Seitensprünge: Conference Marking the 40th Anniversary of the Johannes Kepler University of Linz’s Department of Modern and Contemporary History

Seitensprünge
Seitensprünge
Copyright: Scott Snyder SXC

14 & 15 November 2008

Karl Stadler established the Department of Modern and Contemporary History at JKU in 1968. Initially, courses were offered only as elective subjects. Now, many students major in history and the department’s program is an essential part of the university’s curriculum.
In cooperation with Linz09, the department will be celebrating its 40th anniversary on November 14-15 by hosting a conference entitled “Steel Towns in Transition: Industrial Regions since 1945” that will also shed some light on other European Capitals of Culture. The symposium will conclude with an anniversary celebration.





Friday, November 14


2-3 p.m.: Commencement
Opening remarks by Rudolf Ardelt
Opening address by Lutz Niethammer

3:30-5:30 p.m.: Section 1. Labor Market – Working-class Culture – Workers’ Identities
Chair: Josef Weidenholzer
Dagmara Jajesniak-Quast, “Proletarisierung auf dem Eisernen Weg”. Entstehung und Wandel der Stahlstandorte Nowa Huta (Polen), Eisenhüttenstadt (DDR) und Kuncice (CSSR) während der sozialistischen Transformation im Vergleich [A Comparison of the Emergence of and Processes of Change in Three Steel Towns—Nowa Huta, Poland, Eisenhüttenstadt East Germany and Kuncice, Czechoslovakia—during the Socialist Transformation]
Karl Lauschke, Die Auseinandersetzung um die Stilllegung des Krupp-Hüttenwerks in Rheinhausen [The Disputes surrounding the Shut-down of the Krupp Steel Works in Rheinhausen]
John Hinshaw, The Politics of Steel in the United States and South Africa

7:30 p.m.: Panel Discussion “Politics and History”
Moderator: Klaus Luger
Panelists: Rudolf Ardelt, Helmut Konrad, Gerhard Botz, Gabriella Hauch, Reinhard Kannonier, Hans Hautmann
This event will be held in Linz’s Wissensturm on Kärntnerstraße.


Saturday, November 15


10 a.m.-12 Noon: Section 2. Politics and Transformation
Chair: Peter Becker
Rene Leboutte, Industrial redeployment in heavy industry regions in postwar Europe
Roman Sandgruber, Oberösterreichs Industriestruktur im Wandel [Shifts in Upper Austria’s Industrial Structure]
Jakob Tanner, Digitale Schocktherapie. Der Transformationsprozess der Uhrenindustrie im Schweizer Jura seit Mitte der 1970er Jahre [The Transformation of the Watch Industry in Switzerland’s Jura Region since the Mid-1970s]

2-4 p.m.: Section 3. Urbanity – Identity
Chair: Reinhard Kannonier
Martin Heller, „Was weiß eine Stadt von sich selbst“. Erfahrungen aus Kulturhauptstadtprozessen [“What does a city know about itself”: Experiences from Capital of Culture Processes]
Judith Laister, SPACE. Industrie-Branchen, Kunst und Kreativwirtschaft [Industrial Sectors, Art and the Creative Industries]
Katja Aßmann, Metropole RUHR.2010 – Urbane Experimente und ungewöhnliche Wohngeschichten [Urban Experiments and Stories of Uncommon Living]

4:30-5:30 p.m.: Concluding Commentary by Klaus Tenfelde

6 p.m.: 40th Anniversary Celebration
Speakers: Günter Burkert-Dottolo of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Research, JKU Dean Richard Hagelauer, Upper Austrian Governor Josef Pühringer, Linz City Councilman Klaus Luger
Keynote address on the department’s 40-year history by Helmut Konrad
Musical intermezzi by Andre Zogholy

Unless otherwise indicated, all events will take place in the JKU’s Ceremonial Hall and Suite (Rep-Räume).