Dr. Andrea Strutz

On Thursday, September 16th at 4:00 pm, CCGES is pleased to present a talk by Dr Andrea Strutz (Senior Researcher, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Social and Cultural History, Graz, Austria)  entitled “Auch in Kanada blueht oesterreichisches ‘Edelweiss’: Austrian Immigration to Canada after 1945” (Room 749 York Research Tower, building #95 on map found here).

After 1945, Europe faced mass migration triggered by the forced displacement which accompanied the end of World War II. Austria functioned as an important transit country for the resettlement of Displaced Persons to other European countries and to overseas destinations such as Canada, which took in a large number of European refugees. Many Austrian citizens, however, also saw in Canada a land of opportunity in which they might improve their standard of living and left – permanently or temporarily – their home country in the post-war period. By 1970 approximately 30,000 Austrians had relocated to Canada, the majority of whom can be classified as labour migrants.With Canadian Immigration Officials having established an office in Salzburg as early as 1949, Austria was recognized as a gateway to Canada relatively early in the post-war period.  In this talk, Dr. Strutz will both examine aspects of the post-1945 Austrian-Canadian relations including the expectations carried by both sides and use the biographies of Austrian labour migrants to illuminate their daily lives in their new Canadian home.

This talk will be given in English. All are welcome to attend.

Attendees are asked to please register at ccges@yorku.ca

Andrea Strutz is senior researcher at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute für Gesellschafts- and Kulturgeschichte in Graz and a lecturer at the Institute for History/Contemporary History at the University of Graz, where she teaches courses on oral and video history.

Location: 749 York Research Tower (building #95 on the map found here)
Time: 4:00-5:30 pm