new research. A website provides additional information with blog posts and an online exhibition.
Andreas Praher
The research project will analyze the transatlantic migration of skiers and ski instructors who migrated from Austria to the United States for different reasons in the first half of the 20th century. The focus will be on sociopolitical, economic, cultural, institutional and structural circumstances in which migration in skiing took place from the 1930s to the 1960s. In studying the historical patterns of migration, factors that have influenced and stimulated the movement of sport labor should be identified. The research work asks about the socio-cultural background of men and women. It will take into account the female ski migration and the impact of the Jewish exodus in skiing on the American sport system.
German-American Heritage Center
The GAHC seeks to present an exhibition, conference, and related events and publications exploring the impact of emigres from Vienna to Iowa from 1846-1868. Several thousand Hapsburg emigres came to Iowa during and after the revolutions of 1848 seeking liberty and freedom. Many of these individuals and families had a lasting impact on the culture, economy, and civic direction of the state, although many returned to Vienna after 1868. We will explore the stories of these emigres and their lasting influence in Iowa. In collaboration with scholars, other cultural organizations, and a Community Advisory Committee, the GAHC will produce a traveling and virtual exhibition on this topic. The main event promoting the exhibition and scholarly work will be a conference held in Davenport, Iowa with participants joining in-person and virtually. The conference will consist of an opening reception, keynote speaker address, workshop, and historic walking tour.
James Morrow
Jim Morrow received a $5,000 BIAAS grant for the project “Designing the American Salzburg: Habsburg Austrian Culture in Colorado Mountain Communities,” which will examine how Habsburg Austrians who settled in Colorado used architecture and design to create a sense of togetherness. The proposed research has two objectives. The first will document how Habsburg Austrian emigres in two Colorado towns, Crested Butte and Aspen, influenced the development of American alpine culture. The second will give detail [...]
The Nanovic Institute for European Studies
The Nanovic Institute for European Studies received a BIAAS grant for a 2.5-day workshop dedicated to creating a “moral biography” of the 1921 US-Austria Peace Treaty. On August 24, 1921, the United States and Austria signed a Peace Treaty in Vienna in the aftermath of the First World War. This step was necessary for peace building purposes since the US Senate refused to consent to the ratification of the multilateral Treaty of Saint Germain in [...]
Wien Museum
BIAAS awarded a grant of $14,500 to Matti Bunzl to fund the production of an English catalogue for the Wien Museum’s new exhibit “Robert Haas: Framing Two Worlds”. […]