Exploration of regional history through dissertation projects, commencing from the year 2013
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The University of Innsbruck is a hub of historical research, with numerous projects delving into various aspects of the region's past. One of the key figures leading these studies is Professor Dirk Rupnow, whose work focuses on historical memory, anti-racism research, and the history of National Socialism and its aftermath.
Anita Konrad is currently working on a study about pizza Tirolese from a migration history perspective, under the supervision of Rupnow, as well as Silke Meyer. Alessandro Margoni completed a study on the Ladin identity in Habsburg Tyrol, published in 2017, under the guidance of Hans Heiss.
Romen and Andreas are both conducting studies on military history. Romen is investigating the iconography of soldiers' cemeteries in the Italian-Austrian Alpine Region, supervised by Markus Neuwirth and Rolf Steininger, while Andreas is examining the Tyrolean Question 1918/19, with a special focus on memory culture from 1920 to 2010, under the supervision of Wolfgang Weber and Rolf Steininger.
In 2017, Christian Mathies completed a study titled "In the Sign of 'God and Fatherland'. The Tyrolean School in the 'Corporate State' 1933-1938", and Marcel Amoser finished a study on social movements in Innsbruck from 1968-1989, both under the supervision of Horst Schreiber.
Other ongoing projects include Dominik Ender's study about the history of the "Gletscher-Husaren" in the Riding Tyrolean Landesschuetzen/Kaiserschuetzen, supervised by Erwin Schmidl and Kurt Scharr. Severin Ismael Holzknecht completed a study comparing citizen initiatives against the Heizoel Power Plant Ruethi and the Bodenseeschiff "Vorarlberg" in 2017, supervised by Thomas Albrich and Dirk Rupnow.
Irmgard Bibermann completed a study on video-recorded eyewitness interviews in history class in 2017, Verena Sauermann's study focuses on migration to Hall, and Rainer Maximilian Hofmann is working on a study about the Gestapo Office in Innsbruck.
In addition to these projects, Rupnow's work includes participation in projects connected to the Wiener Wiesenthal Institut für Holocaust-Studien (VWI), such as research groups dealing with themes of Antiziganismus (anti-Roma racism) and related discourses from 1850 to 1950. He is also associated with digital history projects such as the Nazi Crimes Atlas, launched in 2025 as a public history initiative mapping Nazi crimes.
Furthermore, Karlheinz Bachmann is working on a study about the history and memory of South Tyrolean firefighting from World War I to 1955, Claudia Rauchegger-Fischer completed a study titled " ‘The Less You Talk About Something, The Better You Got Through’ Life Histories of Tyrolean Women of the Bund-Deutscher-Mädel Generation", and Manuel Raffin is conducting a study titled "The Brunecker Soldiers in the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during World War II".
Christian Lechner is working on a study about the history of the Innsbruck Anatomical Institute, Andrea Urthaler is conducting a study titled "The New Women's Movement in South Tyrol. A Feminist Movement", and Dieter Petras completed a study titled "Emigration in the Walgau 1700 to 1914. Documentation and Analysis" in 2015.
Lastly, Nikolaus Hagen completed a study on culture and identity politics in the Gau Tirol-Vorarlberg from 1938-1945, and Peter Johannes Andorfer completed a study on Leonhard Millinger's world description in 2015, both under the supervision of Thomas Albrich and Dirk Rupnow.
These projects not only shed light on various aspects of the region's history but also contribute to a better understanding of the past, helping us navigate the complexities of the present and future.
Learning and self-development are integral aspects of the University of Innsbruck as it fosters research in education, including the historical aspects of the region. Professor Dirk Rupnow, for instance, is involved in historical memory, anti-racism research, and the history of National Socialism and its aftermath, showing the importance of learning about the past for self-development and a better understanding of the present. Similarly, Anita Konrad's study about pizza Tirolese from a migration history perspective demonstrates how learning can provide fresh insights into the region's past and culture.
