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Persecuted Austrians and their contribution to the global history of the Austrian State Treaty.

Main Reading Room of the Association for the History of the Labour Movement (VGA), Vorwärtshaus, Rechte Wienzeile 97, 1050 Vienna

Programme

Thursday, 3 September 2026

18:30 Opening remarks by Prof. Michaela Maier (VGA), Prof. Werner Anzenberger (BSF, BSA) and Christian Cwik (KonaK)
18:45 – 19:45: Heinz Gärtner (International Institute for Peace): The Austrian Model: Bruno Kreisky’s Neutrality (Keynote)
20:15 – 20:45: Uwe Christian Plachetka (KonaK/ADHILAC/Abrasa): Introduction to the research project „The Contribution of Otto Heller and Bruno Kreisky“

Friday, 4 September 2026

09:15 – 10:15: Christian Cwik (University of Klagenfurt): Vienna as a centre of conflict and peace policy in the 20th century
10.15 – 10.30: Coffee break
10.30 – 11.15: Maria Mesner (University of Vienna): Remarks on Kreisky’s perspective on the State Treaty and neutrality
11.15 – 12.00: Wolfgang Maderthaner (Vienna): Bruno Kreisky and the Late Enlightenment Project (keynote)
12:00 – 13:30: Lunch break
13:30 – 14:30: Wolfgang Petritsch (Austrian Institute for International Affairs): Bruno Kreisky and the founding of the CSCE in the context of the North-South conflict (Keynote)
14:30 – 14:45: Coffee break
14:45 – 15:30: Monica Grin (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil): The Austrian community in Rio de Janeiro and its struggle for Austrian independence (in Portuguese with German translation)
15:30 – 16:15: Marcelo Cheche Galves (University of Maranhão, Brazil): Getúlio Vargas (1951–1954) and the nation-state in Brazil
16:15 – 17:00: Romário Sampaio Basílio (University of Tocantina, Maranhão, Brazil): Brazilian Foreign Policy in Post-Colonial Globalisation: Authoritarianism and International Cooperation (1945–1985)
17:00 – 17:15: Coffee break
17:15 – 18:00: Uwe Christian Plachetka (KonaK/ADHILAC/Abrasa): The Secret History of the Austrian State Treaty
18:00 – 19:00: Sergio Guerra Vilaboy (Havana): Cuba’s role in the emergence of the Non-Aligned Movement in the 1950s (in Spanish with German translation)
19:00 – 19:30: Closing discussion and summary with Uwe Christian Plachetka, Heinz Gärtner and Werner Anzenberger.

Workshop participation fee: EUR 10.00

Due to limited space, we would ask you to register at office@konak-wien.org

About the venue: The entrance to the Vorwärtshaus (Rechte Wienzeile 97) is somewhat hidden due to ongoing underground construction work. The building can be accessed via a site gate from the Gerüstpassage on the Rechte Wienzeile.

Funded by the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for the Victims of National Socialism, the City of Vienna – MA 7 Science, and the Federation of Social Democratic Freedom Fighters.

IN CO-OPERATION WITH AUSTRIAN CENTRE FOR PEACE

Herbert Amry (1939–1985) was the last Chief of Staff to Federal Chancellor Bruno Kreisky and, prior to that, had already played a central role in Austrian policy on the Middle East as the Austrian Ambassador to Beirut. Internationally, Herbert Amry gained renown as the mediator of what remains to this day the largest Israeli-Palestinian prisoner exchange; nationally, he is primarily associated with his role as a whistleblower in the case of illegal arms deliveries to Iran („Noricum“). Forty years ago, Herbert Amry was posthumously awarded the Bruno Kreisky Prize for his services to human rights.

René Amry, son of Herbert Amry, diplomat
Wolfgang Petritsch, former colleague of Herbert Amry, retired ambassador, President of the Marshall Anniversary Foundation and the Austrian Institute for International Politics (oiip), member of the BKF Executive Board
Thomas Riegler, historian and author (most recent work: *Vienna: City of Espionage*, 2026)
Margit Schmidt, former colleague of Herbert Amry, assistant and closest associate of Bruno Kreisky (1965–1990), first Secretary-General of the Bruno Kreisky Forum from 1991 to 2005

Moderation
Tobias Lang, Director of the Austrian Centre for Peace

Drawing on his extensive work on Western imperialism and the Global South, the acclaimed essayist and authorPankaj Mishra aims to unpack the complex narratives, historical blind spots and moral imperatives surrounding the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Centred on his recently published book, The World After Gaza (Penguin Press, 2025), this discussion, moderated by the acclaimed German-Austrian novelistDaniel Kehlmann, wants to explore the historical and geopolitical forces shaping the current crisis, as well as its wider implications. 

Pankaj Mishra is a long-standing contributor to The New York Review of Books, London Review of Books, and The New Yorker, and the author of several books, including From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals Who Reshaped Asia (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012) and Age of Anger: A History of the Present (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017). His most recent book is The World After Gaza (Penguin Press, 2025). Mishra is a co-founder of Equator, a multimedia platform that aims to highlight non-Western experiences and perspectives. 

