Going and Not Coming Back: The reports of contemporary Austrian immigrants to Switzerland (1959–1972)

Koban, Miriam (2018). Going and Not Coming Back: The reports of contemporary Austrian immigrants to Switzerland (1959–1972) Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Geschichte, 68(1), pp. 39-63. Schwabe Verlag 10.24894/2296-6013.00003

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Switzerland was an important country of immigration for Austrians in the 20th century. Based on the biographical narratives and accounts of five Austrian men and women who moved to Switzerland between 1959 and 1972, this article focuses on three factors: the circumstances leading to this permanent move, integration into the host society, and transculturality. In the cases discussed here, individual circumstances were sufficiently heterogeneous to argue that the decision to move was not exclusively driven by economic considerations. Integration in the host society is analyzed in terms of narratives about the naturalization process, the right of foreigners to vote, and various experiences of discrimination. Factors that helped in the integration process included language, family, and career. Finally, actors in transcultural spaces can feel they belong to several cultures at once. In addition to cultivating social contacts, the continued connectedness of these eyewitnesses to Austrian culture is expressed in their ongoing interest in political and socialissues, as well as in Austrian cuisine.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

Bern Academy of the Arts

Name:

Koban, Miriam

Subjects:

D History General and Old World > DB Austria

ISSN:

0036-7834

Publisher:

Schwabe Verlag

Language:

German

Submitter:

Miriam Koban

Date Deposited:

04 Apr 2022 15:48

Last Modified:

04 Apr 2022 15:49

Publisher DOI:

10.24894/2296-6013.00003

Related URLs:

ARBOR DOI:

10.24451/arbor.16332

URI:

https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/16332

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