In the spirit of its namesake the scholarship programme is intended for transnational and joint reappraisal of Austrian history in the broadest sense – after all, Austrian history is not limited to the surface area of today’s Austria.
This diversity of research topics and research spaces was evident at the 4th Plaschka conference, which took place on 2 and 3 December 2021. Under the title “Herrschafts/Machtsicherung vom Mittelalter bis in die Gegenwart” (“Securing Domination/Power from the Middle Ages to the Present”) the Plaschka scholarship holders presented and discussed their research; this was complemented by a lecture by the renowned historian Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger.
The conference and the associated exchange of ideas form a central element of the Richard Plaschka scholarship and thus enable our “Plaschkarians” to further develop their research through research stays in Austria and through joint discussions with other historians. This takes into account the fact that research thrives on exchange.
Due to the pandemic the conference took place online. Even though we can consider ourselves fortunate that this possibility exists and that we were able to meet at least in the virtual space we look forward to the next opportunity to invite and welcome the Plaschkarians to a joint conference in Vienna once again. In this spirit we hope to have the opportunity for many meetings and stays in person in 2022!
Richard Plaschka Scholarship
This is a programme for individuals with above-average qualifications who focus on Austria-related historical or historiographical topics. These are postdoctoral researchers and doctoral or PhD students from higher education systems that do not provide for habilitations. Plaschka fellows can work as visiting researchers at university departments and conduct studies in libraries, archives or at research institutions.
Author: Katharina Cepak