Barbara Stelzl-Marx: Even after 80 years, the experiences are still having an impact
2025 is a special occasion for commemorating several landmark historical events. 80 years ago, the Second World War ended. The Austrian State Treaty will be 70 years old. 30 years ago, Austria joined the European Union. The decade before the outbreak of the Second World War was marked by strong social tensions, polarisation of society, irreconcilability, hatred and anti-democratic developments in Austria and Germany. We are experiencing something similar today. According to surveys, many people would like to have a strong man, a "leader" again. Have we forgotten where this led in the 1930s and how much our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents had to suffer from it? Barbara Stelzl-Marx, Professor of Contemporary European History at the University of Graz and Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research on Consequences of War, is working with her team to keep memories alive through research and education, so that they touch us and prevent us from making the same mistakes again.
Why Trump plays no central role in the lives of Americans
Today, January 20, 2025, marks the day of Donald Trump’s second inauguration as the president of the United States. In Europe, he recently caused confusion with territorial claims on Greenland. In addition, his announcement concerning tariffs bears bad news for transatlantic relations. But what do US citizens actually think about a president such as him? Roberta Maierhofer, an expert in American studies, explains why the businessman was once again able to make it to the top of the US and why the majority of his fellow citizens do not care about the details of his policies.