World War I in Linz
Linz’s Municipal Archive Is Screening Previously Unpublished Images in Deep Space at the Ars Electronica Center
press release “Deep Space LIVE: World War I in Linz” / PDF
Ars Electronica Blog: Interview with Markus Altrichter
(Linz, March 24, 2014) Markus Altrichter of the Linzer Municipal Archive will provide a historical overview of the First World War’s impact on Linz at the Ars Electronica Center’s Deep Space on Thursday, March 27th at 8 PM. Bellicose euphoria and rabid patriotism, Linz’s military facilities and the units stationed here, the civilian population’s integration into the war effort, food rationing and war propaganda, as well as, ultimately, the people’s weariness of war and the fighting’s many victims will be illustrated by historical photographs and documents.
This event is the outgrowth of an initiative launched by Deputy Mayor Bernhard Baier, who sees World War I as a classic example of how lessons can be learned from history: “The way Europe was drawn into this conflict as well as the fact that, even after 1918, it was unable to establish sustainable preconditions for democracy and peace have to be regarded as extraordinary examples of misguided political policymaking.”
Linz 1914-1918
The catastrophe into which the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was descending was already clearly apparent in December 1914, when the Imperial and Royal Army—3.35 million men strong at the outset of hostilities—had already suffered losses of 1.2 million soldiers killed, wounded or captured. Of the approximately 80,000 men from Upper Austria who had enlisted, the death toll was 22,500, or almost 30% at this point.
In Linz, the erratic and inadequate supply of foodstuffs was repeatedly a source of unrest among the populace. In January 1918, there were strikes by workers in the Krauß & Comp. locomotive factory, the tobacco processing plant, the shipyard, the railway workshop and other manufacturing facilities both large and small, whereby the protesters were no longer just demanding improved food supplies—they wanted peace and democracy.
Due to the armistice and the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy into individual nation-states, Kaiser Karl I was forced to abdicate on November 11, 1918 and went into exile in Switzerland. In Vienna on November 12, 1918, a provisional national assembly established the Republic of German Austria.
Deep Space LIVE
The Ars Electronica Center is now hosting a Deep Space LIVE event every Thursday (except holidays) at 8 PM. Each presentation will feature ultra-high-definition imagery in 16×9-meter format and will be accompanied by expert commentary, entertaining stand-up repartee, and musical improvisation. Whether great works from the history of art, space travel, journeys of discovery in the Nanoworld, or a live concert is what you’ve come to behold, Deep Space LIVE stands for enlightening entertainment amidst breathtaking worlds of imagery. Admission is €2. Holders of a valid Museum ticket are admitted free of charge.
Photo:
Soldiers / Stadtarchiv Linz / Printversion / Album
