“A Southern Perspective on the North”
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“With the Head up North”
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Newly founded Austrian Polar Research Institute (APRI)

Foundation of the Austrian Polar Research Institute: Presentation of the Institute

April 8th, 2013; University of Vienna

The Austrian Polar Research Institute (APRI) is a research consortium that promotes and coordinates research and education in the area of polar sciences at the participating organisations. The APRI is interdisciplinary and involves about 50 scientists in 14 research groups. There is a public presentation of the institute on April 8th, at the University of Vienna’s main public lecture hall.

Our AAS members Gertrude Eilmsteiner-Saxinger and Peter Schweitzer are leading a research group in the section „social and cultural systems“. Former focuses on the extractive industry, mobility of labour force and the interaction with the local community. Latter does research on social aspects of climate change and globalization especially in Siberia and Alaska. Elena Nuykina and Elisabeth Öfner, AAS members as well are part of a research group.

Link: http://www.polarresearch.at/

Lecture “The trial of ‘Alten Thiess’”

The trial of ‘Alten Thiess’, 1692/93. A werewolf conception of life.

A lecture by Dr. Stefan Donecker

March 28th, 2012, 6:30 pm

University of Vienna’s main building, Dr.-Karl-Lueger-Ring 1, 1010 Wien lecture room 45

Im Jahr 1691 stand ein rund 85jähriger lettischer Bauer, der “Alte Thiess”, in Jürgensburg – dem heutigen Zaube in Lettland – als vermeintlicher Hexer und Werwolf vor Gericht. Der betagte Angeklagte verblüffte die Richter mit einem bereitwilligen Geständnis: Er war ein Werwolf, und er war äußerst stolz darauf – denn die Werwölfe, so Thiess, seien Diener Gottes und würden in aufopferungsvollen Kämpfen die Fruchtbarkeit des Landes gegen den Teufel und sein Gefolge verteidigen.

Stefan Donecker, historian and AAS member gives a lecture about a trial of a werewolf in 1692. The fascinating documents give insights into northern Europeans society at the end of 17th century, especially on the social construction of body, gender and ethnicity.

Im Zuge des Vortrages soll diese Vorstellung eines gesellschaftsdienlichen Werwolfs, die mit der gelehrten Dämonologie des 17. Jahrhunderts völlig unvereinbar war, untersucht werden. Der Prozess des “Alten Thiess” ist eine faszinierende Quelle – nicht nur wegen der markanten Persönlichkeit des sturen, unbequemen und dabei irgendwie liebeswerten Angeklagten, sondern auch aufgrund der einzigartigen Einblicke in die soziale Konstruktion von Körper, Geschlecht und Ethnizität in einer bäuerlichen Lebenswelt an der äußersten Peripherie Europas. Am Beispiel dieses historischen Dokuments möchte ich verdeutlichen, wie Impulse aus dem frühneuzeitlichen Nordosteuropa in die Lehre am Institut für Geschichte eingebracht werden könnten.

Conference ICASS VII

Working Group Arctic and Subarctic members at the ICASS VII

June 22-26, 2011; Akureyri, Iceland

Working group Arctic and Subarctic members at the ICASS VII. ICASS is the International Arctic Social Science Organization and the conference is held every three years. The theme of the conference in 2011was: Circumpolar Perspectives in Global Dialogue: Social Sciences Beyond the International Polar Year.

Our AAS members Stefan Donecker, Gertrude Eilmsteiner-Saxinger, Silvije Habulinec, Elena Nuikina, and Elisabeth Öfner took part in this conference.

Link: For detailed program and abstracts refer to the website of the IASSA

10 years Working group Arctic and Subarctic

In 2010 we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the foundation of the working group. In an informal get-together at a traditional viennese wine restaurant we recalled old days and made plans for the years to come.

Photo (from left to right): Silvije Habulinec, Markus Hirnsperger, Alexander Köhler (standing), Stefan Bauer, Stefan Donecker, Aline Ehrenfried, Stefan Pohlmann (standing), Elena Aleshkevich, Annett Bartsch

Publication “Biography, Shift-labour and Socialisation…”

Biography, Shift-labour and Socialisation in a Northern Industrial
City – The Far North: Particularities of Labour and Human Socialisation

Gertrude Eilmsteiner-Saxinger, Florian Stammler (eds.). 2010.
Biography, Shift-labour and Socialisation in a Northern Industrial City – The Far North: Particularities of Labour and Human Socialisation. Proceedings of the International Conference in Novy Urengoy, Russia, 4th – 6th December 2008.

