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AUSTRIAN STUDIESCENTER FOR AUSTRIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER Vol. 13, No. 2 Spring 2001 Gary Cohen named CAS director by Daniel Pinkerton The wait is over. On 28 February, the Center for Austrian Studies at the University of Minnesota announced the appointment of respected Habsburg historian Gary B. Cohen as its new permanent director, effective August 2001. Cohen will also serve as full professor in the University of Minnesota’s Department of History. Cohen’s directorship is the result of an intense, wide-ranging search that had been the subject of much excitement and speculation among Habsburg historians. According to David Good, chair of the Depart- ment of History and former director of the Center, “We had an out- standing group of applicants, and the choice was in some ways a dif- ficult one. But in the end, Gary was a clear choice. He is a first-rate scholar who ranks among the very best historians of Habsburg Central Europe in the world. His arrival puts Minnesota in position to be the top institution in the United States for training graduate students in the field and to move the field of Central and Eastern Europe in a more comparative direction.” Cohen’s combination of scholarship and administrative experience was hard to match and bodes well for the Center’s future. Cohen was educated at the University of Southern California (B.A., 1970) and Princeton University (M.A., 1972; Ph.D., 1975). A member of the University of Oklahoma history faculty since 1976, he has taught a range of courses on modern European social and political history and East-Central Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. At the University of Oklahoma, he has been director of International Academics Programs since 1996 and was director of the University’s undergraduate Russian Studies Program from 1984-96. In 1995 the University of Oklahoma Regents recognized his service to the Univer- sity with the Regents’ Award for Outstanding University and Profes- sional Service. Gary B. Cohen In an e-mail interview, Cohen discussed his reasons for accepting Minnesota’s offer. “The recent former directors of CAS and several members of the Minnesota history department were already acquainted In This Issue with me. This fall I was flattered to be among those invited by the Letter from the Director 2 Minnesota Department of History to apply for the position of CAS director. Before receiving that invitation, I had not been expecting to Minnesota Calendar 3 be moving from Oklahoma. When one spends twenty-five years teach- R. John Rath, 1910-2001 3 ing at one institution, it’s easy to be considered as a permanent fix- ASN Interview: Eric Hollas 4 ture by colleagues there and by many elsewhere. The position of CAS ASN Interview: Richard McCormick 8 director and professor of history at the University of Minnesota, how- Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival 11 ever, represents an extraordinary opportunity. I’ve done a considerable Publications: News and Reviews 12 amount of administration in international studies during the last five Hot off the Presses 14 years at Oklahoma. Now I can focus my administrative activity in my News from the Field 16 own areas of scholarly interest. In teaching as well, I’ll be able to refo- SAHH News 17 cus my efforts at Minnesota on my prime interests in nineteenth- and Streetwise Guide to the Archives 18 twentieth-century Central and East-Central Europe and teach graduate News from the North 19 students as well as undergraduates. The graduate program in history at Oklahoma focuses primarily on the history of the United States, and Salzburg Festival 2001: A Preview 20 continued on page 10 Announcements 22 College of Liberal Arts AUSTRIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER Letter from the Director When our last Newslet- The Center, I am happy to say, is in good shape. I very much hope ter went to print, we that donors can be found to support a Chair in Austrian Studies, were all looking with linked to the position of Center director. This would not only offer anticipation for the white important resources, but would also underscore the importance of smoke to emanate from the assignment. the halls of the Depart- In our winter Newsletter we congratulated Professor John Rath, ment of History. As most the founder of the Austrian History Yearbook, on the occasion of his of our friends already 90th birthday, December 12. We now must report that John passed know, the signals have away on February 18 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, after a long illness since been sighted, and (see article on opposite page). His passing is a great loss to his many we are delighted that Dr. friends, and to all who are working in the field of Austrian history. Gary Cohen has accepted Shortly before his death, John was awarded the Großes Silbernes both the directorship of Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich (Grand