Liberation 1945 – Open Ending, Fragile Future

The year 1945 marked the official end of the Second World War and of Nazi rule in Europe. The collapse of the National Socialist dictatorship brought new hope to many people, yet also a future shaped by uncertainty and change, as well as continuities. 80 years after the end of the Second World War, the House of Austrian History turns the spotlight on 1945 with its intervention Liberation 1945: Open Ending, Fragile Future. What decisions did people make as the war ended and the Second Republic began? What scope for individual action did they have and what course did they choose? 

In the main exhibition New Ages: Austria since 1918, bright orange markings highlight 1945 in the timeline. Using the folding plan, visitors can explore twelve stories from that year, each of which reveals a different experience of the turmoil of 1945. The current special exhibition Tune in! Austria between Propaganda and Protest on the Alma Rosé-Plateau also looks at how these upheavals were dealt with on the radio. 

In our online thematic collection you can also discover web exhibitions, articles and collection items related to the liberation in 1945 and the social and political changes of the following years.