Austria – the whole story

Great moments and radical events have influenced the course of Austrian history, as well as ideas, ideas and social upheavals. The new 40-part ORF III series “Austria – The Complete History” tells the history of the country from its beginnings to the present and highlights the big questions of the era in question.

The first season of the four-year project spans from the first mention of Austria by name Ostarrichi in 996 to the 18th century. The comprehensive history series begins on 27 December 2023 and is the heart of this year's ORF III Christmas programme.

This multimedia Prestige-Project staff, this week in Hörfunk and Online will be available, is in Doppelfolgen am 27. Look.

The production is also available as a live broadcast or, after the telecast, as video on demand at ORF TVthek (TVthek.ORF.at) available.

Starting December 8, there will be a companion podcast (20 20-minute episodes) on all subscribed platforms such as the ORF SOUND app, Apple iTunes or Spotify.

Austria – The Complete Story, Season 1: Broadcast dates and episodes at a glance

Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 8:15 pm and 9:05 pm

Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 8:15 pm and 9:05 pm

Friday, December 29, 2023 at 8:15 pm and 9:05 pm

Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at 8:15 pm and 9:05 pm

Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at 8:15 pm and 9:05 pm

Andreas Pfeiffer and Mariela Gettler as the presenting duo

“Austria – the full story” is presented by ORF presenters Andreas Pfeiffer and Mariela Gettler. Starting with the major issues of today, they look for answers in the past.

Andreas Pfeiffer uses digital studio animation to explain how we became where we are today. Augmented reality representations provide insights using 3D animated maps, statistics and many effects that explore all the possibilities of technology.

Mariela Gitler searches for places where the past touches the present. The elaborately produced game scenes take you back to the fascinating moments in Austria's development and allow the audience to immerse themselves in the worlds of historical experience.

Elaborate Reenactment, Scientific Advisory Board

Each episode of the historical series highlights individual dramatic destinies that guide the subject in question: the mayor of Vienna who finds himself caught between the front lines of the conflict between the Habsburgs and Premysl, the “plague doctor” who struggles in vain to attract the attention of the imperial authorities, or a forced Jewish convert who meets an intellectual patriarch of Jewish politics in this era at the newly founded University of Vienna.

When it came to research and production, ORF III relied on first-class technical expertise and established its own scientific advisory board. The country's leading historians have followed the project closely from the beginning and have also provided scientifically sound information about the central questions of the TV series in interviews.

Season 1: Scientific advice and meeting partners

Episode 1: “Warriors and Builders”

• Johannes Preiser-Kapeller (Institute for Medieval Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences)
• Ferdinand Oppel (Retired Director of the Vienna City and State Archives and Associate Professor of Medieval History and Allied Historical Sciences)
• Andreas Ruby (Institute for Medieval Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences)
• Christina Lotter (Historian, Dean of the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies)

Episode Two: Reign of Hunger

• Andreas Zaitsch (Institute for Medieval Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences)
• Ferdinand Oppel (Retired Director of the Vienna City and State Archives and Associate Professor of Medieval History and Allied Historical Sciences)
• Klaus Luhrmann (Austrian Historical Research Institute)
• Christina Lotter (Historian, Dean of the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies)

Episode Three: The Master Thief

• Christina Lotter (Historian, Dean of the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies)
• Christina Antenhofer (Head of the Interdisciplinary Center for the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period – Paris Loudron University Salzburg)
• Andreas Zaitsch (Institute for Medieval Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences)

Episode 4: “The Birth Pains of a Global City”

• Ulrike Denk (Deputy Head of the University Archives)
• Daniel Luger (Austrian Historical Research Institute)
• Andreas Zaitsch (Institute for Medieval Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences)
• Eveline Brugger (Institute of Jewish History Austria)

Episode Five: “Hostages of the Cold”

• Karl Voselka (Austrian Historical Research Institute)
• Astrid Schweighofer (theologian, President of the Society for the History of Protestantism in Austria – Austrian Academy of Sciences)
• Eveline Brugger (Institute of Jewish History Austria)
• Eric Landsteiner (Institute for Economic and Social History)
• Martin Schwitz (Austrian Historical Research Institute)
• Johannes Preiser-Kapeller (Institute for Medieval Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences)

Episode Six: Big Money

• Karl Voselka (Austrian Historical Research Institute)
• Ulrich Voelich (Institute of Physics – University of Graz)
• Margaret Lanzinger (Historian, Institute of Economic and Social History)

Episode Seven: The Witch Trial

• Astrid Schweighofer (theologian, President of the Society for the History of Protestantism in Austria – Austrian Academy of Sciences)
• Doris Vickers (astronomer, Institute of Classical, Middle and Modern Latin Philology)
• Martin Schwitz (Austrian Historical Research Institute)
• Karl Voselka (Austrian Historical Research Institute)

Episode Eight: “Patient Zero”

• Thomas Valnig (Austrian Historical Research Institute)
• Daniela Angeter Pfeiffer (Historian, Austrian Academy of Sciences)
• Herwig Czech (medical historian; MedUni Vienna)
• Heiner Fangerau (medical historian; University Hospital Düsseldorf/Leopoldina)

Episode nine: The Golden Apple

• Arnaud Strohmaier (Historian, University of Paris Loudron Salzburg)
• Thomas Valnig (historian; Austrian Historical Research Institute)
• Yaser Yilmaz (Historian, Austrian Academy of Sciences)
• Barbara Staudinger (Director of the Jewish Museum Vienna)
• Susanna Czeraki (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
• Andreas Weigel (Historian, Institute of Economic and Social History)

Episode Ten: On the Freedom Platform

• Thomas Helmuth (Institute of Austrian Studies)
• Thomas Valnig (Austrian Historical Research Institute)
• Helmut Renleiter (Institute for the History of Ideas – University of Innsbruck)
• Mona Jarloff (Historian, University of Innsbruck)
• Franz Villafer (historian, Austrian Academy of Sciences)