Lower Austrian Provincial Exhibition 2009
Under the title Austria. Czech Republic. divided - separated - united , the first Lower Austrian provincial exhibition with an exhibition location abroad, namely in the Czech Republic , took place in 2009.
occasion
Occasion for the national exhibition “Austria. Czech Republic. divided - separated - united ”was the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain . The eventful history should be presented under a common sovereign ( Danube Monarchy ) or under their own governments of the two neighboring states Austria and Czechoslovakia or the Czech Republic.
Locations and topics
Lower Austrian provincial exhibitions have already been organized several times at different exhibition locations. In 2009, however, one of the scenes was abroad for the first time.
horn
The exhibition location in Horn was the Kunsthaus Horn, where the theme was the history of the states governed partly jointly and partly separately. The more than 430 years in which parts of today's Austria and the Czech Republic shared a common sovereign (1254–1276 Přemysl Otakar and Habsburgs 1306–1307, 1437–1457 and 1526–1918) were summarized in the first room. The focus, however, was on the 20th century: two storylines were presented, that of Austria and that of the Czech Republic, and each of these was illustrated by structural measures. Depending on the political situation, the lines of representation united or separated. In 1918 the paths had "split", the political problems of the 1st Austrian Republic and the increasing political radicalization were presented. The Czech way turned out to be more gratifying, Czechoslovakia had been able to develop into a democratic, economically stable state. But here too, especially in connection with the question of the Sudeten Germans ( Henlein movement) and the tension with Hitler , there was an increasing division and radicalization. In 1938 Austria was annexed to National Socialist Germany , the Czech part of Czechoslovakia was occupied by it in 1939. Both countries had now come under National Socialist repression together. At the end of the war in 1945, the paths had split again, Austria had been able to develop into a flourishing, democratic state, while Czechoslovakia had come under the Soviet sphere of influence. With the erection of the Iron Curtain , which ran right through the middle of Europe at the border of the two ideological systems, the two countries were "separated", so to speak hermetically sealed off from one another. Austria's way had brought the development of an Austrian national consciousness (based on sporting success, among other things) and increasing prosperity. Concerning Czechoslovakia, the exhibition presented the compulsory change of society in the communist system, the expulsion of the German-speaking population , the Prague Spring , the suppression of the same and the subsequent period of " normalization ". With the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, the paths were again met. When Austria and the Czech Republic joined the EU , both countries were "united" again under this common roof. This was symbolically illustrated in the last room using marriages between Austrians and Czech women.
Raabs an der Thaya
In the vicarage of Raabs , the so-called Lindenhof, the border and life on the border were the main focus. Austria is called Rakousko in Czech , which literally translates as land behind Raabs , which is why Raabs was the ideal location for the topic of borders. Not only the physical border, its definition, marking, measurement and course, the security systems of the Iron Curtain and the formalities when crossing were dealt with, but also “border” in the figurative sense. This means different ideologies, nationalisms, symbols, languages and cultures. It was shown that the nobility and the artists did not consciously perceive any border between Austria and Bohemia up until the 19th century, rather it was a common cultural area. Only the burgeoning nationalism in the 19th century caused a split that culminated in the isolation of the totalitarian regimes of the Warsaw Pact states in the 20th century. The living conditions at the “dead border”, the border areas on both sides of the Iron Curtain, were dealt with, as well as the overcoming of the border at the end of the 20th century and the hopes and fears associated with it.
Telč
The UNESCO World Heritage city of Telč in the Vysočina served as the third location for the national exhibition. Within Telč, the exhibition was again spread over three locations.
In the Maßhaus, the entrance hall of the town hall, an introduction to the national exhibition and the topics dealt with in Telč were presented.
In Telč Castle , the common culture in the Lower Austrian-Czech border region was presented using well-known castles, monasteries and monasteries as well as prominent cultural workers from both countries. His headed here are Gustav Mahler , Josef Hoffmann , Josef Florian , Bohuslav Reynek and Robert Hamerling . Simple folk culture was also presented in the form of the permanent exhibition of the Museum of the Vysočina Region.
