100 Years of Austrian League for Human Rights

A rotating stamp rack, a poster in neon orange. An early petition for the decriminalisation of homosexuality. Objects that tell of decades of human rights work.

In 1926, just a few years after the proclamation of the First Republic and in the midst of the crisis-ridden 1920s, the Austrian League for Human Rights was founded. In difficult times shaped by the aftermath of the First World War, it took on the task of protecting human rights and standing up for social justice and peace. After dissolving itself following the “Anschluss” in 1938, it was re-founded in 1945/46. Ever since, it has been working for human rights in Austria and internationally.

This makes it Austria’s oldest human rights organisation.

The League’s archive has been held at Qwien since 2017. So it was only natural for us to host an exhibition drawn from the archive’s holdings on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. “… because nothing is more dangerous than resigning oneself to injustice. 100 Years of the Austrian League for Human Rights” offers insight into the historical practice of human rights advocacy, with a particular focus on the League’s fight for the rights of homosexual and queer people.

The exhibition spans a wide arc: from drafting proposals for criminal law reform in 1954 and hosting an international congress in 1970 to publishing an annual report assessing the human rights situation in Austria and around the world.

Through objects selected from the League’s long history, the exhibition asks what means the League used in its work – and which ones are needed today.

The exhibition is on view from 22 October to 28 November.

Opening: 21 October, 6:30 pm

More insights into the archive of the Austrian League for Human Rights