OeAW colonial. Reappraisal of the colonial history of the Imperial Academy of Sciences
(Part I: 1847–1918)

OeAW colonial is an interdisciplinary initiative of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) to critically examine the history of its involvement in colonialism. Austrian scholars and scientists used colonial networks for their research and at the same time increased the collections of museums and archives. Many of these “expeditions” were initiated and financed by the Imperial Academy of Sciences in Vienna. At the same time, the colonial worldview shaped scientific theories and methods and thus research results. A detailed examination of this history of entanglement is still a desideratum. The aim of OeAW colonial is to network existing research projects and to develop common questions, definitions and priorities for future research.

Beyond the OeAW, OeAW colonial serves as an instrument for closer networking of Austrian research institutions and their existing or emerging approaches to dealing with their own colonial history. The aims here are to strengthen cooperation and knowledge transfer.

As a joint project of the Institute of Culture Studies, the Austrian Archaeological Institute and the Phonogrammarchiv, OeAW colonial will focus on the period 1847-1918 from 2024 to 2026. A continuation of the initiative with a focus on the period after 1918 is planned for the period 2027-2029.

Events:

• International Symposium: Colonial Knowledge Production (2025)
• Austria-wide Forum Wissenschaft kolonial (2025 & 2026)
• Ongoing lectures & discussions

Projects:

• Contextualization of Rudolf Pöch's notebooks from his research trip through the Kalahari Desert 1907-1909
• Processing of the excavations of the Imperial Academy of Sciences at Tell Ta'annek/Taanach and Tell Balata/Sichem (both today West Bank) by Ernst Sellin
• Colonial collections in the Phonogrammarchiv: Cooperative processing of exemplary collections and development of a guideline for the responsible handling of historical sound recordings from colonial contexts today
• Die Erschließung der englischen Kolonie Neuseeland durch Ferdinand Hochstetter. Edition and contextualization of Hochstetter's New Zealand diaries