The culture of the 20th century was treated in the former fire station (Hasičský dům) on the main square of Telč. One side of the elongated room was dedicated to the Austrian, the other to the Czech. Historical descriptions alternated with the representation of well-known personalities from both countries as well as with exhibits.
history
The following locations applied to host the Lower Austrian Provincial Exhibition 2009: Rappottenstein , the Wachau communities , Pöggstall , the Thayatal and Horn region. In Horn, a committee consisting of Horner dignitaries had worked out an exhibition concept under the title “Utopias & Visions - The Dream of a Better Life”, inspired by the utopia “City in Dreams” of Altenburg lawyer Leopold Paur. On May 24, 2006 Governor Pröll decided in favor of Horn, but announced that the exhibition theme would concern the common history of Austria and the Czech Republic. In autumn 2006, the head of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research on the Consequences of War, Stefan Karner, was appointed exhibition curator, together with Michal Stehlík, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Charles University in Prague .
Based on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain between Austria and the then CSSR, the idea of an exhibition was born, which should present the common history of the two countries. This idea was pursued further under the working title “In the heart of Europe” and a cooperation agreement was finally concluded on November 22, 2006 in Raabs.
The Lower Austrian State Exhibition Austria was opened. Czech Republic. divided - separated - united on April 17th, 2009 first in Horn (10 a.m.), then in Raabs an der Thaya (1 p.m.) and finally also in Telč (5 p.m.). From April 18 until November 1, 2009 it was open to the public.
The owner of Burg Raabs had initially initiated a campaign for the Raabs location , but when the decision was made to use Raabs as the exhibition venue, negotiations between him and the manager of the state exhibitions failed. Fortunately, a suitable location was quickly found in the former rectory, the so-called Lindenhof.
Since the state exhibition, the Lindenhof has been used as a branch of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for research on the consequences of war.
Visitor numbers
- May 22, 2009: Since the opening, around 60,000 visitors have visited the state exhibition.
- June 17, 2009: The 100,000. Welcomes visitors.
- July 14, 2009: The 150,000. Visitor was welcomed.
- August 25: In Raabs the 200,000. Welcomes visitors.
- September 28th: In Telč the 300,000. Visitor welcomed.
On average, the Lower Austrian Provincial Exhibition in 2009 was visited by around 1,750 guests a day, according to a survey
- 98 percent wanted to recommend the exhibition to others,
- 95 percent rated the exhibition as “very good” or “good” and around
- ¾ the visitor had already visited or planned to visit all three locations.
- 49 percent of the visitors also visited other sights
The shuttle buses running between the three exhibition venues carried an average of 1,800 passengers a day.
Exhibits
The most prominent exhibit at the Lower Austrian Provincial Exhibition in 2009 was a replica of the Wenceslas Crown from the Prague Cathedral Treasure and can usually be viewed in Prague Castle . Her temporary move to the Kunsthaus Horn was agreed at a meeting between Lower Austrian Governor Erwin Pröll and Czech President Václav Klaus . Together with other funeral insignia (crown of the Holy Roman Empire, scepter, orb), she arrived in Horn on April 7, 2009.
The accession treaties of Austria (1994) and the Czech Republic (2003) to the European Union were also issued.
In addition, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research on the Consequences of War, with the support of the ORF regional studio in Lower Austria, has been running a collection campaign since May 2008 to search for objects, photos and documents of interest for the regional exhibition. By December 2008 around 1,000 different exhibits had already been registered.
As part of this search, a Czech citizen provided a passport with a stamp from Rudolf Kirchschläger , the Austrian ambassador to Czechoslovakia. Such a visa made it possible for tens of thousands of Czechoslovak citizens to enter Austria after the crackdown on the Prague Spring in 1968 and was issued by Rudolf Kirchschläger against instructions from the Austrian Foreign Ministry.
In the original exhibition concept, personal memorabilia could only be seen in Horn, because of the great interest shown by visitors in these things, such items were also shown in Raabs an der Thaya from June 2009.
In the region
During the preparation period for the Lower Austrian Provincial Exhibition, the State of Lower Austria invested around 22 million euros in the region's infrastructure , especially in the Horn and Raabs an der Thaya exhibition locations.
In Raabs, for example, the Lindenhof and the Schüttkasten , which can be used as an event center by the Thayaland communities in the future, were restored for around 6 million euros , and various infrastructure measures, such as the creation of parking spaces, were implemented.
In Horn, the redesign and redesign of the Höbarthmuseum , the renovation of the Piaristensteg built in 1937 over the Taffa and the redesign of the inner city received financial support.
In addition to the exhibition locations in Horn and Raabs, numerous other buildings were also restored.
