
Erika Weinzierl (6 June 1925 – 28 October 2014) was an Austrian historian, gender researcher, and historian of
Nazism
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...
. A member of the
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party ( , ÖVP ) is a Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative political party in Austria.
Since January 2025, the party has been led by Christian Stocker (as an acting leader). It is currently the second-largest p ...
and the Curatorium of the
Austrian Mauthausen Committee, she was the second director of the
Department of Contemporary History of the University of Vienna, succeeding Ludwig Jedlicka.
[ Friedrich Stadler]
"40 Jahre Institut für Zeitgeschichte der Universität Wien"
(2006). Retrieved 2012-12-18 (in German). Weinzierl was a recipient of the
Austrian Decoration for Science and Art
The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art () is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria and forms part of the Orders, decorations, and medals of Austria, Austrian national honours system.
History
The "Austrian Decoration for Science a ...
, the
Preis der Stadt Wien für Geisteswissenschaften, the
Benemerenti medal, and the
Theodor Körner Prize
The Theodor Körner Prize (German: ''Theodor-Körner-Preis'') is a set of annual Austrian awards bestowed by the Theodor Körner Fund in recognition of cultural and/or scientific advances.
The prize is awarded at the University of Vienna. The priz ...
.
Biography
Erika Fischer was born on 6 June 1925 in
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, Austria. She graduated from the
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...
.
She headed the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for the History of Social Sciences and was a full professor at the
University of Salzburg
The University of Salzburg (, ), also known as the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (''Paris-Lodron-Universität Salzburg'', PLUS), is an Austrian public university in Salzburg, Salzburg municipality, Salzburg (federal state), Salzburg State, ...
and the University of Vienna. For a long time, she was one of the few women in the German-speaking world and the only one in Austria on a history ordinariate. She received many awards for her critical examination of civil society under National Socialism. For many years, she stood up to the "Anti-Semitism Campaign in Austria", of which she later became honorary president.
The author of books and numerous articles, Weinzierl published about 700 titles. She was also editor or co-editor of 30 books, including the monthly or bi-monthly ''zeitgeschichte'' ("Journal of Contemporary History") from 1973.
[Ilse Korotin (Hrsg.): BiografıA: Lexikon österreichischer Frauen. Bd. 3, Wien 2016, S. 3495 f.] She also edited a series of publications of the Institute for Ecclesiastical History, the Historical Institute of University of Salzburg, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for the History of Social Sciences (with Wolfgang Huber), and materials on contemporary history (with Rudolf G. Ardelt and Karl Stuhlpfarrer).
She died on 28 October 2014 in Vienna.
Awards
*1952, Pontifical Medal of Merit Benemerenti
[Erika Weinzierl ist gestorben. In: ORF, 28 October 2014.]
*1979, Premio Adelaide Ristori of the Centro Culturale Italiano in Rome
*1985, Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art I. Class
*1985, Silver medal of the state of Salzburg
*1985, Medal of Honor of the Federal Capital Vienna in gold
*1988, Austrian State Prize for Cultural Journalism
*1992, Dr. Hertha Firnberg State Prize for special achievements in the field of science and research
*1994, Prize of the City of Vienna for the humanities
*1995, Bruno Kreisky Prize for the political book of the Dr. Karl Renner Institute (for her complete works)
*1996, Joseph Samuel Bloch Medal of Action Against Anti-Semitism in Austria
*1998, Wilhelm Hartel Prize of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
*1999, Golden Doctorate of the GWF of the University of Vienna
*2000, Prize of the city of Vienna for public education
*2000, Great Silver Medal for Services to the Republic of Austria
[Aufstellung aller durch den Bundespräsidenten verliehenen Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich ab 1952 (PDF)]
*2002, Ring of Honor of the City of Vienna (for her commitment to the fight against anti-Semitism)
*2003, non-fiction book "danubius" of the book club Donauland and the ORF (for her life's work)
*2006, Viennese E. Chargaff Prize of the Research Center for Ethics and Science in Dialogue
*2008, Honorary Prize of the Press Club Concordia (for her life's work, especially for her fight against anti-Semitism)
*2010, Women's Lifetime Achievement Award of the Federal Minister for Women and Public Service
Movies
* ''Erika Weinzierl – A portrait''. Film by Peter Grundei and Ronald P. Vaughan
or the 85th birthday ORF, Austria 2010.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weinzierl, Erika
1925 births
2014 deaths
Recipients of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class
Recipients of the Benemerenti medal
Austrian People's Party politicians
German non-fiction writers
20th-century German writers
20th-century German women writers
21st-century German writers
21st-century German women writers