Vaterland, Heimat, and the Family of Nations

Education and Identity Formation in Late-Habsburg Austria

Bibliographic Data

ID11047425
AuthorsScott O Moore (0000-0002-6189-4576, Eastern Connecticut State University, corresponding author)
Year2025
Pages1-20
Publication date2025-01-10
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueNationalities Papers (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-5992 • E-ISSN: 1465-3923
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/nps.2024.100
OpenAlexW4406250443
LanguageEN
References cited14

In the last quarter of the 19 th century, Austrian schools effectively developed a robust system of civic education that attempted to cultivate the patriotism of all students, regardless of their nationality. While the ultimate goal of Habsburg civic education was loyalty to the imperial state, officials realized that this loyalty would not be able to supplant regional or national identities. Instead, officials designed a curriculum that would enhance these other identities hoping they would contribute to imperial patriotism. Students learned they shared their home with different national groups and that they belonged to a larger family of nations. While this concept was earnestly supported by the school curriculum, the way in which this material was taught may have impacted its effectiveness. For example, when discussing national groups, educators often drew from prevailing ethnographic theories that relied on stereotypical assessments. Moreover, compromises made in the early 20 th century complicated these efforts. As nationalists gained increased control over school administration, the emphasis on shared local identity weakened. These factors did not necessarily alter Austrian civic education, but they do point to the ways in which it would have needed to adapt to the Monarchy’s changing political circumstances

Aesthetics · Art · Genealogy · Identity (music · Sociology · Central European national history · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy · Gender Studies · Historical Geopolitical and Social Dynamics · History

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access