The USA and The (Re)birth of Austrian Modern Culture After 1945

Following Austria’s liberation from National Socialism in 1945, Austrian society encountered international cultural influences on an unprecedented scale. Between 1945 and 1955, a broad cultural landscape emerged, yet this important period of recent Austrian cultural history has since received comparatively little attention.

The USA and The (Re)birth of Austrian Modern Culture After 1945 examines this transformation, with a particular focus on U.S. cultural policies in postwar Austria. Drawing on the latest research, the exhibition reconstructs the scope and diversity of cultural offerings across architecture and the fine arts, film, literature, music, posters, and photography, as well as the role of Allied print media, radio stations, and book publishers.

The exhibition also explores how cultural exchange became intertwined with the ideological divisions of the Cold War, particularly the confrontation between Communism and Democracy. It considers the medium- and long-term effects of these international cultural experiences and their contribution to the formation of Austrian identity as a small state.

Finally, the exhibition examines the relationship between postwar cultural developments and the emergence of the Austrian “victim doctrine,” which contributed to suppressing recognition of Austrian collaboration with National Socialism.