An event organised in collaboration with the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) as part of the Vienna Humanities Festival.

The event is fully booked! If you would like to join the waiting list, please use this link: https://civi.iwm.at/form/vhf-2026-mishra-waiting-list

​

Colonialism, its enduring legacies and what we must do about it

Inspired by Sophy Roberts' latest book A Training School for Elephants, this public discussion examines the history of European colonialism through the lens of nineteenth-century imperial expansion and its far-reaching consequences. Asian elephants were taken to Africa in the 19th century for what was purported to be a training school, but in reality were used for exploitation. To what extent were colonial projects driven by ideas of conquest, scientific curiosity, economic exploitation and cultural domination? They certainly shaped not only the lives of colonised peoples but also the natural world.

The discussion will focus on how colonialism transformed societies, displaced communities, extracted resources, and influenced the collection of knowledge, animals and cultural objects; and how these historical processes continue to have an impact today on global inequalities, museum collections, environmental challenges and ongoing debates about historical responsibility, restitution and remembrance.

Sophy Roberts, A British award-winning author and journalist specialising in literary non-fiction, travel, history, conservation and cultural storytelling. She is known for her immersive reporting from remote and historically significant regions around the world. Sophy Roberts studied at Oxford and Columbia University in New York and has written for publications including *The Guardian*, *The Economist* and *Financial Times Weekend*. Her first book, *Siberia’s Forgotten Pianos*, was published by Zsolnay in 2020.

Presented by: Tessa Szyszkowitz, author and journalist for the Austrian weekly *Falter* and other publications. Distinguished Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London (RUSI)

AN INTERVIEW WITH BARBARA NOVAK WITH BARBARA TÓTH AND ANNA THALHAMMER

Vienna is one of the most liveable cities – this is by no means a given, and it does not make the challenges any easier: the transformation of the economy and the world of work, digitalisation, climate change, the management of energy and water resources, and demographic shifts resulting from global crises and changes are presenting Vienna and cities worldwide with new and more complex challenges. New technologies (keyword: Smart City) and innovative concepts have contributed to Vienna’s impressive urban development – as has a consistent policy of social responsibility. What decisions must be taken today to ensure that Vienna remains a great place to live, economically successful and socially just in the future?

Major cities such as Vienna are also faced with a key question: what does security mean in the 21st century? Security is not solely about military defence capabilities; a functioning critical infrastructure, reliable public services and trust in institutions are also core elements of security. In the face of geopolitical tensions and armed conflicts in Europe’s neighbourhood, this is one of the central issues in urban development. However, the fact that Vienna has positioned itself since the 1970s as a centre for international dialogue and mediation, and as the host city for international organisations, also contributes to security. The current global situation makes a neutral, professional venue such as Vienna all the more essential for mediation in international conflicts. 

Like other major cities and regions, Vienna faces the challenge of having to cope with increasingly limited financial resources. Austerity measures and necessary reforms raise the question of how the city can maintain its capacity to act whilst investing in its future.

And finally: urban policy is always also district and neighbourhood policy, because that is where people first experience whether their city is working. Barbara Novak was born in Vienna’s 19th district and grew up in the Karl-Marx-Hof; she still lives in Döbling today, where she serves as the SPÖ district chair. What does social democratic politics mean in a diverse district that is not one of the SPÖ’s traditional strongholds? And what lessons can be drawn from this for the democratic and social development of the city as a whole?

We would like to discuss these and other issues with Barbara Novak, who has been Executive Councillor for Finance, Economic Affairs, Employment and Digital Affairs in Mayor Dr Michael Ludwig’s team since 2025, and who has served as Deputy Mayor and Deputy Governor since 2026.

Moderation
Barbara Tóth, born in 1974, is a historian, author and journalist: she has been writing for the FALTER, where she also heads the media department. 
Anna Thalhammer, born in 1985, has been editor-in-chief of the magazine since 2023 profile and editor since 2025.

On the occasion of the official visit to Austria by H.E. Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Foreign Minister will address current developments in the Middle East, the prospects for peace, and the future of the region. Jordan has long played a central role in regional affairs and in efforts to foster stability and political dialogue. Amid the war in Gaza, rising tensions with Iran, and an increasingly volatile regional landscape, Jordan continues to pursue diplomatic initiatives and mediation efforts aimed at reducing tensions and facilitating dialogue amongst all parties.
Given the fragility of recent ceasefires
and temporary “peace deals”, a more robust and comprehensive strategy for regional stabilisation – supported by key regional actors and reinforced by broader international engagement – has become increasingly necessary.
Jordan has also been a consistent advocate of multilateralism and an active partner in international organisations. Yet international law and the rules-based order are under significant strain, with multilateral institutions facing structural, financial and political pressures that limit their ability to resolve conflicts, uphold peace and support sustainable development.

In light of these challenges, H.E. Ayman Safadi will deliver a keynote speech, followed by a discussion with Gudrun Harrer on some of the following questions:

H.E. Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Gudrun Harrer, Lecturer in Modern History and Politics of the Near and Middle East at the University of Vienna and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna; former Senior Editor at *Der Standard*.