Cultural Historical Studies

About

The winter school courses provide a well-structured introduction into one of the most fascinating periods of Austria's intellectual history in a short time. The culture of the fin-de-siècle is one of the highlights in the history of the Habsburg Monarchy.

The two-week program combines first class academic courses with an extensive social and cultural program. The high level lectures in the morning are complemented with excursions to the city and to museums in the afternoon.
Vienna’s rich cultural heritage, especially the museums, will lead to a thorough understanding of the input of the fin-de-siècle on the modernization of Europe.

The international background of the participants offers the possibility to discuss the influence of developments in Vienna (e.g. the famous psychoanalyst Freud, painters like Klimt and Schiele, musicians like Mahler and Schönberg or philosophers like Wittgenstein) and different cultures in Europe and other continents.

The academic course environment encourages intercultural and social exchange and favors mutual understanding within the international student population. Participants thus broaden their horizon, meet colleagues from different fields of study, make friends for life and build connections for their future professional careers.

Course leader

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Franz-Stefan Meissel, Director; Lecturers: Markus Grassl, Wynfrid Kriegleder, Eveline List, Monika Schwärzler-Brodesser, Elana Shapira, Jonas Pfohl, Stefan Wedrac, Richard Lein

Target group

Students interested in Art, Architecture & Design, Culture, Literature, Music, Politics, and Psychology in Vienna around 1900.

Course aim

The program offers four courses about the history and society of the late Habsburg Monarchy, as well as fine arts, architecture and design of the same period and developments in psychology, literature, and music. All together a deep insight in society and culture of this fascinating period of modernization will be given.

Fee info