VIDEOS
Want to learn more about Austrian-American history? Watch the following videos produced by the Botstiber Institute for Austrian-American Studies to improve your understanding of the historic relationship between Austria and the United States.
BIAAS Videos
Waltzing into Silvester: New Year Traditions and Memories from Austria
December 2024
Join us as we travel to the festive, snowy alps and explore how locals and visitors alike ring in the New Year. Austrians and Americans share their personal memories and traditions—feasting on raclette or goulash, sipping sparkling wine, watching the annual broadcast of “Dinner for One,” and gathering outdoors to admire fireworks and enjoy a midnight waltz. Discover the heartfelt stories and cherished rituals that define an Austrian New Year (German: “Silvester”), connecting past and present, family and friends, as the old year gracefully gives way to the new.
The Secret Element: Siegfried Beer on the Origins of Intelligence Studies
November 2024
In 2004, Siegfried Beer founded the Austrian Center for Intelligence, Propaganda and Intelligence Studies in Graz.
In this video, he explores the origins of intelligence studies, tracing their emergence alongside the rise of organizations like the CIA during the formative years of the Cold War.
Exploring Saint Peter’s Cemetery with Friedrich von Schiller’s “Song of the Bell”
October 2024
Explore the hallowed grounds of Saint Peter’s Cemetery (Deutsch: Petersfriedhof Salzburg), the oldest cemetery in Salzburg, guided by the reflective poem, “Song of the Bell,” by literary legend Friedrich von Schiller…
Botstiber Archive | Claire E. Nolte | “The Hapsburg Empire: A Prisonhouse of Nations?”
October 2024
This 1998 lecture observes the levels of oppression and freedom various nationalities experienced under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and whether the experiences of these nations improved or devolved following the dissolution of the Empire, in 1918. Professor Claire E. Nolte is the former Chair of Manhattan College’s history department. Nolte also served as the College’s Director of the International Studies Program.
The Sound of Music | The True Story Behind the Escape of the Von Trapp Family
October 2024
The Sound of Music (1965) is regarded as a classic in American cinematic history. For decades the film has shaped US perceptions of Austria.
In this video, Professor Helga Embacher from the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg discusses the differences between the film’s climactic ending, with the von Trapp family climbing over a mountain to freedom, and the real-life ending which was a bit less spectacular.
2024 Annual Lecture | John W. Boyer – “Modern City-Making” in Europe and America
September 2024
John Boyer is Senior Advisor to the President and the Martin A. Ryerson Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago.
A dedicated scholar and author, Dr. Boyer is the recipient of multiple accolades from the Austrian government, including the Cross of Honor for Science and Art, First Class (2004), in recognition of his work on the history of the Habsburg Empire, and the Austrian State Prize for Modern History (2006). His leadership at the University of Chicago has shaped a generation of historians who focus on Austria.
A Morning Walk Through the Nonnberg Abbey
September 2024
Join us for a walk through the historic grounds of the Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg, Austria.
The Benedictine monastery built in the early 8th century has become world famous for its role in the 1965 American film classic, “The Sound of Music.” It is also the location where the real Maria Kutschera served as a postulant, inspiring the film and musical.
Botstiber Archive | Leon Botstein | “Music and Its Public: Vienna 1870-1914”
September 2024
The following is a lecture by Dr. Leon Botstein entitled, “Music and Its Public: Vienna 1870-1918.”
Leon Botstein is an accomplished Swiss-American conductor and current president of Bard College in New York. This lecture was originally recorded at Camden County College, in 1998, as part of a Botstiber Austrian-American lecture series.
Destination Austria | Saint Gilgen
August 2024
Nestled amidst the steep slopes of the Austrian Alps, along the banks of Lake Wolfgang, is the small town of St. Gilgen. For generations, families have called the tranquil community home, often welcoming back lifelong friends for Sommerfrische (English: “Summer Refreshing”) during the warmer months.
In this video, we hear from residents of St. Gilgen about day-to-day life in the town, within Austria’s Salzkammergut region. We also hear their experiences as the town has changed over time: new forms of tourism, differences in climate, being the Kulturhauptstadt, and more!
The Sound of Music: An American Classic, An Austrian Mystery
July 2024
“The Sound of Music” (1965) is celebrated as a classic in American cinematic history. For decades, it has significantly influenced American perceptions of Austria. Despite its immense success, the film has remained relatively unknown in Austria itself, except for the popular tour buses that transport tourists around Salzburg, the movie’s iconic filming location.
We hear from Austrians and Americans about how they first discovered the film, its unique relationship with Austria, and more!
Gmundner Keramik and the Essence of Austria’s Salzkammergut Region
June 2024
Gmundner Keramik [Eng: “Gmundner Ceramics”] has stood as a symbol of Austria’s Salzkammergut region for over 500 years.
