Ingo Zechner - Böcker

An encyclopedic selection of original documents from the Austrian capital's pathbreaking, progressive interwar period, translated and with contextualizing introductions and commentaries.Immediately after World War I, in 1919, the Austrian capital Vienna elected a Social Democratic majority that persisted until 1934. The city's leaders, together with its intellectuals, boldly imagined a new society that would be economically just, scientifically rigorous, and radically democratic. "Red Vienna" undertook experiments in public housing, welfare, and education while maintaining a world-class presence in science, music, literature, theater, andother fields of cultural production. Though Red Vienna eventually fell victim to fascist violence, it left a rich legacy with potential to inform our own tumultuous times.The Red Vienna Sourcebook provides scholars and students with a selection of some 280 key texts from the period, carefully translated and introduced. These texts connect readers to the era's most fascinating discussions, movements, and personalities and will be of interest to such diverse disciplines as architecture, economics, film studies, history, Jewish studies, literary studies, music, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, sports, and women's studies.

An encyclopedic selection of original documents from the Austrian capital's pathbreaking, progressive interwar period, translated and with contextualizing introductions and commentaries.The current blockbuster German TV series Babylon Berlin introduces viewers to the tumultuous period in German history known as the Weimar Republic. Critics have praised the series for its relevance to the present: it showsdark populist forces undermining a fragile democracy. While Weimar Germany makes a fascinating backdrop, its story does not inspire much hope for our present-day political and cultural woes.A fascinating contrast is the Austrian capital, Vienna. After the First World War the former imperial city elected a Social Democratic majority that persisted into the 1930s. "Red Vienna" undertook large-scale experiments in public housing, hygiene, and education,while maintaining a world-class presence in music, literature, art, culture, and science. Though Red Vienna eventually fell victim to fascist violence, it left a rich legacy with potential to inform our own tumultuous times.The Red Vienna Sourcebook provides scholars and students with an encyclopedic selection of key documents from the period, carefully translated and introduced. The thirty-six chapters include primary works from canonical names such as Sigmund Freud and Arthur Schnitzler but also introductions to lesser-known figures such as sociologist Käthe Leichter and health-policy pioneer Julius Tandler. The documents will be of interest to such diverse disciplines as economics, architecture, music, film history, philosophy, women's studies, sports and body culture, and Jewish studies.