Born in Bad Gastein, nestled in the middle of Austria, Gerald Lehner began a lifelong journey from the alpine peaks of Central Europe, to the high-altitude vistas of the Himalayas, the windswept terrains of Alaska, and countless other places around the world.

As an engineer and teacher, Lehner contributed directly to the communities that welcomed him. As a journalist for major news publications like ORF, Profil and Der Spiegel, he supported his hosts by sharing their stories with global audiences, thousands of miles away.

Listen in to hear Lehner's most beloved and formative stories from his multi-continental adventures!

In this episode we are lucky to hear from recent Botstiber grantee and lecturer at the University of Graz, Duncan Bare. Bare's research has offered a new glimpse into the development of the United States' intelligence agencies, especially the OSS, SSU and CIG, in the context of their 1940s Austrian operations.

Listen in to hear the stories of these organizations' early days, the normal people tasked with establishing their presence, and the eventual creation of the CIA!

Recorded On: December 15, 2023

Today's guest is renowned architect Christoph Kapeller. In this episode, he reflects on his journey from southeastern Austria along the border with Slovenia, to busy streets across the United States, and sunny days in the historic Egyptian city of Alexandria.

If you enjoyed the episode and would like to hear more from Gerald Steinacher, you can find his work at the following links:

Christoph Kapeller Architecture: https://www.ck-architecture.com/

Christoph Kapeller Photography: https://cargocollective.com/ck-imaging

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The Botstiber Institute for Austrian-American Studies presents, Christmas in Vienna.

From warm meals in busy Christmas markets, to scary visits from Krampus, and gifts under the Tannenbaum, Austria has a wealth of cultural customs to offer throughout the month of December. In the first-ever Botstiber Christmas special, listen along as ten individuals from across Austria share with us their most cherished memories and traditions of the holiday season.

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Narrated by: Luke Morgante & Valerie Arapis

Edited by: Daniel Fullam

A huge thank you to our Austrian guests who shared these memories with us, making the Christmas special possible: Gerald Steinacher, Günter Bischof, Ivett Rita Guntersdorfer, Finja Draxler, Valentina Funes-Rainer, Lena Höllebrand, Lilly Maier, Julia Secklehner, Kathrin Seel, and Christoph Kapeller.

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Christmas in Vienna Pt.1 | St.Nikolaus, Krampus and the Perchten

Christmas in Vienna Pt.2 | Holiday Traditions from the Austrian Alps

Christmas in Vienna Pt.3 | Christmas Markets and Holiday Cuisine

If you enjoyed, please like and subscribe to the Botstiber Institute to receive notifications of future podcasts.

Christmastime evokes memories of distinct sights, sounds and smells. in Austria, few locations embody these memories more than the Christmas markets that spring-up across the country, starting in mid-November.

In the following, part three of the Botstiber Institute’s “Christmas in Vienna,” ten Austrians share their experiences from the largest Christmas markets, bustling with visitors in cities like Vienna and Salzburg, down to the smallest markets that seem to blend into the alpine forests surrounding them. In this part, the guests also share their favorite foods of the season, from grandma’s Christmas cookies at-home to Kaiserschmarrn from street vendors.

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Narrated & Scripted by: Luke Morgante

Edited by: Daniel Fullam

A huge thank you to our Austrian guests who shared these memories with us, making the Christmas special possible: Gerald Steinacher, Günter Bischof, Ivett Rita Guntersdorfer, Finja Draxler, Valentina Funes-Rainer, Lena Höllebrand, Lilly Maier, Julia Secklehner, Kathrin Seel, and Christoph Kapeller.

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Christmas in Vienna Pt.1 | St.Nikolaus, Krampus and the Perchten

Christmas in Vienna Pt.2 | Holiday Traditions from the Austrian Alps

If you enjoyed, please like and subscribe to the Botstiber Institute to receive notifications of future podcasts. The full special will be released soon!

In this, the inaugural Botstiber Christmas special, ten individuals from across Austria share with us their experiences from the country's many Christmastime festivities. Join us, as their stories take us from bustling Christmas markets in Salzburg to cozy, alpine cottages visited by Saint Nicholas and the dreaded Krampus.

