Cultural Politics, Transfer, and Propaganda

The interdisciplinary collection contains 16 essays by scholars from literary and cultural studies, by sociologists, historians, musicologists, art historians and media experts. Following the introduction to the key issues in cultural politics and propaganda and a synopsis of the essays, an article surveys the reciprocal perception of Austria and the USA from the 18th century onwards. The following essays analyze various historical phases in the complex relationship between Austria (and Central Europe) and the USA. Several essays survey the strategies used to promote Austrian tourism and contrast them with advertisements for American sights, and document the implementation of aid programs for the impoverished societies in Austria in the aftermath of World War One. There follow articles that discuss the role of exiled Austrians in the dissemination of a positive image of Austria and a favorable view of the USA, while two contributions are devoted to the misrepresentation of significant individuals active in Austria in the interwar years. Special attention is then paid to the role of the Marshall Plan in economic reconstruction in Austria and Western Europe, and to the promotion of liberal democracy in the media during the Cold War. The impact of transatlantic exchange programs for scholars and scientists in the countries of Europe under Soviet influence is also considered. The wide range of essays concludes with critical perspectives on political phenomena, such as the apparently exaggerated role of Austrian resistance fighters in the liberation of the country from the Nazi tyranny in 1945, and on the controversy over Dr. Kurt Waldheim as reflected in popular music in the 1980s. The transfer of new concepts of contemporary art in museums and of contrasted cinematic genres resulting in a merger is illustrated in the final two essays.