As a consequence of World War II, the Western powers and the so-called Eastern Bloc confronted one another for decades in the “bipolar world,” seeking to curb the influence of the opposing camp through political, economic, technological, and military means. On the geopolitical map of the Cold War, Austria formed a deep salient into the Eastern Bloc. Having adopted permanent political and military neutrality in 1955, the country—situated at the “heart of Europe” and sharing more than 1,100 kilometres of borders with communist neighbouring states—served as an outpost and a “showcase” of the Western world.

Owing to this geopolitical position, Austria found itself at the crossroads of the East–West confrontation. It was therefore directly affected by crises within the Eastern Bloc, such as the suppression of the Hungarian Uprising in 1956 and the crushing of the Prague Spring in 1968. At the same time, this position fostered the development of Austria’s policy of neutrality during the Cold War: the country sought to act as an icebreaker and bridge-builder between East and West, while serving as an important venue for international dialogue. Austria also became one of the principal centres of intelligence activity during the Cold War.

Programme Lead:
Peter Ruggenthaler

Senior Researcher: (since)
Philipp Lesiak (2006)
Dieter Bacher (2007)
Sabine Nachbaur (2013)
Anna Graf-Steiner (2019)

Junior Researcher:
Christoph Huber (2022–2025)

Current FWF Research Project:

• Österreichischer Osthandel: Entspannung im Kalten Krieg zum EU-Beitritt

Further Research Projects:

• Mitgenommen. Ukrainische Flüchtlinge in Österreich

Completed Projects