1. Insight(s)

Objects Resonating Contemporary History
The mdw* in Austro-fascism, National Socialism and Post-Nazism

The research collective Klingende Zeitgeschichte is a cooperation between the Archive and the Institute for Musicology and Interpretation Research (IMI) of the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and is dedicated to central aspects of the history of the mdw in the 20th century. The focus is on contemporary history, historical musicology and research into the performing arts. On the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the “Anschluss” in 2023, highlights will be cast on the mdw in the period of Austro-fascism, National Socialism and post-Nazism in the form of an “object history”. Owing to the complexity of this era, there is no claim to a comprehensive representation. Rather, the scientific findings are confronted with existing desiderata up to this point, which, in light of the anniversary’s occasion, should be understood as an urgent mandate for future research projects.

Today’s mdw had numerous designations and varying organisational forms during the roughly two decades of the period in focus here. These, when the distinction is not content-relevant, are subsumed under the term ‘mdw*’ In the chronological overviews of the three periods — Austro-fascism, National Socialism, and Post-Nazism — the respective name by which the mdw was known during each period is used.

A research project of the Archive and the Institute for Musicology and Performance Research (IMI) of the mdw - University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna
Exhibition dates: 9th November 2023 - 26th January 2024
Project Leads: Severin Matiasovits, Anita Mayer-Hirzberger, Fritz Trümpi
Extended Scientific Advisory Board: Christian Glanz, Erwin Strouhal, Cornelia Szabó-Knotik
Project collaboration: Jutta Fuchshuber, Bit Michlmayr, Eva Schörkhuber
Exhibition design: Checo Sterneck, Karin Dreher (Graphics)