Sil- the Center and the posi- ver Medal of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria), one of tion of Professor of His- the highest honors the Austrian government can give. While John tory at the University of Minnesota. Professor Cohen is a distin- was aware of this remarkable recognition, the medal itself, unfor- guished scholar in Habsburg and Central European history, and in tunately, did not reach him before his death. And we had so much addition he has extensive experience in directing international aca- hoped for a little ceremony in his honor! demic programs. He’s been on the advisory board of the Austrian History Yearbook and over the years has been involved in many of Well, it is time for me to go. But, before I conclude my last epistle the Center’s activities. He is, at the same time, a newcomer and an as interim Director, I want to express my gratitude to all who have old hand. We are eagerly anticipating his arrival in August. After all, helped me so much during my tenure. Foremost, of course, is our the appointment of a permanent director had been the main concern wonderful staff: Mag. Barbara Krauss-Christensen, Daniel Pinker- of the Center during the last two years. Now we can look forward to ton, Leo Riegert, Seulky Shin, and Kenneth Marks. And then there new leadership and to very positive developments. are my colleagues, Professors David Good, Kinley Brauer, William As interim caretaker of the Center, I am pleased to report that Wright, Richard Rudolph, and John Freeman, from whose collective things continue to go well. We are getting ready for our miniconfer- experience I greatly profited. Thanks also to our friends in Austria, ence, “Austria in the Heart of Europe,” which will feature the Rob- who graciously tolerated the fact that the Center for Austrian Studies ert Kann Memorial Lecture, delivered by Professor Anton Pelinka was—for two years—in the hands of a Berliner. of Innsbruck. It is now twenty years since Professor Robert Kann Good-bye, friends, from Gerhard. And welcome to Gary! Let me died, and we are glad that through these lectures we can continue to conclude with that old song from the 1930s: “Sag’ beim Abschied keep his memory alive. Other distinguished speakers at the confer- leise ‘Servus,’ und nicht ‘Adieu,’ und nicht ‘Auf Wiedersehn.’” ence are Professors Charles Jelavich, Egon Schwarz, and Jaqueline Vansant, bringing, as the Center likes to do, an analysis of Austrian Gerhard Weiss culture as reflected in history and literature. Interim Director The Center, together with our counterparts, the Canadian Centre for Austrian and Central European Studies at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and Center Austria, the Center for Austrian AUSTRIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER Culture and Commerce at the University of New Orleans, will pres- Volume 13, No. 2 • Spring 2001 ent a panel discussion on Austrian studies in North America at Editor: Daniel Pinkerton the German Studies Association conference in Washington, D.C. Editorial Assistants: Kenneth Marks, Leo Riegert (5-7 October), forging—we hope—an even closer cooperation than Austrian Correspondent: Nicole Slupetzky already exists between the centers and interested scholars. Another Secretary: Anna Vasiliev collaborative effort is the joint Edmonton-Minnesota symposium ASN is published three times annually (January, April, and September) and “National Myths and Pluralist Realities in Central Europe” planned distributed free of charge to interested subscribers as a public service of the Center for Austrian Studies. for October 25-27 of this year. After all, our centers are not self- Interim Director: Gerhard H. Weiss serving, isolated entities, but rather they share a common mission as Executive Secretary: Barbara Krauss-Christensen facilitators and disseminators, supporting scholarship and research Editor: Daniel Pinkerton focusing on Austria and Central Europe and creating an awareness Subscription requests or contributions for publication should be sent to: and understanding of that important region of Europe. Center for Austrian Studies Attn: Austrian Studies Newsletter Again this year, CAS will be able to offer a number of travel 314 Social Sciences Building, 267 19th Avenue S. grants to students and faculty doing research in Austria. The selec- Minneapolis MN 55455 tion committees are hard at work. We are a bit saddened that Phone: (612) 624-9811 Fax: (612) 626-9004 the number of undergraduates wanting to study in Austria has website: http://www.cas.umn.edu Editor's e-mail: [email protected] decreased—but that seems to be a general trend. Applications to Subscriptions: [email protected] Germany and France have also declined. Are our students becoming We also have a subscription form at our website. “europamüde”? On the faculty side, we are continuing our nego- The Center for Austrian Studies is an independent unit of the College of tiations for a Fulbright Visiting Professorship in Austrian Studies.