The Congress of Vienna and its Global Dimension, 18-22 Sep. 2014, University of Vienna

CONFERENCE HOSTS

The conference is kindly hosted by the >> Institute of History at the University of Vienna and the >> Historical Studies Library, both located in the university main building. While the University of Vienna (founded in 1365) is the oldest university in the German-speaking world, the Institute of History exists since 1849. Albert Jäger was appointed its first professor of Austrian history in 1851, and as the first head of the institute in 1854. Three years later, he brought the Prussian historian Theodor von Sickel to Vienna – a 19th century testimony of the close Austrian-German connections on an academic level from time immemorial. Operating from Vienna, Sickel himself became one of the founders of modern diplomatics. The Historical Studies Library was founded in 1872.

University main building

University main building seen from the Ringstraße (photo credit: Gryffindor)

Up to the end of World War II, Europe was the focus of historical research of the institute. In the postwar period, there was a shift towards the histories of science, women, gender, and, increasingly, the probing and incorporation of ethnography, archaeology and philology. It was Günther Hamann who introduced the history of the Americas, Australia and Africa in the 1950s, thereby incorporating a transcontinental orientation and perspective. Hamann’s efforts in this regard was continued by Gerald Stourzh who worked on Atlantic history and international relations as well as human rights in the 1970s, although Stourzh published on Atlantic history as early as 1954 through his first book which focused on Benjamin Franklin’s presence in France during the American Independence. In the 21st century, such developments, along with the establishment in 1999 of a chair for “Extra-European History with special reference to Latin America” have led increasingly to research that focus on Global History.

Today, the Institute of History at the University of Vienna offers a variety of study programmes in Global History, among them the joint project “Erasmus Mundus Master Programme Global Studies – a European Perspective”. The programme involves collaboration with the universities of Leipzig, Wroclaw, and the London School of Economics and Political Science as well as partner universities in Australia, Canada, China, India, South Africa and the USA. The Historical Studies Library belongs to the Vienna University Library, holding over 150,000 volumes (including the collections of the Department of Economic and Social History) and more than 150 current periodicals. Medieval History, Modern History, History of Natural Sciences, Women’s and Gender History, Economic and Social History, as well as the History of Europe (especially of Austria, Central and Western Europe) and the Americas are the primary focus.

Further information: www.univie.ac.at/Geschichte/htdocs/site/arti.php/90057

www.univie.ac.at/Geschichte-Meta/Globalgeschichte/?page_id=126&lang=en

http://bibliothek.univie.ac.at/fb-geschichte/historical_studies_library.html