THEATRES OF POWER
Oliver Rathkolb in conversation with Manfred Matzka
THEATRES OF POWER
Secrets, people, machinations
If walls could talk, we would know what went on in the former presidential villa in Döbling, in Palais Trautson, in the War Ministry on Stubenring, in Herrengasse, in Prince Eugene's winter palace, on Ballhausplatz, in the back corners of the Hofburg, in Vorwärts-Haus and in Palais Todesco. Because where power and people come together, curious personalities are just as close as great scandals, absurd intrigues, sinister cliques, revolutionary vigour and fateful encounters.
With Manfred Matzka, who knows Austria's political system from the inside like few others, we now take a look behind the architecture of power - and meet the often very special characters who have governed and organised from here, sometimes better, sometimes worse. Stories come to light that usually do not: well researched, exciting and illuminating insights, connections and analyses, also politically subjective.
Manfred Matzka, lawyer, long-standing head of the Federal Chancellery, advisor to ministers and chancellors, is an in-depth expert on day-to-day politics in Austria. He worked for 40 years in the Federal Civil Service, including a long stint as Head of Cabinet, was accepted and respected by politicians as an insider and never holds back with his opinions, which are always as well-founded as they are trenchant. He is the author of the bestsellers „Die Staatskanzlei“ and „Hofräte, Einflüsterer, Spindoktoren“.
Oliver Rathkolb is a professor at the Institute for Contemporary History at the University of Vienna. He has been editor of the journal „zeitgeschichte“ since 2004. He is chairman of the House of European History (European Parliament/Brussels) and a member of the scientific advisory board of the Kreisky Forum. Numerous publications on contemporary history, most recently „Schirach. Eine Generation zwischen Goethe und Hitler“ (Molden-Verlag 2020, also translated into English and French) and the multi-edited and award-winning monograph "Die Paradoxe Republik. Austria 1945-2015" (Paul Zsolnay Verlag Vienna 2015; English translation: Berghahn Books New York -Oxford 2021)
In co-operation with the Brandstätter publishing house
Manfred Matzka:
The scenes of power. Secrets, people, machinations
Brandstätter, October 2023, 240 pages, ISBN: 978-3-7106-0736-3: € 28,-