A bilateral research project on 100 years of border stories
Funding
Funded (80%) by the European INTERREG program 2021-2028
Duration
June 2025 – May 2028
Principal Investigator
Researchers
Thomas Samhaber (project management)
Benno Urschler (researcher)
Description
New research approaches and communication methods relating to 100 years of border history are the focus of the bilateral project ‘Paměť Hranice – Memory Border’. Five partner organisations from South Bohemia and Lower Austria, with the Czech institute ‘Paměť národa’ as lead partner, have developed the submission for the EU Interreg program and are now delighted to have received approval. The project was officially launched in July 2025 with a kick-off meeting.
The Institute for Rural History in St. Pölten (IGLR) is a project partner on the Austrian side, alongside the Museum Alte Textilfabrik and the Waldviertel Akademie. With a team of three historians led by institute director Oliver Kühschelm, the IGLR is responsible for scientific support, historical research and the preparation of a comprehensive publication.
Geographically, the project focuses on the Lower Austrian-Upper Austrian-South Bohemian border, while in terms of content, it focuses on the dynamics of coexistence, opposition and cooperation at the local level: the region as a ‘venue for great history’.
The project will not only address the much-discussed topics of annexation and expulsion, the Iron Curtain and flight, but will also focus on the lesser-known history of regional identity, mutual media perception and local economic relations across the border. Another interesting aspect is the border region as a space for ‘dropouts’ and alternative cultures.
In this three-year collaboration, historical research will contribute to a deeper understanding of cross-border neighbourhoods in their historically grown worlds of life and experience. A key objective is to prepare the research results for use in tourism. The project will develop a themed cycle route but will also rely on digital media and the involvement of the population and stakeholders in order to appeal to as broad a target group as possible.
The project was jointly developed by Austrian and Czech partners and is now being implemented after successful approval in the European INTERREG program.
Project Partners
- Institute of Rural History (IGLR), St. Pölten
- Post bellum, České Budějovice
- Waldviertel Akademie, Waidhofen a.d.Th.
- Museum Alte Textilfabrik, Weitra
- Stadtgemeinde Nové Hrady
Strategic Partners
- Jihočeský Kraj -Kreis Südböhmen
- Waldviertel Tourismus
- Tourismusverband Mühlviertel
Photo: ©Wavak Samhaber, „Vietnamese street vendors sell Polish garden gnomes to Austrians at the Czech border."