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While the first volume of the overalll work, which was published as "The historical Area of Austria" ("Geschichtsraum Österreich") in 2006, focused on the Hapsburgian "whole state" from the perspective of the most important phenomena and protagonists of the "Hapsburgian iconography", this second and concluding volume examines multifarious visualisations of the regional and supraregional historical myths of the 19th century in Vienna, the "centre", and in the regions, i.e. the Austrian Crownlands (part of which are identical with today´s federal provinces of the Republic of Austria). The difficult relationship between the "whole state" and the Crownlands constitutes the entire, extremely complex spectrum of reflections on Austrian 19th century history. Here, the kinds of methods and concrete goals with which regional memorial foundations interact or compete with dynastic strategies is a pivotal issue - on that has been examined only far too rarely in the past. Hence the present work intends to discuss both art-historical and historical phenomena with explore various historical reflections at the - frequently neglected - "periphery" and investigate visual approaches to one´s "own" history from the "present" of the 19th century (using prominent events such as the second Ottoman siege of 1683 and the "wars of liberation" against Napoleon as an example). The degrees of complexity, quantitative permeation and significant contrasts between Vienna - the "centre" - and the "provinces" in their different reflections on Austrian history clearly begin to emerge when we examine an extensive range of topics against the background of competing national, regional and communal strategies. Compared to the first volume "The historical Area of Austria", the perspective of the multifarious "historical area of Austria" shifts from the "whole state" to an analysis of a highly distinct "plurality of areas" (Karl Schlögel) with its own intrinsic laws. Such diversity is also an essential factor when we come to investigate the prolific amount of Austrian landscape art in the 19th century and the role it played in forging identity. It graphically demonstrates that a deeper understanding of Austria´s federal structures is not possible without gaining a comprehensive insight into 19th century history.Während im ersten Band der Gesamtpublikation, der unter dem Titel "Geschichtsraum Österreich" im Jahr 2006 erschienen ist, der habsburgische "Gesamtst ...

This article aims to deliver a new and methodologically modified view of representation and propaganda strategies in the late 18th century. In the Josephine era, emphasis was placed less on the glorification of a single regent. Instead, the focus was more on complex, multi-layered propagations of a new system of governance and self-image in the context of reform efforts that were intended to permeate all areas of life. In general, the contents of prints dealing with the confessional issue range from the image of the ruler (for example, Joseph as a 'new' Diogenes) to satire. The Protestants acclaimed the monarch with demonstrations of gratitude in words, writings and images, which ultimately made the piety of the Emperor a subject in itself. On that bases, I will try to apply a multipolar model that encapsulates the exercise of power as a system of communicative processes with many divergent participators. This view is in line with recent methodological approaches which regard communication as simultaneously a prerequisite and a function of domination. Hence the fundamental question here is how state reforms, particularly those concerning 'Religious Tolerance', could be communicated and (finally) carried out in words and images.

The history is intended as the first comprehensive examination of the role of Austrian history in the visual arts of the Habsburg monarchy between 1804 and 1918. At its centre are the following three key questions: What status did the general preoccupation with history acquire? What where the favorite historical subjects for artistic representation? What significance did the Habsburgs´own history (almost endlessly "extendible" all the way back to its fictitious mythical beginnings) hold for the issues of the day? Works of art contribute to the creation of traditions in a double sense: a given work simultaneously contains and creates history. A work of art is also a medium for social identification, facilitating communication between the monarch and the people. Investigating the characteristics of the different "reflections on history" in the visual arts in Austria in the 19th century led to the practical necessity of significantly widening the known material basis. It became apparent that previous research was based on a relatively limited range of works (primarily "high art") and failed to relate these works to literary documents from the fiields of historiography or belles-lettres. I believe it is only by expanding the basis in terms of both word and picture documentation that a reliable overview of the different strategies pursued by Habsburg iconography can be gained. Not only did my chosen methodology seem expedient, and indeed almost indispensable for an examination of concrete historical cases, it also reveals that this interlocking approach (furthermore justified by the nature of the material) based on interrelating picture and text media contains the very key to a proper investigation of the historical art of the 19th century. In approaching the central questions, this study begins with an introduction that looks at concepts and methodology and charts the difficult formation of the "Austrian nation" from "Casa d´Austria" to the Habsburg "nation state". The second chapter examines the relevance of the Austrian 18th century in the consciousness of the following century based on the examples of rulers Maria Theresia and Joseph II. This is folloewd almost of necessity by a long section on the ruler iconography of the period Emperor Franz II (I) to Emperor Franz Joseph I. The visual strategies of the Habsburg rulers in the 19th century and the inseparable question of the legitimation of the Austrian Empire in the years after 1848 steer attention back to the quest for "origins" and to the Habsburg "insurance policy" of evoking the figure of founding father Rudolf I. This forms the main focus of the fourth chapter. In this context, the various appeals to the famous progenitor assume the character of an "underpinning" myth (Jan Assmann). The final chapter attempts to provide answers to questions relating to the "flowering" of Austrian historiography in the 19th century relative to historical interpretations in painting. The complex genesis of the celebration of glorious Austrian deeds ist examined on the basis of the concrete example of "military iconography" and the decoration of the "hall of fame" in the "Arsenal" in Vienna.

To mark the third centenary of the birth of Maria Theresa, on 15 March 2017 a major exhibition will be launched exploring the life and influence of one of the most important rulers in European history. Maria Theresa's reign lasted for 40 years, from 1740 to 1780. After a turbulent period at the beginning of her rule, the Habsburg Monarchy entered a golden age. In the fields of state administration and foreign policy, Maria Theresa, the daughter of Charles VI, enacted measures that were to have a decisive influence on the further development of the monarchy. Although the monarch had a sceptical attitude towards the ideals of the Enlightenment, this epoch is still seen as a period of reform in which the Habsburg lands underwent a distinct process of modernisation. Under Maria Theresa courtly pomp and ceremony reached a final zenith before the sober-mindedness of the Josephine era that followed and the fall of the ancien régime in the French Revolution. The idealization of Maria Theresa as the great "mother of the nation" was a phenomenon that started well before her death. Thanks to her sixteen children she became a symbolic figurehead during her own lifetime. The exhibition examines the image of Maria Theresa as a family person and explores the often very complicated relationships between the individual members of the family. The dark sides of this forceful monarch are also explored. Her intolerance towards other faiths, the creation of the mythic figure of Maria Theresa and her transformation into a positive figure of identification for the Habsburg dynasty are all subjected to critical examination. Exhibition: Schloss Hof / Schloss Niederweiden / Hofmobiliendepot, Möbel Museum Wien / Kaiserliche Wagenburg Wien, Austria (15.03.-29.11.2017)