In this video, Marlene Friesacher shares some of Gmundner Keramik’s story, how the company has persisted for so long, and the importance of flamed pottery to the cultural identity of Gmunden and the Salzkammergut region.
Yoichi Okamoto | A Revolutionary Photographer’s Career from Vienna to the White House
June 2024
Yoichi Okamoto was born in 1915, in the city of Yonkers, New York. He played a major role in the post-World War II photography of Austria before returning to the United States and becoming the first official White House Photographer under President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Flight School with Eagle Eye Jerry (Part 1) | Mountain Rescue, Alpine Piloting, and the Eagle’s Nest
June 2024
In part one, Gerald “Eagle Eye Jerry” Lehner takes us through the rigors of flying above the Austrian Alps. From mountain rescue squads to aerial photography of Adolf Hitler’s infamous “Eagle’s Nest,” piloting near Salzburg is a complicated yet beautiful task.
The Sound of Music | The True Story of Maria Kutschera, Georg von Trapp, and the Nonnberg Abbey
June 2024
The Sound of Music (1965) is regarded as a classic of American cinema, shaping US perceptions of Austria for decades.
Professor Helga Embacher from the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg discusses some of the film’s history in Austria, and the real-life Maria Kutschera who inspired the film’s whimsical, aspiring nun, Maria played by Julie Andrews.
Americans in Austria | Adrienne Egger and Her Artistic Journey to St. Gilgen
June 2024
Adrienne Egger is a highly-talented and multifaceted visual artist whose work has been exhibited from her native United States, to her new home in Austria and Central Europe. In this video, Egger shares the ups and downs of her unique journey across the Atlantic Ocean and what it’s like to be an American artist in Austria.
Inside the Kaiservilla | The Historic Summer Residence of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth
May 2024
Join us for a wonderous tour through the Kaiservilla with expert historian Marie-Theres Arnbom. Once the summer retreat of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (known by many as “Sissi”), the Kaiservilla has long stood as a symbol of the Habsburg Dynasty’s final decades. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the imperial residence hosted influential visitors of the royal family and decisions that would shape the future of Europe.
Markus Salvator Habsburg-Lothringen Recounts Childhood Memories from the Kaiservilla
May 2024
While filming at the Kaiservilla [Emperor’s Villa], the Botstiber Institute had the opportunity to speak with current resident, Archduke Markus Salvator von Habsburg-Lothringen.
In this video, he recounts his childhood memories at the historic building, once a beloved summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth (better known as “Sissi”). His story brings us back to the 7th Annual World Scout Jamboree, which took place in Bad Ischl in 1951.
If Passports Could Talk #3 | Christoph Kapeller
January 2024
Today’s guest is renowned architect Christoph Kapeller. In this episode, he reflects on his journey from southeastern Austria along the border with Slovenia, to busy streets across the United States, and sunny days in the historic Egyptian city of Alexandria.
If you would like to find more from Christoph Kapeller, you can find his work at the following links:
| CK Architecture: https://www.ck-architecture.com/ | CK Photography: https://cargocollective.com/ck-imaging |
Philip Otterness – German Migrant Encounters with Native Americans in Colonial North Carolina
November 2023
Philip Otterness is an emeritus professor of history at Warren Wilson College, in North Carolina. Otterness has conducted research and written extensively on the history of Germanic peoples Colonial America and the early United States. His book, Becoming German: The 1709 Palatine Migration to New York (2004) can be found, here.
Zoltán Ginelli – Semiperipheral Whiteness: Habsburg Colonialism in Hungarian “Indian Play”
November 2023
Zoltán Ginelli is an independent researcher and a critical geographer, historian of science and global historian. His research is in the geographies of knowledge, world-systems analysis, and the histories of geography, colonialism and racism, with a focus on the historical relations between Eastern Europe and the Global South or the Third World. Learn more about him and his work, here.
Austrian & American Slang Words | 2023 ASA Conference Bonus Video
October 2023
Enjoy this bonus clip from our interviews with the attendees of the 2023 Austrian Studies Association (ASA) Conference at Lafayette College in Easton, PA.
The full set of interviews can be watched, here.
Meet the Attendees | 2023 Austrian Studies Association Conference
September 2023
The 2023 Austrian Studies Association (ASA) Conference took place April 14-16 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. In this video, get to know the attendees and their interests a bit more!
The 2023 ASA Conference held academic panels on “Reimagining Space, Place, and Belonging in Austrian History, Politics, Literature, And Film.”
Markéta Křížová – Native North American on Display in Prague, Second Half of the 19th Century
September 2023
Markéta Křížová presenting, “Native North American on display in Prague, second half of the 19th century.” Křížová is a professor and vice dean of international relations at the Charles University of Prague’s Centre for Ibero-American Studies. Her research has focused on early-modern intellectual history, European overseas expansion, the colonial history of America, migrations, cultural encounters and competitions (Moves, 2023).
