2015

To mark the

70th Anniversary
of the Liberation of Austria

Art Association Kunstplatzl
invites to events

YOUNG AUSTRIA
Austrian Refugees in Britain:
The Fight Against Fascism in WWII

Patrons:
Dr. Martin Eichtinger,
Austrian Ambassador to UK

Mr. Robin O'Neill, Chairman of the
Anglo-Austrian Society

Young Austria Book Launch
Film Screening

Austrian Cultural Forum
28 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PQ

Reception 11 November 6.30-8.30 pm

Photos

Presentation of the Young Austria book in German (632 pages) and DVD, and the English edition with illustrated colour pages, stories, as well as exhibition panels.

To be opened at 6: 45 pm by Mrs. Elisabeth Koegler, Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum and by the guest of honour Mr. Robin O'Neill, Chairman of the Anglo-Austrian Society.

There will be a screening of the short film Young Austria, followed by talks by Prof. Charmian Brinson, Imperial College, London, and Dr. Marietta Bearman (Research Centre of German and Austrian Exile Studies) from London, as well as Sonja Frank from Vienna, publisher of the Young Austria documentation and her colleague Albert Hirl.

The talks will focus on the young refugees from Austria and their fight against fascism for the liberation of Austria and on the process of documenting the Young Austria story.

Speakers and Program:
Ms. Elisabeth Kögler
Mr. Robin O'Neill
Film screening:
Young Austria Film
by Kurt Blenz
Sonja Frank and Albert Hirl
Prof. Charmian Brinson and Dr. Marietta Bearman

Venue & Info:
Austrian Cultural Forum
Address:
28 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PQ
T +44 (0)20 7225 7300; office@acflondon.org

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Young Austria Exhibition
Presentation of the
Commemorative Plaque

London School of Economics
Atrium Gallery, Old Building,
Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE.

Reception 16 Nov.

Photos

Visitors are welcome
17 Nov - 11 Dec 2015
Monday-Friday between 10am and 8pm.

To be opened at 7:20 pm by the guest of honour Dr. Martin Eichtinger, Austrian Ambassador, Mr. Robin O'Neill, Chairman of the Anglo-Austrian Society Dr. Marietta Bearman and Prof. Charmian Brinson (Imperial College, London) and Sonja Frank, Vienna, publisher of the Young Austria documentation.

On this occassion we present the Commemorative Plaque for the building of the Austrian Centre as well as the historical-biographical exhibition of the former exile organisation Young Austria.

The exhibition portrays members and their families and their political and cultural activities. Photographs show them also as members of the British Army and the Auxiliary Territorial Service and other war workers. The exhibition displays, organised by topic, include biographical information and explanations of the photographs and the other images. Some of the material is unique and unpublished and thus an important resource for students and historians.

Before the outbreak of the Second World War, the Kindertransport brought 10,000 children from Austria, Germany and Czechoslovakia to Britain. Many children from the Kindertransport became members of Young Austria between 1939 and 1947. Young Austria was the most important organisation for young Austrian refugees in Britain while Austria was part of the National Socialist "Third Reich".

 

Agenda Wien 3, Neulinggasse 34 – 36, 1030 Wien

Programmbeginn ab 15:30h

Young Austria Film von Kurt Blenz, Vortrag und Lesung:
Sonja Frank, Albert Hirl, Uli Makomaski und Konstantin Kaiser

Büchertisch: Andrea Kucera und Martin Frank
Young Austria Buch englischsprachig, 196 Seiten, A4 4-färbig
Young Austria Buch in Deutsch, 632 Seiten, sw/weiß,
davon 16 Seiten 4-färbig, plus DVD mit ZeitzeugInnen-Interviews

Fotos

YOUNG AUSTRIA, Österreichische Flüchtlinge in Großbritannien
im Kampf gegen den Faschismus im 2. Weltkrieg

Ehrenschutz:
Dr. Martin Eichtinger, Österreichischer Botschafter
Robin O'Neill, Anglo-Austrian Society

Young Austria Buch- und Filmpräsentation

11. Nov. 18:30 h
Austrian Cultural Forum 28 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PQ


Präsentation der 2. erweiterten Auflage des Young Austria Buches in Deutsch (632 Seiten, DVD mit Zeitzeugen-Interviews) und der 1. Auflage in Englisch, vierfärbige mit illustrierten Geschichten von Young Austrians und Ausstellungstafeln

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Ausstellung 16. Nov. - 11. Dez. 2015

London School of Economics
Atrium Gallery, Old Building, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE

Eröffnung 16 November

freier Eintritt: 17 Nov - 11 Dez. 2015 Mo. - Fr. zwischen 10 und 20 Uhr

 

Young Austria (YA) encouraged its members to serve with the British Armed Forces, and several hundred did so. 95% of its members were active in the war effort and 80% were trade union members. The Choir of Young Austria and the Austrian Players performed for a total of 40,000 visitors (cf. Young Austria No. 17., 24 August 1946).

Some Young Austria functionaries had been born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and they worked together with Czech refugees and former Spanish Civil War fighters (International Brigades). Many functionaries of the organisation had been persecuted as Communists and Jews in Austria, and in the 1930s, especially during the period of Austrofascism (1934-38), they had been active in resistance efforts against National Socialism. In Britain they actively supported the British war effort. Many members of the Free Austrian Movement were supported by the Czech Refugee Trust Fund. Soon after the end of the war, about 300 members of the organisation returned to Austria, and from the 1950s onwards, many of those who had returned to Austria left the Communist Party (because of Soviet actions in Eastern Europe).

In May 2010 approximately 30 former members of Young Austria celebrated the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Austria, and former YA member Erich Herzl began with the documentation of Young Austria's history. Sonja Frank and her arts association KunstPlatzl have collected many photographs, obituaries and life stories and have conducted oral history interviews.The President of the Austrian National Assembly, Mag. Barbara Prammer (1954-2014) wrote: "The Republic of Austria is obliged to thank the Young Austrians deeply for standing up unconditionally for a free, democratic and independent Austria."

Venue & Info: London School of Economics, Atrium Gallery, Old Building,
Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE. www.lse.ac.uk

With the support of:

 

Ausstellung und Lesung

Wien - London - Rom

So. 12. April 2015 15 Uhr

Agenda-Wien-Landstrasse

Neulingg. 34 - 35, 1030 Wien

Erstes Wiener LeseTheater

Gedichte und Text von Autoren
aus Wien, London und Rom

FOTOS

 

5. Juli - 27. August

Maimonidesheim, 1020 Wien

BUCHPRÄSENTATION mit
Konstantin Kaiser - Sonja Frank - Albert Hirl

Eröffnung: So. 5. Juli

FOTOS

Trio Kabane 13
Amanda Rotter: Gesang
Stefan Angerer: Gitarre, Gesang
Walther Soyka: Wiener Knopfharmonika

Young Austria Film von Kurt Blenz