Holidays in Austria. Reinventing a Tourist Destination

What do the memories of a holiday taken 70 years ago tell us about Austria today? How did Austria become a “tourism nation”? When Austria reinvented itself after the end of Nazi rule and the Second World War, the idea of it as a holiday destination played an important role. War-damaged Austria marketed itself abroad as an idyllic location and affordable place to go on holiday. This also shaped how people in Austria saw themselves.
Taking two unique photo albums belonging to a British couple from the 1950s as its starting point, the new hdgö special exhibition “Holidays in Austria. Reinventing a Tourist Destination” explores this little-told history and traces the idea of Austria as an aspiring tourist destination back to its roots. With a wealth of surprising objects, it gives a strong sense of the continued resonance of this early phase of the tourist industry today. Discover where present-day clichés and images of Austria came from and how they have changed over time. 

The exhibition catalog is available at the hdgö cash desk – or order online now.

Director hdgö: Monika Sommer | Curators: Stefan Benedik, Antonia Heidl | Educational-curatorial contributions: Katharina Kraus, Eva Meran | Education: Louise Beckershaus, Christoph Beitl, Markus Fösl, Nikolaus Kowarz, Katharina Kraus, Birgit Landman, Eva Meran, Antonia Plessing, Markus Sampt | Support during concept development: Heidemarie Uhl (1956–2023) | Academic advisor: Dieter A. Binder | Project management: Anna Bausch | Text, loan and rights management: Tanja Jenni | Exhibition design and exhibition graphics: Fuhrer, Wien | Conservation and restoration: Petra Süß (hdgö), Bettina Dräxler | Object handling: Mara Metzmacher | Cataloguing: Johannes Pötzlberger | Audiovisual design/editing: Lorenz Paulus | Communication: Ann Cathrin Frank, Johanna Fuchs, Ildiko Füredi-Kolarik | Social media: Louise Beckershaus, Katharina Kraus | Additional hdgö team members: Karolin Galter, Laura Langeder, Antonia Plessing, Nora Pierer, Cornelia Szabó-Knotik, Enid Wolf | Translation: Lukas David Beck, Paul Richards, Joanna White | Artistic Productions: Dominikus Guggenberger, Orthochrome, toikoi – telling spaces | Montage, display production: IntoArt Production | arthandling: ADAPTIV Exhibition Setup Grafikproduktion | Graphics production: e.h.montagen, Gerin Druck | Media production: 7reasons | Object photography: Markus Guschelbauer

Lenders and licensors: Alpinresort Sacher, British Pathè, Bundesmobilienverwaltung, Dachsteinmuseum Austriahütte, dmg media, Josef und Stefanie Eibl, Filmarchiv Austria, Gebirgstrachtenverein Alpinia Salzburg, Eva Hallama, Julia Hope, Jupiter-Film GmbH, Christian Kranich, Petra Kohlenprath, Linguaphone FLT, Mauthausen Komitee Kärnten/Koroška, Museumsverein St. Gilgen, Österreichische Mediathek, Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund/Archiv, Österreichischer Rundfunk ORF, Österreichisches Filmmuseum, Österreichisches Staatsarchiv, Pfarre St. Josef/Klagenfurt, Schloss Kaps, The Historic England Archive, Verein Jung Alpenland, Universalmuseum Joanneum/Volkskundemuseum, Verein für Geschichte der ArbeiterInnen bewegung VGA, Vorarlberger Landesbibliothek, Wienbibliothek im Rathaus, Wiener Mozart Orchester Konzertveranstaltungs GmbH, Zisterzienserabtei Stift Heiligenkreuz

Donors: Café Konditorei Fürst GmbH, Daniela Eibl-Garstenauer, Julia Hope, KHM-Museumsverband Abt. SALESShops, Sahar Mohsenzada

With particular thanks for research contributions to: Anna Engl (Salzburg Museum), Franz Gangelmayer (Wienbibliothek im Rathaus), Michael J. Greger (Salzburger Landesinstitut für Volkskunde), Michaela Pfundner (ÖNB), Raoul Schmidt und Florian Haag (Österreichisches Filmmuseum), Andrea Strutz (Universität Graz), Anna Stuhlpfarrer  (kunstzentrale.at), Vanessa Tautter (University of Brighton), Eva Tropper (Universalmuseum Joanneum), Herbert Vopava (Österreichisches Staatsarchiv), Anita Ziegerhofer (Universität Graz)