Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies

Discover Central Europe -- one café at a time! ☕🥐

Our Central European Café Series returns next month in a NEW location! The Central European Café is a free monthly gathering that brings together Central Europe-curious newcomers and longtime enthusiasts in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Each café features a new theme, engaging guest speakers, and fascinating conversations exploring the history, culture, music, and people of Central Europe. 🌍

Along with delicious European-style pastries, refreshments, and beverages, you'll also have the chance to meet visiting scholars, doctoral fellows, researchers, and other special guests from across Central Europe. ☕️🍰

Whether you're looking to learn something new, connect with others, or simply enjoy great conversation over coffee, there's always a seat waiting for you. We can't wait to host you in our new home at Henderson Hall in Rutherford Library!

Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta

SAVE THE DATE -- Polish Week returns this September!

🎬 Save the Date!

Join us for Resistance and Resilience – 100 Years of Wajda! during Polish Week 2026 (September 21–26) as we celebrate the centenary of legendary Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda, one of the most influential directors in world cinema.

The week will feature screenings of *Man of Iron*, *Man of Hope*, and *Afterimage*, along with guest speakers and a round table exploring Wajda's extraordinary legacy and enduring impact on film and history.

More details coming soon -- watch this space!⬇️
https://www.ualberta.ca/en/wirth-institute/polish-week-2026.html



Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta

We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Saul Reichert, generous supporter and long time friend of the Wirth Institute. A Holocaust survivor, educator, and tireless advocate for remembrance, Reichert dedicated his life to preserving the memory of those lost while inspiring future generations to stand against hatred and intolerance.

Our deepest sympathy is with Saul's remarkable family and loved ones. May his memory be a blessing.

Read more about his enduring legacy:
https://www.ualberta.ca/en/wirth-institute/wirth-institute-news/2026/saul-reichert.html

📣 Please share this opportunity with colleagues and organizations that may be interested in supporting the next generation of art historians and cultural professionals:

Internship opportunities abroad for MA students in Visual Culture and Art History at Masaryk University (Brno, CZ) 🇨🇿

The Department of Art History in the Faculty of Arts at Masaryk University in Brno (Czech Republic) hosts a fee-paying English-language MA program in Visual Culture and Art History, which requires students to complete an internship outside the Czech Republic in a professional environment related to said student’s research interests.

To help facilitate students’ experiences, Masaryk University and the Wirth Institute are working together to help identify professional and cultural environments outside the Czech Republic that could offer appropriate internship opportunities for these students, either in Canada or in any of the other country associated with the Wirth Institute (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria).

MA Students in this program will have access to financial support from Masaryk University to cover part if not all of their travel costs to pursue these internship opportunities.

Masaryk University’s Department of Art History will help assure that students applying for internship opportunities are appropriately trained for relevant positions.

Types of work experiences the MA requires students to fulfill while abroad include:

• Gallery/museum assistant, working with collections, exhibitions, digitalisation
• Curatorial assistant at special exhibitions or biennales
• Assistant in a publishing house
• Art historical research in archives, libraries for a specific assignment

The minimum time period for any internship is 30 days, the maximum time for any internship is not set but it is often 3 months.

Visa requirements for students to participate in this program will be dependent on each student’s citizenship status (students in this program come from all over the world).

Learn more about Masaryk University's Master's Programme in Visual Cultures and Art History here:
https://arthistory.phil.muni.cz/study/masters-programmes/visual-cultures-and-art-history

If your association or business would be interested in participating in this internship program associated with Masaryk University, please reach out to Prof. Marta Filipová at [email protected]

If you are interested in organizing an internship opportunity in Canada in direct association with the Wirth Institute, please reach out to Rychele Wright at [email protected]

📢 Fellowship Opportunity for Mid-Career and Senior Researchers

The Santorio Residential Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for scholars conducting research on the history of science, medicine, and technology across the Mediterranean, with a particular focus on archival resources in the Veneto, Istrian, and Balkan regions.

Hosted by the Science and Research Centre (ZRS) Koper in Slovenia in partnership with the Centre for the Study of Medicine and the Body in the Renaissance (CSMBR), the fellowship includes:

🏛️ A one-month residential stay at the historic Palazzo Tiepolo-Gravisi in Koper
🏠 Private accommodation and access to research facilities
💶 A €500 contribution toward travel or living expenses
📚 Opportunities to collaborate with an international scholarly community

The fellowship is open to mid-career and senior researchers whose work would benefit from archival research or who wish to organize a scientific event in collaboration with ZRS Koper.

