In Memoriam: Brigitte Pellar (1947–2026)

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our esteemed colleague, the renowned Austrian trade union historian Brigitte Pellar. She served as head of the Institute for the History of Trade Unions and the Chamber of Labour (Vienna) until 2007. Her numerous publications testify to her intellectual productivity, which was not diminished by her retirement. Earlier this year, her volume on the popular educator Richard Robert Wagner, co-edited with Johann Dvořák and Sabine Lichtenberger, was awarded the special award of the Bruno Kreisky-Prize. Her journalistic and political statements appeared both in print media and on social media. Personal conversations with Brigitte revealed her vast knowledge of the history of trade unions and the labour movement, particularly in Austria. Her passing leaves a void in this field that is particularly underrepresented in academic research.

As a long-standing member of the executive committee of the International Conference of Labour and Social History (ITH), she played an active role in the ITH. She contributed questions and comments to the annual Linz conferences, prompting discussion and reflection. She played a key role in organising the conferences in 2004 (“Mercy or Right” – Development of Social Security Systems), 2018 (Workplace Democracy Revisited: Labour and Practices of Participation, Workers’ Control and Self-Management in Global Perspective), and 2019 (Working on the Land: Actors, Societies and Environments). At times when the future of the ITH was uncertain, her personal commitment was crucial for the organisation’s continued existence.

May she live on in our memories and in future research that builds on Brigitte’s scholarly achievements.

For the ITH,

Therese Garstenauer
(ITH President)

David Mayer
(ITH Vice-President)

Marcel van der Linden
(ITH Vice-President)

Laurin Blecha
(ITH General Secretary)

In Memoriam: Univ. Prof. Dr. Anton Pelinka (1941–2025)

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Univ. Prof. Dr. Anton Pelinka (1941–2025), distinguished member of our International Scientific Board, who passed away this past weekend.

Prof. Pelinka was one of Austria’s leading political scientists and an influential voice in the study of democracy, with a lifelong commitment to safeguarding it. For more than three decades, he taught and conducted research at the Department of Political Science at the University of Innsbruck, shaping generations of students and scholars. An obituary (in German), prepared by his colleagues of the department, can be found here:
https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/newsroom/2025/anton-pelinka-verstorben/

We will remember Prof. Pelinka with respect and gratitude.

For the ITH,

Therese Garstenauer
(ITH President)
&
Laurin Blecha
(ITH General Secretary)

In Memoriam Josef “Sepp” Ehmer (1948 – 2023)

Sepp was born on November 7, 1948 in Gschwandt near Gmunden in Upper Austria. His parents were politically active as communists during the National Socialist period and he and his brother grew up in proletarian conditions after WWII. In 1968 he began studying History and German at the University of Vienna. In 1977 he completed his studies with a doctoral thesis on family structure and work organization in early industrial Vienna. In the late 1970s he became a university assistant and lecturer at the Department of Economic and Social History at the University of Vienna. After completing his habilitation which dealt with marital behavior, social structure, and economic change, he became full professor of Modern History at the University of Salzburg. He held this position from 1993 until 2005 when he succeeded Michael Mitterauer as a professor for Economic and Social History at the University of Vienna, until his retirement in 2016.
Sepp had been affiliated with the ITH for many years. From 1993 to 2022 he was a member of the board and for decades, Sepp was a mainstay for the work of the ITH. He was always attentive, from the smallest detail to the biggest issues. He played a central role in the creation and discussion of calls for papers and programs, always with conceptually and practically well-thought-out proposals and ideas supported by his immense expertise. In the ITH, Sepp “pulled the strings” in many ways, and always in the spirit of collegiality and solidarity. Many of those who are close to the ITH find it difficult to imagine its work without Sepp. Most recently, in 2021, Sepp was part of the preparatory group for the 56th ITH Conference which dealt with the topic “Migration worldwide: Left-wing strategies, migrant actors, and capitalist interests from the 16th century to the present”.
His main scientific interest was long-term socio-economic change in modern Europe, but his research areas also included historical migration research, population history and historical demography. In the course of these projects, Josef Ehmer established many international contacts during his numerous research stays. For example, he worked as a researcher at the LMU Munich (1974-1975), at the University of Cambridge (1987-1989), at the Max Planck Institute for History in Göttingen (1984-1986), as a visiting professor at the Friedrich-Meinecke Institute at the Freie Universität Berlin (1990-1991), at the European University Institute in Florence (1997-1998 and 2002-2003), at the University of Cambridge (2008) and at the International Humanities College “Work and Life Course in Global History Perspective” re:work at the Humboldt University in Berlin (2010–2011) where he has also been associate fellow since 2011.
In his research work, projects, lectures, and publications, he always sought to establish connections to present developments. Interdisciplinarity and social relevance were never just words for Josef Ehmer, but scholarly practice in his teaching and research. The promotion of young colleagues, for whom he opened up opportunities in the academic world, was a tremendously important concern for him. Sepp was a kind and conciliatory personality whose commitment for scholarship and the persons and institutions behind it was passionate and insatiable.

As Sepp has passed away, we ask everyone who feels connected to him and wants to share memories to write short texts, which will be shown, on posters during this year’s conference in September. Please send the texts by July 15, 2023 to conference@ith.or.at.

Therese Garstenauer (ITH President)
Susan Zimmermann (ITH President 2014-2022)
Laurin Blecha (General Secretary)

Therese Garstenauer was elected the new President of the ITH at the General Assembly on September 22, 2022 and Laurin Blecha as new General Secretary. As the new management team, we would like to thank Susan Zimmermann and Rolf Bauer for their work and commitment to the ITH. Both have guided the ITH through difficult times and we hope to be able to continue on the successful path. Thank you Susan and Rolf!

Therese Garstenauer & Laurin Blecha

In June 2021 Laurin Blecha took over the conference management from Charlotte Rönchen. Welcome on board Laurin!

1. Editorial
2. Decisions of the ITH Board and General Assembly
3. Conference Report on the 54th ITH Conference: “Workplace Democracy Revisited: Labour and Practices of Participation, Workers’ Control and Self-Management in Global Perspective”
4. New ITH Member Institutes
5. Herbert Steiner Prize Winners 2018
6. Obituary: Claudie Weill (1942-2018)
7. Obituary: Hans Hautmann (1943-2018)
8. Erster Weltkrieg – ArbeiterInnenbewegung – herrschaftskritische Geschichtsschreibung: Kolloquium zur Erinnerung an Hans Hautmann
9. Announcements, Information, Recent Publications

Newsletter 55/1 (December 2018)

1. Editorial
2. Decisions of the ITH Board and General Assembly, Personnel matters
3. Conference Report of the 53rd ITH Conference: “Worlds of Labour Turned Upside Down – Revolutions and Labour Relations in Global Historical Perspective”
4. Decoration by the Republic of Austria and Festschrift for Winfried R. Garscha
5. Herbert Steiner Prize Winners 2017
6. Obituary: Helga Grebing (1930-2017)
7. Obituary: Narihiko Ito (1931-2017)
8. Announcements, Information, Recent Publications

Newsletter 54/1 (April 2018)