Mathilde Uhlirz (1881–1966)

Uhlirz was an expert on the Middle Ages at the University of Graz and the first woman to be awarded the university teaching qualification for history at an Austrian university. By the early 1930s she was already an active supporter of the Nazi Party’s aims. In May 1938, after the “Anschluss”, she applied for party membership. She appeared as a speaker at various Nazi Party events. Her research endorsed German-national interpretations of history. 

Mathilde Uhlirz was arrested in 1945. She applied for early retirement, which was granted—with her years spent teaching between 1938 and 1945 counting towards her pension. This gave her the opportunity to continue her research and publish prominent works. In 1951 she was officially rehabilitated and regained her title as professor. She was the recipient of several awards, among them honours from the Republic of Austria and various universities.