📅 Application deadline: September 15, 2025

Learn more about the fellowship, eligibility, and application process here:
https://www.zrs-kp.si/en/santorio-residential-fellowship/

Please share this opportunity with colleagues and researchers who may be interested!

SANTORIO RESIDENTIAL FELLOWSHIP - ZRS Koper The scheme is open to mid-career and senior researchers whose work would benefit from access to A joint initiative of...

Call for Submissions: Journal of Austrian Studies Graduate Student Essay Prize 2026

The Journal of Austrian Studies Graduate Student Essay Prize recognizes outstanding scholarship by graduate students and early career scholars that offers new perspectives on the history, literature, and culture of Austria, Austro-Hungary, and the former Habsburg territories from any time period.

Submissions may draw on a wide range of disciplines and approaches, including (but not limited to):
• History
• Literary Studies
• Biography
• Disability Studies
• Environmental Studies
• Ethnicity and Nationality Studies
• Film and Media Studies
• Gender, Q***r, and Trans Studies
• Holocaust and Genocide Studies
• Intellectual History and Philosophy
• Memory Studies
• Music and Sound Studies
• Migration and Exile Studies
• Politics and Political Theory
• Postcolonial Studies
• Linguistics and Translation
• Theatre, Dance, and Visual Art

Essays must be unpublished.

Eligibility:
• Current graduate students
• Scholars who earned their PhD in 2024 or later and do not currently hold a tenure-track or permanent faculty position

Submission requirements:
• 6,000–8,000 words
• Prepared according to the Journal of Austrian Studies submission guidelines
• An abstract
• A brief author bio (150–200 words)
• A CV

Please note that submissions may not be under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Deadline: October 1, 2026

Submit essays to: [email protected]

Prize:
• Publication in the Journal of Austrian Studies following collaboration with expert reviewers
• A complimentary 12-month membership in the Austrian Studies Association (including a subscription to the Journal of Austrian Studies)
• A $250 cash award

The ASA DEI Committee has also compiled a list of suggestions for inclusive language, which applicants are encouraged to consult.

Questions? Contact Nikhil Sathe at [email protected]

This spring, former Wirth Institute Director and current Wirth Academic Advisory Board member Dr. Alexander Carpenter led a group of Augustana students on an immersive learning journey through Austria and Hungary to participate in a biennial place-based learning course (AUIDS 286) focused on Viennese musical, cultural and intellectual history. The course introduces undergraduate students to Europe's "City of Music" and aims to understand how and why Vienna has been such a significant locus of creativity and cultural revolution for centuries.

Dr. Carpenter's students attended concerts--including performances of chamber music, art song, folk music, opera and operetta--in Vienna and Budapest, and visited museums, archives and historical sites, all while researching the city's most important cultural figures and institutions.

Highlights from this year's trip included a Lieder recital at the Vienna opera house; a meeting with Prof. Michael Ignatieff at Central European University for a discussion about contemporary Austria and its relationship to the rest of Central Europe; attending an epic performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Budapest opera house; a fascinating meeting with Dr. Matti Bunzl, Director of Wien Museum, who shared his experience curating and "museumifying" Vienna's complex past; a day trip to the town of Moedling, to visit Arnold Schoeberg's house and hike in the Vienna woods (in the footsteps of Beethoven); a weekend excursion to Salzburg; a visit to Beethoven's house in Heiligenstadt; and a very special meeting and chat with Randol Schoenberg, Arnold Schoenberg's grandson, to discuss the composer's legacy, Jewish history in Vienna and the legal challenges art restitution after the N**i period.

Overall, it was a very intense, immersive course--the days were full to the brim with music, art, architecture and history, from morning to night, and many, many kilometers were walked.

Hungary

⚽ NEW EXHIBITION ANNOUNCEMENT ⚽

The Wirth Institute is pleased to co-sponsor the Canadian presentation of *Leopold Stastny – Survivor, Visionary, Legendary Soccer Manager & Immigrant in Canada*, an exhibition presented by the Austrian Cultural Forum and hosted at the Austria Vancouver Club throughout the 2026 Men’s Soccer World Cup.