The volume is one of the outcomes of the research project BOREAS–MOVE–INNOCOM, funded by the Finnish Academy, decision 118702 as well as of the research project funded by the FWF Austrian Science Fund (P22066-G17) “Lives on the Move–Vakhtoviki in North-western Siberia” conducted at the Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna with Prof. Heinz Fassmann as project leader.

Link [pdf]: https://raumforschung.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/inst_geograph/BOOK_Biography-ShiftLabour-Socialisation-Russian_North.pdf

Publication “Detection of snow surface…”

Detection of snow surface thawing and refreezing in the Eurasian Arctic using QuikSCAT: implications for reindeer herding

Bartsch, A., Kumpula, T., Forbes, B., Stammler, F. 2010.
Detection of snow surface thawing and refreezing in the Eurasian Arctic using QuikSCAT: implications for reindeer herding.
Ecological Applications 20:2346–2358.

Link:http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/09-1927.1

Publication “Commuting to the Siberian Far North”

Titel: Commuting to the Siberian Far North – when Extreme becomes Normality.

Gertrude Eilmsteiner-Saxinger
TRANS Internet-Zeitschrift für Kulturwissenschaften 17.
Februar 2010

Link: http://www.inst.at/trans/17Nr/4-5/4-5_eilmsteiner-saxinger.htm

Publication “The Lion, the Witch…”

The Lion, the Witch and the Walrus. Images of the Sorcerous North in
the 16th and 17th centuries

Stefan Donecker. 2010.
The Lion, the Witch and the Walrus. Images of the Sorcerous North in the 16th and 17th centuries.
TRANS – Internetzeitschrift für Kulturwissenschaften 17.

Link: http://www.inst.at/trans/17Nr/4-5/4-5_donecker.htm

Austrian Polar Symposium

Museum of Natural History
March 26-28th 2009, Vienna

Organized by the Austrian Polar Research Association

Vom 26. bis 28. März 2009 fand im Naturhistorischen Museum Wien das 3. Österreichische Polarsymposium tatt. Die Österreichische Gesellschaft für Polarforschung lud, Polarforscher und Polarophile, im Zuge des Internationalen Polarjahres zu einer Tagung ein.

Aline Ehrenfried, Stefan Bauer und Gertrude Eilmsteiner-Saxinger nahmen für die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Arktis und Subarktis an der Veranstaltung teil und präsentierten aktuelle Forschungsvorhaben.

Präsentation der AAS von Aline Ehrenfried als pdf zum download: AAS Präsentation (pdf)
Programm zur Veranstaltung: Programm (pdf)
Bilder der Veranstaltung: Bilder

International Polar Year 2007—2009

The International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) have devoted the period from 1st March 2007 until 1st March 2009 to the polar regions of the world. Arctic and Antarctic are in focus of a comprehensive scientific programme, which even stretches over two years this time – to give scientists the opportunity to conduct research in all seasons of the year on the northern and southern hemisphere.

The International Polar Year is the forth broad event concerning the Polar Regions, after the first International Polar Year 1882/83 followed by the second one in 1932/33 and the International Geophysical Year 1957/58. Scientists from all over the world are involved in more than 200 interdisciplinary scientific programmes, particularly concerning climate research, physics and biology. But also cultural and social topics are addressed.

The International Polar Year motivated us to organize a lecture at the University of Vienna, public photo exhibitions, talks and discussions to inform and make people aware of arctic concerns.

The arctic regions include areas above the arctic circles and are home to over one million people. Despite their marginal position, the Polar Regions play in important global role considering the complex correlation between the climate and the marine ecosystem.

Alongside scientific research, expeditions and observation programmes in the Polar Regions, also the general public should be addressed and involved in activities around the International Polar Year. Lectures, conferences, or educational programmes inform about the Arctic and Antarctic, about land, ocean, ice and people.

Links:

official website dedicated to the Int. Polar Year 2007: http://www.ipy.org

Other relevant links to the history of the IPY:
http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/aro/ipy-1/History.htm