„Roter Stern“ über Graz

Project “Roter Stern über Graz: sowjetische Besatzung Mai – Juli 1945”

During the night of May 8 to 9, 1945, units of the 57th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front liberated Graz. Graz was handed over to the Red Army without resistance and became the last Austrian provincial capital to come under Allied occupation. Until the zone swap on July 23/24, 1945, Graz was occupied by the Soviets before the British took over the administration of the entire province of Styria (initially excluding the Ausseerland region). The short but very formative Soviet phase left a deep impression on the population.

About the project:

The aim of the project is to conduct the first detailed study of the Red Army in Graz using archival sources, literature research, and oral history interviews. The focus is on the end of the war, the establishment of the Soviet occupation in Graz, the establishment of the local government, and, above all, everyday life under the “Red Star.” The study can thus make a significant contribution to the upcoming “Commemorative Year 2025.” The results will be presented to the public in the form of two master’s theses at the Institute of History at the University of Graz and a monographie on the topic “Roter Stern über Graz. Sowjetische Besatzung 1945″

The project has been carried out since 2022 by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research on the Consequences of War in cooperation with the History Institute of the University of Graz.

Project management: Barbara Stelzl-Marx
Project coordination: Martina Schneid
Project collaboration: Katharina Dolesch, Lena Wallner, Alexander Karnowschek, Alexandra Riemer, Annalena Zingl
Funding: Kulturamt der Stadt Graz, Land Steiermark, Zukunftsfonds der Republik Österreich
Cooperation partners: University of Graz

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a. Red Army soldiers in Austria (c) BIK/Fotobestand Zajcev
“Roter Stern über Graz. 75 Tage sowjetische Besatzung 1945”
HLK-Blog: “Roter Stern über Graz. Zu den 75 Tagen sowjetische Besatzung 1945”, 11. Juli 2025 Zur Publikation

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