As manager of Austria’s national soccer team from 1968–1975, Leopold Stastny (Šťastný) helped lay the foundations for the future success of Austrian football. Yet beyond his sporting achievements lies a remarkable and little-known life story. As a Jew in Slovakia, Stastny faced persecution during the N**i era and was later arrested under the Communist regime, narrowly escaping death before eventually immigrating to Canada in 1980. He passed away in Toronto in 1996.

Based on an exhibition created by the Museum of Jewish Culture of the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava and later adapted by the City Archive/City Museum Innsbruck, this Canadian presentation honours Stastny’s extraordinary journey through Bratislava, Innsbruck, Vienna, and Canada.

We are excited to support this important exhibition and help share the story of a survivor, sports visionary, and immigrant whose legacy spans continents.

📍 Austria Vancouver Club, Vancouver, BC
📅 On display throughout the 2026 Men’s Soccer World Cup

Stay tuned for additional Canadian dates and venues, including a forthcoming stop in Edmonton co-presented by the Wirth Institute.

The Austrian Cultural Forum is proud to present the exhibition “Leopold Stastny – Survivor, Visionary, Legendary Soccer Manager & Immigrant in Canada” at the Austria Vancouver Club , which will be shown during the whole Men’s Soccer World Cup 2026.

As manager of the Austrian national team (1968–1975), Leopold Stastny (Slovak spelling: Šťastný) laid the foundations for the future success of Austrian soccer. He emigrated to Canada in 1980, passing away in Toronto in 1996. What is largely unknown, however, is that Leopold Stastny, as a Jew, was persecuted in Slovakia during the N**i era and arrested under the Communists, only narrowly escaping death.

Based on an exhibition from the Museum of Jewish Culture of the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava, later adapted and exhibited by the City Archive/City Museum Innsbruck, Stadt Innsbruck it was brought to Canada to honour Stastny’s extraordinary life between Bratislava, Innsbruck, Vienna, and Canada.

📅 11 June – 19 July
📍 Austria Vancouver Club, 5851 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC V7C 1C3

🇵🇱🎉 Celebrate Polish Canadian Heritage Day 2026! 🎉🇨🇦

Join the Alberta chapter of the Canadian Polish Congress for a day of culture, community, and celebration as we recognize the rich contributions of Polish Canadians in Edmonton!

📅 Sunday, June 14, 2026

Schedule of Events:

🔹 11:00 AM – Flag Raising Ceremony
📍 Violet King Henry Plaza (9833–109 Street)

🔹 12:15 PM – Mass
📍 Holy Rosary Parish (11485–106 Street)

🔹 2:00 PM – Official Heritage Day Celebration
📍 Polish Hall (10960–104 Street)

✨ Enjoy:
🎶 Live music
💃 Traditional Polish folk dancing
🍽️ Authentic Polish food and drinks
🖼️ Cultural displays and exhibits
🎨 Crafts and activities for children
🤝 A chance to meet your Polish neighbours and learn about Poland’s vibrant traditions and heritage

Whether you have Polish roots or are simply interested in experiencing a wonderful cultural celebration, everyone is welcome!

Bring your family and friends and join in the celebration of Polish Canadian Heritage Day 2026 in Edmonton.

🇵🇱🇨🇦

How does a society rethink historical memory during wartime?

One of this year's DUSS Virtual Scholars, Dr. Sergii Pakhomenko, is considering exactly this question. As a Political Scientist and Associate Professor of Mariupol State University, Dr. Pakhomenko is studying Ukraine's ongoing decolonization process and the tensions between national memory, local identities, and imperial legacies.

The University of Alberta Disrupted Ukrainian Scholars & Students (DUSS) Initiative supports academics affected by the ongoing war. Through virtual residencies and collaboration with University of Alberta mentors, we are proud to help keep these essential research conversations moving forward.

DUSS UAlberta is a partnership of CIUS, the Kule Institute for Advanced Study, the Kule Folklore Centre at the U of A, the Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies, the Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta, Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies and the History, Classics, and Religion Department.

Learn more about DUSS's work since 2022, as well as support future scholarship: ow.ly/icnQ50Z2nqx