2023 Annual Lecture | A Fairy-Tale Opera and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy
August 2023
The Board of Advisors and staff of the Botstiber Institute held their annual meeting in Washington, DC, on Friday, May 19, evaluating more than two dozen proposals for grant support during a day-long meeting. That evening, they traveled to the Austrian Embassy for the Annual Botstiber Lecture, where this year historian Larry Wolff dazzled a large crowd, including the new Austrian Ambassador, Petra Schneebauer, with a multi-media presentation about his new book, The Shadow of the Empress: Fairy-Tale Opera and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy (2023).
Miguel Ibáñez Aristondo – Native America in the Archive of José Fernando Ramírez (1804-1871)
August 2023
Miguel Ibáñez Aristondo presenting on, “Between Native America and the Second Mexican Empire: Travels, Connections, and the Material Archive of José Fernando Ramírez (1804-1871).” Aristondo is assistant professor of early modern and 19th century Latin American and Iberian studies at Villanova University. His research interests include environmental history, slavery, political ecology, literature, and history of science.
Alexander McCargar – Plumes of Power: The Native American in Habsburg Festival Culture before 1700
August 2023
Alexander McCargar presenting on, “Plumes of Power: The Native American in Habsburg Festival Culture before 1700.” McCargar is a scenic designer and a PhD candidate at the University of Vienna. McCargar has conducted significant research on the history of scenic design and festival culture. You can learn more about his work, here.
Julia Secklehner – The Roma and Hans Larwin’s ‘Indians’ in Interwar Austrian Visual Culture
July 2023
Julia Secklehner presenting on, “Painting ‘Indians’: Hans Larwin’s Genre Paintings and the ‘Other’ in Interwar Austrian Visual Culture.” Secklehner is a Research Fellow at Masaryk University’s Department of Art History. She is a specialist in the history of modern art and visual culture in Central Europe.
Robbie Richardson – The “Kunstkammer” as Contact Zone: Indigenous Knowledge in Habsburg Collections
July 2023
Robbie Richardson providing the keynote address at the “Habsburg Encounters with Native America” conference. Richardson is an assistant professor of eighteenth-century British and transatlantic literature and culture at Princeton University. He is also a member of the Pabineau Mi’kmaq First Nation.
Annual BIAAS Lecture 2022: A. Wess Mitchell on US-Austrian Relations & The Russo-Ukrainian Conflict
July 2022
At this year’s annual lecture presented by the Botstiber Institute for Austrian-American Studies, A. Wess Mitchell shares his insights on the current state of Austrian-American relations. As the former US Assistant Secretary of State to Europe & Eurasia, Mitchell provides an informed perspective on what the conflict in Ukraine could mean for the two countries before answering audience questions on the topic in a Q&A.
Anna Freud and “The Conscience of Society”
May 2020
Drawing on a wealth of still and video archival materials, this 15 minute digital exhibit brings to life the fascinating intersection of psychoanalysis and education. Out of the cultural and political ferment of inter-war Vienna emerged the Hietzing School, founded in the 1920s by Anna Freud and Dorothy Tiffany Burlingham.
“A Lifetime Engagement with Austria” an Interview with Harry Carl Schaub
March 2020
Over the course of his distinguished career, Harry Carl Schaub served as Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Austria to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, partnered at the law firm Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, and authored a celebrated biography of the Austrian Abwehr General Erwin Lahousen. He recounts his myriad experiences in this interview by Professor Frank Trommler.
2019 Cultural Politics and Propaganda Conference – Günter Bischof
July 2019
Günter Bischof is a member of the Board of Advisors at the Botstiber Institute for Austrian-American Studies. He holds a PhD from Harvard University and is the Marshall Plan Chair and Director of Center Austria: The Austrian Marshall Plan Center for European Studies at the University of New Orleans. He has taught contemporary American and European history at UNO since 1989. He has served as a guest professor at various universities across Europe, North America and the Middle East.
2019 Cultural Politics and Propaganda Conference – Siegfried Beer
July 2019
Siegfried Beer is the Chair of the BIAAS Board of Advisors. He is professor for Late Modern and Contemporary History (ret.) at the University of Graz. In 2004 he founded the Austrian Center for Intelligence, Propaganda and Security Studies (ACIPSS) whose semi-annual Journal for Intelligence, Propaganda and Security Studies (JIPSS) he edited until 2018.
4-Part Interview with Dr. Anton Pelinka: The History of US-Austrian Relations
July 2019
Dr. Anton Pelinka, a professor of political science and nationalism studies, shares his insights regarding US-Austrian relations since WWII with Dr. Gary Cohen, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Minnesota.