»Beamtengefühl«: Soziale Funktionen von Emotionen im österreichischen Staatsdienst der Zwischenkriegszeit

In: Administory: Journal for the History of Public Administration : Zeitschrift für Verwaltungsgeschichte, Band 3, Heft 1, S. 61-79

Abstract

Abstract
Research on emotions in the 20th century has shown that in the period after WWI there has been a general tendency to control and suppress the display (if not the experience) of emotions. Based on various sources such as conduct books, autobiographical prose, and disciplinary files this article highlights the role emotions played in civil service in interwar Austria. Emotions could be a disturbance of administrative procedure and everyday office life, but they clearly served to regulate power and gender relations between colleagues, and to define personal boundaries. Specific focus is placed on the interrelation of emotions and political affiliations of government employees, on the particularities of greeting in the office, and on "Beamtengefühl" – a special feature of this socio-professional group.