With around 700 accompanying activities, the region tried to win over the guests attracted by the draft horse state exhibition as tourists in the long term and thus gain long-term economic benefits. The framework program also included cross-border cultural, youth and school projects in order to promote new friendships across national and language borders. Events in the region included an air show at the Dobersberg airfield or a dragon boat race on the Thaya in Raabs.
The preparatory measures for the state exhibition also included the expansion of the state road between Dobersberg and the Fratres border crossing .
During the state exhibition, both the Waldviertel tourism and the regional restaurants recorded an increase of around 50 percent. In the Horn area, for example, the number of overnight stays rose by around 60 percent.
In the media
In addition to reports in newspapers, the Lower Austrian State Exhibition Austria. Czech Republic. divided - separately - united also treated in two TV productions.
- The Austrian director Romana Casata designed the documentary "Divided - separated - united" for 3sat with stories from residents of the border region about life on and with the border. In June 2009 this documentary was broadcast on both 3sat and ORF.
- The Austrian director Kurt Mündl designed an Austria picture on Sunday for ORF Lower Austria under the title "Old Neighbors in New Europe" , which was broadcast in September 2009.
The national exhibition was at least one topic on the German-language website of Radio Praha .
Shortly before the end of the Lower Austrian State Exhibition, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for War Research presented the book “Austria. Czech Republic. divided - separated - united ” ISBN 978-3-901661-28-0 as a“ review ”for those interested, the official exhibition catalog, however, was already sold out before the end of the exhibition.
Closing balance
According to the final balance published after the end of the provincial exhibition, the exhibition was visited by 405,192 people, making it the second most successful Lower Austrian provincial exhibition ever.
A total of around 36.8 million euros were invested in the region, around 22.5 million of which were invested by the state of Lower Austria. According to a study, visitors to the exhibition, around 76 percent of whom were day trippers and the rest of them overnight guests, generated around 16.4 million euros in sales and an increase in overnight stays of around 30 percent.
Just over half of all visitors to the exhibition (around 52 percent) came from Lower Austria, around 30 percent from Vienna and around 10 percent from the Czech Republic.
literature
- Stefan Karner , Michal Stehlík (Eds.): Austria. Czech Republic. divided - separated - united, contribution volume and catalog of the Lower Austrian State Exhibition 2009 , Schallaburg 2009, OCLC 552451938 .
- Waldviertler Heimatbund: The Waldviertel, 58th year, issue 2/2009. Horn 2009 (contains several articles on the topic)
Web links
- "Rakousko - Česko. Rozděleni - odloučeni - spojeni."
- A shared history up close: The Lower Austrian State Exhibition 2009 at Radio Prague
- Podcast about the National Exhibition of Radio Prague
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b 150,000 visitors to the Lower Austrian State Exhibition 2009. ( Memento of the original from July 12, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on www.noe.gv.at, on July 14, 2009.
- ↑ Erich Rabl: The culture town of Horn - all about the Lower Austria state exhibition 2009. In: Waldviertler Heimatbund: Das Waldviertel, 58th year, issue 2/2009. Horn 2009.
- ↑ noe.gv.at ( Memento of the original from August 1, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Raabs: Lindenhof becomes a state exhibition site
- ^ Boltzmann Institute
- ↑ noe.gv.at ( Memento of the original from July 12, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ noe.gv.at ( Memento of the original from July 12, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c 200,000 visitors to the Lower Austrian state exhibition , on www.noe.gv.at, on August 25, 2009.
- ↑ a b c 300,000. Visitor at the Lower Austrian State Exhibition 2009 , on www.noe.gv.at, on September 28, 2009.
- ↑ noe.gv.at
- ↑ noe.gv.at
- ↑ noe.gv.at
- ↑ noe.gv.at ( Memento of the original from July 12, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ noe.gv.at ( Memento of the original from July 12, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b State exhibition opens in 17 days. on www.noe.gv.at on April 1, 2009.
- ↑ noe.gv.at
- ↑ a b Lower Austria State Exhibition 2009 - Preliminary work is in full swing. on www.noe.gv.at on December 19, 2008.
- ↑ State road expanded in the direction of the Fratres border crossing
- ↑ tv.orf.at
- ↑ orf.at ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ "Old Neighbors in New Europe - Lower Austria. State Exhibition 2009" A "Austria Picture on Sunday" on September 6th on ORF 2
- ↑ noe-landesausstellung.at ( Memento from October 28, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ noe.gv.at ( Memento of the original from July 12, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
