Religious diversity has been on everyone's lips again for a decade. But it has long been an integral part of Vienna's urban society. The traveling exhibition “Religious Diversity in Viennese Schools in the Interwar Period” paints an everyday picture of religious diversity during the 1920s and 1930s. On the one hand, it shows how religion could become a marker for persecution. On the other hand, it demonstrates how constructively students could deal with religious diversity.
The exhibition emerged from a research project that was conceived and carried out between 2018 and 2021 at the Special Research Area 'Interreligiosity' (SIR) of the Church University of Education Vienna/Krems (KPH). It is largely based on 24 interviews with contemporary witnesses who attended Viennese schools in the interwar period. The exhibition includes conversations with Catholic, Protestant and Jewish men and women. In addition, interviews were conducted with an old Catholic and a Jehovah's Witness. And, of course, people who did not feel they belonged to any religious denomination were also taken into account. All these conversations have been held especially for this exhibition in recent years.
Here you will find basic information about the exhibition:
- Rollup: What is it about?
- Rollup: Basis of the Exhibition
- Rollup: Religion and Religions
- Rollup: Politics and Economics
- Rollup: School Life
- Rollup: Individual Religiosity
- Rollup: Religious Plurality
- Rollup: Religious Education and Religious Activities
- Rollup: Everyday School Routines
- Rollup: School Practice
- Rollup: Friendships and Conflicts
- Rollup: Segmentation of Society
- Rollup: Political Changes
- Rollup: Economic Situation
- Rollup: Lessons Learned
- Report ‚Im Dialog‘ (September 2021)
The pedagogical concept of the exhibition is aimed at 4th grade middle school, polytechnic school, high school from the 4th grade, upper secondary school and BHS. It is designed for at least two teaching units and a class size of 25 - 50 students.
Feedback from school:
- “I found the exhibition very interesting. Lots of information was inside. Everything was very well described and explained and I absorbed everything very well. Keep it up!"
- “The exhibition was very interesting. I especially liked the part where you wrote about how you could see a person's wealth through the snacks eaten during school breaks.”
- “I was very interested in how the children went to school back then. I enjoyed reading through the topics.”
For more information, please contact Prof. Dr. Karsten Lehmann: karsten.lehmann [at] kphvie.ac.at