LFU:online

Providing basic knowledge about Tyrolean regional history; sensitization for comparative and interdependence-historically oriented questions of regional history

Burghard Breitner, head of the Innsbruck University Surgical Clinic between 1932 an 1955, was very active in different fields of society: From his medical reputation, he had gained during World War I, to his literary work and his candidacy for presidency in 1951. He was elected rector at Innsbruck University in 1952/53 and president of the Austrian Red Cross from 1950 onwards. German National oriented Breitner tried to deny his knowledge about his own NSDAP-membership since 1939 in post-war years. Nonetheless he had been charged with forced sterilizations of male civilians and prisoners as well as „voluntary castrations“ at his clinic after the according law was introduced in 1940. Despite no evidence was found that Breitner had performed any of those surgeries himself, responsibility lay with him.

The city of Innsbruck dedicated a grave of honor to Breitner and named a street in the Reichenau district after him.

The lecture series gathers experts with different disciplinary backgrounds and sheds light on Burghard Breitner in the context of his times and his different activities as well as questions of commemorative culture and the politics of history.  

Formal lectures, required reading, discussions

Course with continuous performance assessment:  attendance at all sessions, final written exam

A full reading list will be provided at the start of the course.

This course is also considered equivalent to the lecture VU 2 Region and History I for students of the curriculum BA of History (2009). A reduced workload will be applied in this case.

Online-enrollment required, starting on Sept 1th, 2021.