The National Fund mourns Gerhard Jagschitz

The National Fund is mourning the death of a longstanding member of the Academic Advisory Board for the renewal of the Austrian exhibition at the State Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau.

University professor Dr. Gernard Jagschitz was Professor of Modern History with a special emphasis of Contemporary History and also Head of the Institute for a number of years. Under his leadership, the photographic archive of the Institute of Contemporary History grew to become one of the most significant sources of visual documentation of recent Austrian history. His research focused on several areas, including Nazism, terror and extermination under the Third Reich, Auschwitz, the Second Republic and democracy, Austrian identity, Austria in Europe and visual history and photography. He also headed the oral history project “MenschenLeben”. So far over 1,500 people from Austria have been interviewed about their lives and experiences as part of this project. He put forward critical political opinions in the public realm and was called on as an expert in neo-Nazi court trials.

We are extremely grateful that Professor Dr. Jagschitz was able to accompany a significant part of the renewal progress in his competence as a member of the Academic Advisory Board and for the consultative support he provided to the National Fund. He made a substantial contribution to the National Fund’s publication documenting the previous Austrian exhibition at Auschwitz memorial with his critical scientific analyses.

Gerhard Jagschitz passed away on 30 July 2018. We held him in high esteem and he will be sadly missed.

Links:

Obituary by the Institute of Contemporary History

Gerhard Jagschitz’s article in the documentary publication “Österreichische Gedenkstätte 1978-2013. Staatliches Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau”: “Fotografie und Auschwitz”