Part two of Christmas in Vienna brings us to Christmas Eve and the 12 days of Christmas that follow. Unlike in the United States, Christmas Eve is often the height of celebration and gift giving across Austria. Holiday cheer is abundant, with stories of the Christkind (Eng: Christ Child), ancient traditions like the Rauhnächte (Eng: Smoke Nights), or more recent customs like the Friedenslicht (Eng: Light of Peace).

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Narrated by: Valerie Arapis

Edited by: Daniel Fullam

Scripted by: Luke Morgante

A huge thank you to our Austrian guests who shared these memories with us, making the Christmas special possible: Gerald Steinacher, Günter Bischof, Ivett Rita Guntersdorfer, Finja Draxler, Valentina Funes-Rainer, Lena Höllebrand, Lilly Maier, Julia Secklehner, Kathrin Seel, and Christoph Kapeller.

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Christmas in Vienna Pt.1 | St.Nikolaus, Krampus and the Perchten

If you enjoyed, please like and subscribe to the Botstiber Institute to receive notifications of future podcasts. Part three is coming soon, with the full special releasing on Christmas Eve.

Joining the episode from the University of Graz in southern Austria, Nina Kaiser discusses the important contributions made to criminology and evidence law by the Austrian jurist Hans Gross and his American contemporary, John Henry Wigmore.

Supported by the Botstiber Institute for Austrian-American Studies, Kaiser's groundbreaking research also analyzes the intellectual relationship shared by Gross and Wigmore, and its impacts on both sides of the Atlantic.

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You can find more from Nina Kaiser and her work, at the following links:

Hans Gross Center for Interdisciplinary Criminal Sciences

Karl Franzens Universität Graz - Nina Kaiser

In this, the inaugural Botstiber Christmas special, ten individuals from across Austria share with us their experiences from the country's many Christmastime festivities. Join us, as their stories take us from bustling Christmas markets in Salzburg to cozy, alpine cottages visited by Saint Nicholas and the dreaded Krampus.

Part one of Christmas in Vienna brings us to December 5th and 6th, also known as Krampus Day and Nikolaus Day. For those of us on the nice list, there may be a visit from St.Nikolaus to look forward to; however, those that were naughty must beware of a visit from Krampus and the Winter demons (Perchten)...

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Narrated & scripted by: Luke Morgante

Edited by: Daniel Fullam

A huge thank you to our Austrian guests who shared these memories with us, making the Christmas special possible: Gerald Steinacher, Günter Bischof, Ivett Rita Guntersdorfer, Finja Draxler, Valentina Funes-Rainer, Lena Höllebrand, Lilly Maier, Julia Secklehner, Kathrin Seel, and Christoph Kapeller.

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If you enjoyed, please like and subscribe to the Botstiber Institute to receive notifications of future podcasts. Parts two and three are coming soon, with the full special releasing on Christmas Eve.

In this episode, Austrian-American guest Gerald Steinacher takes us on a journey from the mountain peaks of Tyrol to the Great Plains of Nebraska. Along the way, Steinacher has contributed greatly to the field of Austrian-American studies. Currently the James A. Rawley Professor of History at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Steinacher has published multiple works on topics such as the Holocaust, Fascism and Denazification.

If you enjoyed the episode and would like to hear more from Gerald Steinacher, you can find his work at the following links:

Humanitarians at War: The Red Cross in the Shadow of the Holocaust (2017)

Nazis on the Run: How Hitler's Henchmen Fled Justice (2012)

Join host Luke Morgante for an engaging conversation with Viennese historian and author, Lilly Maier. In the episode, Lilly and Luke discuss the incredible life story of Arthur Kern, a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust who, after being forced to separate from his family, escaped to the United States as a child.

Arthur and Lilly's stories became interconnected in 2003 when he returned to his childhood home in Vienna for the first time since fleeing — a turn-of-the-century apartment where young Lilly was now living with her mother. This fateful meeting would compel Lilly to pursue a life as a historian, uncovering the stories of Arthur's escape and thousands of others impacted during the period.

If you would like to hear more about Arthur and Lilly: The Girl and the Holocaust Survivor (2023), she will be completing a book tour from Oct.-Dec. 2023. Find more information, here: US Book Tour Lilly Maier – Lilly Maier (wordpress.com)